If you want to fit a Sparco/Momo Steering wheeel..

General General Lotus Talk
1

I recently fitted a natty suede Sparco wheel and had a hell of a job to find a replacement hub that a) maintained the original spacing and b) looked right & didn’t leave ugly gaps around the steering column trim. Having tried various spacers and 3 different hubs, I Eventually tracked down one that did the job. It’s made by Simoni Racing (HQ 01525 382713), part number 524.78 (Opel Corsa). This hub is well made for the money, sold complete with a cast alluminium backing plate, collapsible centre section, rubber booty etc. and is yours for around �35. By way of a comparison, the Montery branded equivalent had a dodgy casting, general poor finish and left a 2 cm gap around the trim. Hope this saves someone a bit of time and the cost of sending back the bits that didn’t fit. FYI Torque setting is 25Nm according to the Reverie web site (reverie.ltd.uk) which also has a useful fitting guide.

2

Thanks for the tip Howie.
I have been flirting with the idea of another steering wheel. This might come in handy.
Is it quick release? or fixed?

3

No it’s fixed - I’m told that the quick release + an Elise Parts spacer also works OK

4

Howie, thanks for the tip, I’ve got the Momo hub on mine, and it’s got a big gap all round the edge. Any chance of finding some pictures before I order one?

My experience of quick release kits has put me off for good. John at Nick Whale’s told me he reckons they’re good for about a year before the play becomes excessive. If they have a second hand car for sale with a quick release, they usually end up replacing it with a standard wheel because of the knocking.

5

Dear Brendan, I’m travelling around Europe this week - will post a photo on the site this Friday on my return.

6

Can anybody recommend a UK distributor for these hubs?

I’m fed up with having an 800 quid steering wheel let down by a crappy hub that doesn’t look like it was designed to fit the car.

7

Brendan, the telephone number for the maker/importer - Simoni Racing, is in my original post. They should be able to give you contact details for a local supplier. I’ve taken some pics as promised - any ideas on how to add them to a page?

8

To add a picture into this BBS, you need somebody to host it on their server. I use bookatrack.co.uk as they host a gallery for member’s pictures.

If it’s easier for you, email your pictures to me at [email protected], and I’ll stick them up for anybody else who wants to see them.

9

Come on guys, a few clicks away and here it is for you:

http://www.simoniracing.it

And directly to the hubs page here

And which one would it be, this one?
[image]http://www.simoniracing.it/mkt/products/82.thumb.jpg[/image]

Or this one
[image]http://www.simoniracing.it/mkt/products/85.thumb.jpg[/image]

Or this adaptor
[image]http://www.simoniracing.it/mkt/products/95.thumb.jpg[/image]

Or this one:

10

It’s the top one

11

Uldis thanks, but I found those pictures already, I wanted to see it in place to judge the gap around the edge.

Howie, thanks for the pictures. I’ve emailed you another question…

Here’s a LINK to a set of pictures of both Howie’s Simoni hub, and my Momo hub for anybody who’s interested.

I think the Simoni hub fits onto the original boss in which case the fit must be better than mine. Howie, can you confirm this?

You can clearly see in the momo2 photo that mine has a fairly large gap. I’m a fussy bugger, and I want to get it perfect.Especially after spending so much on my steering wheel.

12

Brendan - The wheel looks good covered ( less slippy ? ) - anyhow Im interested in the thickness … I have a Momo Top Power 300mm diameter wheel and it feels very “thin” not a real chunky grip - know what I mean ??

What is the approx girth of the rim ?

13

Hi Andy, yes the wheel looks (and feels) really nice now. I sent it back to Reverie to get it trimmed in suede. They gave it to the guy that trims their wheels for the Citroen WRC cars. Apparently he also does the wheels for the Williams F1 cars. The quality is absolutely fantastic, a world away from the alcantara trimmed Momo wheel I bought from Lotus. Fapping expensive, though.

Surprisingly, I found the bare carbon was very grippy in normal conditions, but it was a problem in hot weather if my hands got really sweaty. The suede seems to be a much better compromise.

I know what you mean about thin rims I recently refitted the standard Nardi wheel while I was investigating my steering problems. It felt really odd, far too thin.
My Reverie Eclipse has an oval rim of approx. 31x36mm. Feels nice and chunky to me.