S1 Steering column shaft

[haydenf]

I was giving a woodern steering wheel that I would like to fit on my 1988 S1 the steering wheel has 6 fixings not 9 and do not line up,I purchased a boss that fits all TVR not mine,
My steering wheel shaft is hexagonal and I think the S1 has a sierra shaft the company will exchange the boss if a know the year of the sierra.

Is my S1 shaft from a Sierra and would it be from an 1988 car

[phillpot]

haydenf said:

Is my S1 shaft from a Sierra

Yes.

haydenf said:

and would it be from an 1988 car

Quite possibly but Sierra came out a few years earlier, about '94 I think , so it is possible Ford "stitched" TVR up with some old stock?



Wood rim steering wheels undoubtedly look nice but I believe one or two owners have found them lacking in grip in hot weather and/or when the going gets a bit more enthusiastic


ETA. Sierra released in '82.... production ceased in '94

Edited by phillpot on Thursday 7th May 16:36

[glenrobbo]

phillpot said:

Quite possibly but Sierra came out a few years earlier, about '94 I think, so it is possible Ford "stitched" TVR up with some old stock?



Wood rim steering wheels undoubtedly look nice but I believe one or two owners have found them lacking in grip in hot weather and/or when the going gets a bit more enthusiastic

I had a 'Y' reg Sierra Estate, which predates '94 by at least 12 years.

Glenrobbo's Top Tips No.147.
For wood rim steering wheels, you need the kid leather palmed, string backed driving gloves for their sure grip and comfort.

Avoid woolen mittens at all costs, especially those joined by a string up your sleeves, as these can inhibit range of movement on the twiddly bits.

[greymrj]

Steering column is based on an 80's Ford Escort column. The Escort column to wheel boss is a splined connection. So your reference to a hexagonal shaft is a bit of a puzzle. Can you please clarify that?

The standard boss fitted by TVR was to match the MOMO specification with 9 screw fixing. Although the original wheel is probably not marked MOMO it was supplied by them. If your new steering wheel isnt to MOMO spec the easiest choice is to send it back and get one that is MOMO compatible!

I am going to agree wholeheartedly with the advice re wood rim wheels. Especially those lovely narrow rimmed alloy wheels with wood rims. They look lovely....but they are not lovely to use. I had such a nice wheel on my '88 S1. Slippery and cold and I found the relatively narrow profile hard to grip. I found it hard to get enough purchase on the wheel to cope with the relatively heavy steering, I worried about needing a bigger wheel. I then had an opportunity to try a leather rim MOMO, which actually had a 12mm smaller outer diameter. Revelation! I cannot believe how much easier and more comfortable it is to drive. The wooden rim wheel is now an office ornament.

While I am on it, is the new wheel you are considering fitting the same profile as the original, in other words is it flat or dished to the same degree? I cannot remember exactly but the original steering wheel had about 30-40mm dish. If you change the profile of the wheel, or fit a boss which has the effect of moving the wheel up or down, you need to think through the clearances like distances to column controls and knees!

[phillpot]

greymrj said:

Steering column is based on an 80's Ford Escort column. The Escort column to wheel boss is a splined connection. So your reference to a hexagonal shaft is a bit of a puzzle.

Pretty sure it's Sierra (very early cars could of course be different?) and mine is definitely a hexagon, not splined

[Roy C]

greymrj said:

The standard boss fitted by TVR was to match the MOMO specification with 9 screw fixing. Although the original wheel is probably not marked MOMO it was supplied by them. If your new steering wheel isnt to MOMO spec the easiest choice is to send it back and get one that is MOMO compatible!

I thought the original steering wheels on the early cars was by Moto-Lita.



(I couldn't get on with it, so I changed it for a Moto-Lita 3-spoke)

Edited by Roy C on Thursday 7th May 07:31

[Le TVR]

Roy C said:

I thought the original steering wheels on the early cars was by Moto-Lita.

I think so too:

http://www.moto-lita.co.uk/our-products/Wheel_Deta...

[greymrj]

Clarification (or maybe it isnt!): Steve Heath 'bible', page 156, steering wheels supplied by MOMO. Steve Heath 'bible' also shows steering wheels with either 9 or 6 screw fitting. MOMO now make wheels with 6 and 8 screw fittings! Moto-Lita matches the original 9 hole set up.

Steve Heath page 152 refers to Escort column and diagram on page 154 to splined connection. Original plastic column bush was Escort, but also appears to have been fitted to some Sierra's

Steve Heath is not however infallible. It was updated for later cars but perhaps not every change was spotted.
Mine is an S1, the original wheel was Momo (with the 4 spoke layout that TVR specified), it now has a Moto-Lita (3 spoke)fitted to the same boss.

The parts spec listing I have for Sierra suggests (and I emphasise 'suggests') early Sierra may have same column as Escort, later V6 Sierra appears different.

The more checks I do the more the typical TVR 'can of worms' opens again!!!!

Come on then; who has a splined shaft and who has hex.....and indeed are there others out there with something else!

[Oldred_V8S]

phillpot said:

Wood rim steering wheels undoubtedly look nice but I believe one or two owners have found them lacking in grip in hot weather and/or when the going gets a bit more enthusiastic

This was the reason I had to sadly remove mine. Looked lovely, but no grip when things got warm and excitable.

Four Eurotours completed with it, and prior to every one, I thought about removing it but didn't, only to regret it once the weather warmed up and we were driving some twisties. Now got a nice new Personal leather one.

[Roy C]

greymrj said:

The more checks I do the more the typical TVR 'can of worms' opens again!!!!

Come on then; who has a splined shaft and who has hex.....and indeed are there others out there with something else!

That standard specification car has yet to be found.

.....or they're all special.

[phillpot]

Roy C said:

That standard specification car has yet to be found.

No, it's here in my garage

[haydenf]

Thanks all for your comments about the woodern steering wheel,

But I would still like to know if it from a Sierra or not just for my records,

Phipot said he has a hex in the garage is that from a Sierra and what year ?

My Steering wheel looks like the one in Stev Heath second edition pages 231 and 301
13" four spoke dish 9 holes.

Thanks again all

[phillpot]

Later cars (mine is a 1990) definitely Sierra and Hexagon.


Sounds like some (very early, S1 2.8 engined) cars could be Escort and splined?



If yours is hexagon then I'd put my money on it being Sierra

[haydenf]

Thanks Phillpot