Snap-off steering wheel - arrrgh
Discussion
Apologies for all the posts, but I'm absolutely besotted with my Exige 
I've decided that a snap-off steering wheel was a good idea. I used to have one on my first S1 Elise, and I wanted to put one on the VXT but couldn't (airbag wheel as standard in the VXT). Luckily my S2 Exige S is the last of the non-airbagged cars, so had a standard Lotus wheel. Completely fine wheel BTW, made by Nardi apparently.
Given I park in a public car park, the best possible security is a lack of steering wheel! If a professional car thief wants the car then they'll have it - I'm not trying to beat the pros. But no opportunist thief will even bother if there's no steering wheel, which avoids the other option, where the opportunist / joyrider / pikey breaks in and then rips the steering column apart to hotwire and remove the steering lock. The immobiliser should stop this, but you're then left with a damaged car. Far better to dissuade them from trying in the first place.
So after lots of heaving to remove the bolts on the standard wheel, I installed the Snap-off kit from Eliseparts along with a plain suede steering wheel. I line everything up, bolt it all back together, take for a test drive and DOH the bloody wheel isn't straight
Geary mentioned this to me on the phone, looks like I've been a plonker and done exactly that.
Question is - obviously I need to take the wheel off again, move the boss around a couple of splines and put it all back together again. But getting the boss off the splined shaft originally was bloody hard work even with the Eliseparts 'puller kit' (£6 for one bolt and a piece of metal, nice work if you can get it!
) - that puller won't work now the OEM wheel isn't there. Am I going to be able to get the boss off the splines now there's no wheel on it? Is there a trick to getting it off again - or is it easy because I've taken it off once (maybe some threadlock needed to be broken)?
I have the fear that I won't be able to get the boss off the splined shaft now there's nothing to pull against - leaving me with a beautiful wheel that I have to hold at an angle
Geary says loads of people end up doing this (putting the wheel on off-centre) - anyone here done it, and how easy was it to correct it?
I've decided that a snap-off steering wheel was a good idea. I used to have one on my first S1 Elise, and I wanted to put one on the VXT but couldn't (airbag wheel as standard in the VXT). Luckily my S2 Exige S is the last of the non-airbagged cars, so had a standard Lotus wheel. Completely fine wheel BTW, made by Nardi apparently.
Given I park in a public car park, the best possible security is a lack of steering wheel! If a professional car thief wants the car then they'll have it - I'm not trying to beat the pros. But no opportunist thief will even bother if there's no steering wheel, which avoids the other option, where the opportunist / joyrider / pikey breaks in and then rips the steering column apart to hotwire and remove the steering lock. The immobiliser should stop this, but you're then left with a damaged car. Far better to dissuade them from trying in the first place.
So after lots of heaving to remove the bolts on the standard wheel, I installed the Snap-off kit from Eliseparts along with a plain suede steering wheel. I line everything up, bolt it all back together, take for a test drive and DOH the bloody wheel isn't straight
Geary mentioned this to me on the phone, looks like I've been a plonker and done exactly that.Question is - obviously I need to take the wheel off again, move the boss around a couple of splines and put it all back together again. But getting the boss off the splined shaft originally was bloody hard work even with the Eliseparts 'puller kit' (£6 for one bolt and a piece of metal, nice work if you can get it!
) - that puller won't work now the OEM wheel isn't there. Am I going to be able to get the boss off the splines now there's no wheel on it? Is there a trick to getting it off again - or is it easy because I've taken it off once (maybe some threadlock needed to be broken)?I have the fear that I won't be able to get the boss off the splined shaft now there's nothing to pull against - leaving me with a beautiful wheel that I have to hold at an angle
Geary says loads of people end up doing this (putting the wheel on off-centre) - anyone here done it, and how easy was it to correct it?
Furyous said:
Can you not "rock" the wheel and hub off the splines ?
Trouble is that in order to undo the big retaining nut, you have to remove the snap-off boss, so there's no wheel attached to the boss to 'rock'.I suppose I could remove the wheel, unbolt the snap-off kit, remove the big nut, then bolt the wheel back on and then try that... I'll give it a go
cyberface said:
Furyous said:
Can you not "rock" the wheel and hub off the splines ?
Trouble is that in order to undo the big retaining nut, you have to remove the snap-off boss, so there's no wheel attached to the boss to 'rock'.I suppose I could remove the wheel, unbolt the snap-off kit, remove the big nut, then bolt the wheel back on and then try that... I'll give it a go
Esprit said:
cyberface said:
Furyous said:
Can you not "rock" the wheel and hub off the splines ?
Trouble is that in order to undo the big retaining nut, you have to remove the snap-off boss, so there's no wheel attached to the boss to 'rock'.I suppose I could remove the wheel, unbolt the snap-off kit, remove the big nut, then bolt the wheel back on and then try that... I'll give it a go
sdd said:
How much out is it?
If it's just a little bit then you generally wont get it straight without getting the tracking adjusted. Take the car to an alignment centre and £50 later it'll be perfect.
Tracking? Nah - just my incompetence. There's a reason I normally pay people who have spanner skills to do these things If it's just a little bit then you generally wont get it straight without getting the tracking adjusted. Take the car to an alignment centre and £50 later it'll be perfect.
Basically I measured everything, marked where the boss had to return to the splined shaft, then managed to turn the steering with the socket when undoing the big nut and had to guess. I'm (by the looks of things) two splines out.
All I need to do is remove the entire shooting match, and then pop the boss back on two splines counterclockwise. But getting the boss off the splines to begin with needed Geary's 'fancy' puller tool which won't work now there's no wheel on the boss.
The original steering wheel was perfectly straight, and the snap-off kit uses the original boss but with a spacer, the snap-off kit and then any aftermarket wheel of your choice. It *should* be as straight as the OEM wheel, unless you put it on wrong
To be fair, both Geary and Parky @ Lipscomb did warn me that this was the trickiest bit of the job....
Anyway now I'm booked up for Brands Indy on the 19th Dec I will *need* to get it sorted, Parky has already had a go at my 10 to 2 hand-waving steering style and told me to go quarter to 3 and keep hold of the wheel crossing my arms... will be a bit tricky at the moment as one hand will be holding a spoke
cyberface said:
sdd said:
How much out is it?
If it's just a little bit then you generally wont get it straight without getting the tracking adjusted. Take the car to an alignment centre and £50 later it'll be perfect.
Tracking? Nah - just my incompetence. There's a reason I normally pay people who have spanner skills to do these things If it's just a little bit then you generally wont get it straight without getting the tracking adjusted. Take the car to an alignment centre and £50 later it'll be perfect.
Basically I measured everything, marked where the boss had to return to the splined shaft, then managed to turn the steering with the socket when undoing the big nut and had to guess. I'm (by the looks of things) two splines out.
All I need to do is remove the entire shooting match, and then pop the boss back on two splines counterclockwise. But getting the boss off the splines to begin with needed Geary's 'fancy' puller tool which won't work now there's no wheel on the boss.
The original steering wheel was perfectly straight, and the snap-off kit uses the original boss but with a spacer, the snap-off kit and then any aftermarket wheel of your choice. It *should* be as straight as the OEM wheel, unless you put it on wrong
To be fair, both Geary and Parky @ Lipscomb did warn me that this was the trickiest bit of the job....
Anyway now I'm booked up for Brands Indy on the 19th Dec I will *need* to get it sorted, Parky has already had a go at my 10 to 2 hand-waving steering style and told me to go quarter to 3 and keep hold of the wheel crossing my arms... will be a bit tricky at the moment as one hand will be holding a spoke
Anyway, take it all to bits, undo the big nut but leave it on the last couple o threads, then put the snap off kit back on again. You dont need to put in all of the screws, three should be enough to hold things in place while you get the hub off. Put the wheel on, get your forearms behind it and heave. Give it a couple of bangs with your forearms to get things moving. It will probably come off without needing a puller, although you may end up bruising your arms! I'd move the hub one spline at a time unless you are absolutely sure it's two splines out. When you move the hub round on the splines don't tighten the big nut up until you are absolutely sure the wheel is straight, as this will make it easier to get the wheel off again if you have to.
Best of luck. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!
Take off the wheel, remove the nut and heat up the boss.
You will probably find the new component isn't as hard to remove as the original wheel anyway, but heating will help.
I did it with a hairdryer (being 'follically-challenged' these days it was the only use it was ever going to get!) on the hottest setting when I had a similar issue getting my original wheel off.
You will probably find the new component isn't as hard to remove as the original wheel anyway, but heating will help.
I did it with a hairdryer (being 'follically-challenged' these days it was the only use it was ever going to get!) on the hottest setting when I had a similar issue getting my original wheel off.
Incredible Sulk - you were right, it was one spline out, not two.
Loosened the nut a few threads (wasn't as tight as when I put it on - should I be thinking about reassembling with threadlock? Concerned that the nut may come loose, though given the shock required to bounce the boss off the splines, I doubt it'd come off in everyday driving) and then pulled and banged like hell. Was concerned I'd bend the Sparco wheel, it was flexing (I'm no muscleman, just getting frustrated as hell)...
Eventually there was a bang and the boss was loose. Round one spline first, push back in, do up nut fingertight, put snap-off kit back on with 3 screws to light torque, then attach wheel and test drive around car park. Right first time! (and glad I didn't go for 2 splines first...) so off with the wheel and snap-off kit, tighten up big nut as hard as I can (I would have used a torque wrench, but none of my sockets were deep enough to get to the nut with the original wheel on, so I found that luckily my X-shaped wheelbrace had a socket that fitted perfectly), then put the snap-off kit back on, this time tightening all the bolts nice and tight (listed Nm of torque on these? No idea, so given it's a steering wheel, as tight as I can manage with my feeble arms is good enough).
Only thing left to do now is to try to clean the thing. Last weekend's 400 mile trip left it absolutely covered in filth, and on a solar yellow car it looks terrible, like I'm some slob who doesn't give a s
t about his car. Of course, just my luck, today it's freezing cold, chucking it down with rain and blowing a gale. None of the petrol station jet washes are open (tried them all round here), the hand car wash guys have gone home, and I'm not standing in the freezing rain in a public car park trying to wash my car. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Incidentally, these A048Rs aren't as bad in standing water as I remember them to be. Perhaps it's a function of speed - at higher speeds they aquaplane dangerously, but up to 50 mph they seem to cut through easy enough (a bit of slip but nothing out of the ordinary for the enthusiastic driver). So the jury's still out on whether I buy a second set of wheels for winter tyres. What's more noticeable from cold in heavy rain is the lack of bite from the brakes...
Loosened the nut a few threads (wasn't as tight as when I put it on - should I be thinking about reassembling with threadlock? Concerned that the nut may come loose, though given the shock required to bounce the boss off the splines, I doubt it'd come off in everyday driving) and then pulled and banged like hell. Was concerned I'd bend the Sparco wheel, it was flexing (I'm no muscleman, just getting frustrated as hell)...
Eventually there was a bang and the boss was loose. Round one spline first, push back in, do up nut fingertight, put snap-off kit back on with 3 screws to light torque, then attach wheel and test drive around car park. Right first time! (and glad I didn't go for 2 splines first...) so off with the wheel and snap-off kit, tighten up big nut as hard as I can (I would have used a torque wrench, but none of my sockets were deep enough to get to the nut with the original wheel on, so I found that luckily my X-shaped wheelbrace had a socket that fitted perfectly), then put the snap-off kit back on, this time tightening all the bolts nice and tight (listed Nm of torque on these? No idea, so given it's a steering wheel, as tight as I can manage with my feeble arms is good enough).
Only thing left to do now is to try to clean the thing. Last weekend's 400 mile trip left it absolutely covered in filth, and on a solar yellow car it looks terrible, like I'm some slob who doesn't give a s
t about his car. Of course, just my luck, today it's freezing cold, chucking it down with rain and blowing a gale. None of the petrol station jet washes are open (tried them all round here), the hand car wash guys have gone home, and I'm not standing in the freezing rain in a public car park trying to wash my car. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.Incidentally, these A048Rs aren't as bad in standing water as I remember them to be. Perhaps it's a function of speed - at higher speeds they aquaplane dangerously, but up to 50 mph they seem to cut through easy enough (a bit of slip but nothing out of the ordinary for the enthusiastic driver). So the jury's still out on whether I buy a second set of wheels for winter tyres. What's more noticeable from cold in heavy rain is the lack of bite from the brakes...
cyberface said:
Incredible Sulk - you were right, it was one spline out, not two.
Loosened the nut a few threads (wasn't as tight as when I put it on - should I be thinking about reassembling with threadlock? Concerned that the nut may come loose, though given the shock required to bounce the boss off the splines, I doubt it'd come off in everyday driving) and then pulled and banged like hell. Was concerned I'd bend the Sparco wheel, it was flexing (I'm no muscleman, just getting frustrated as hell)...
There should be a tab washer behind the big nut to stop it coming loose. If you've shagged yours ar if it is missing they are only pennies to replace (even from a Lotus dealer)!Loosened the nut a few threads (wasn't as tight as when I put it on - should I be thinking about reassembling with threadlock? Concerned that the nut may come loose, though given the shock required to bounce the boss off the splines, I doubt it'd come off in everyday driving) and then pulled and banged like hell. Was concerned I'd bend the Sparco wheel, it was flexing (I'm no muscleman, just getting frustrated as hell)...
Furyous said:
Cyber, dont get complacent with those '48's, thats when they'll bite you, trust me.
Very nearly binned a 2000 mile Exige S because of them, just snapped loose and I wasnt really concentrating.
Yup. I ran my stage-2 VXT on Toyo 888s for 2 winters and a year in a track-sVery nearly binned a 2000 mile Exige S because of them, just snapped loose and I wasnt really concentrating.
g 205 Mi16 on A048Rs.I'm not complacent - I've got plenty of experience with these types of tyre - what could be the interesting point is that the Exige S has so much feel through the steering and seat of the pants (more so than the VXT, which was superb with the 16" fronts and different geometry I had on mine) that I can feel exactly what each tyre is doing.
I haven't fiddled with the Exige yet so it's still standard... seems to tend towards understeer but we'll see on Friday what it does in fast corners as I'll be at Brands...
I think the trick with these types of car, regardless of tyres, is simply to never be 'not really concentrating'
Silent1 said:
Damn S2 Exige S prices are getting cheap now aren't they.
Looks like i might well flog the VX220 and go for an Exige S, i did toy with the idea of supercharging my '220 but TBH i prefer the interior of the S2 to the VX
Oi! You saying I can't afford it? (you'd be right...)Looks like i might well flog the VX220 and go for an Exige S, i did toy with the idea of supercharging my '220 but TBH i prefer the interior of the S2 to the VX
The interior of the Exige is leagues ahead of the VX220 - it's got a heater and aircon that actually work, and it's luxury in comparison. Depends what you want the car for - you've normally got a choice of cars so perhaps the 'nice compromise' of the S2 Exige isn't really essential for you. The supercharged 2.2 VX engine will be much nicer to drive on road than the Exige engine - there'll be a lot more torque and capacity for more power. The Exige S won't go much more than 280 bhp before needing engine mods and that's at 8000 rpm. The VX engine has 400 cc more capacity...
Got yourself an internet connection again then mate? Haven't seen you around these parts for some time...
cyberface said:
Silent1 said:
Damn S2 Exige S prices are getting cheap now aren't they.
Looks like i might well flog the VX220 and go for an Exige S, i did toy with the idea of supercharging my '220 but TBH i prefer the interior of the S2 to the VX
Oi! You saying I can't afford it? (you'd be right...)Looks like i might well flog the VX220 and go for an Exige S, i did toy with the idea of supercharging my '220 but TBH i prefer the interior of the S2 to the VX
The interior of the Exige is leagues ahead of the VX220 - it's got a heater and aircon that actually work, and it's luxury in comparison. Depends what you want the car for - you've normally got a choice of cars so perhaps the 'nice compromise' of the S2 Exige isn't really essential for you. The supercharged 2.2 VX engine will be much nicer to drive on road than the Exige engine - there'll be a lot more torque and capacity for more power. The Exige S won't go much more than 280 bhp before needing engine mods and that's at 8000 rpm. The VX engine has 400 cc more capacity...
Got yourself an internet connection again then mate? Haven't seen you around these parts for some time...
I've always wanted an S2 Exige S, and i can imagine they'll be sub £20k by the time i'm back in the uk, probably something to do with some new crunchy credit cereal or something
Looking at even the bottom end of the '220 market is £8K and the previous owner of my car wants it back, so if i could get £10 for that, i'd be well on the way to an S2 with the cash i'll bring back from Oz.
You'll love the S2 Exige S, Oli - all of the good bits of the VX and all of the good bits of the Lotus. Yes it's heavy (930 kg) but so was the VXT - but the Lotus has air-con, a heater that works and doesn't leak.
It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
cyberface said:
You'll love the S2 Exige S, Oli - all of the good bits of the VX and all of the good bits of the Lotus. Yes it's heavy (930 kg) but so was the VXT - but the Lotus has air-con, a heater that works and doesn't leak.
It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
Ah well, we'll have to see what they're going for coming up to winter '09. I reckon there'll be a few about, that is of course if i don't keep the VX220 and buy myself a 2007 CBR1000RR....It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
Right i'm going back to sleep, i've got to be up in 4 hours!
Silent1 said:
cyberface said:
You'll love the S2 Exige S, Oli - all of the good bits of the VX and all of the good bits of the Lotus. Yes it's heavy (930 kg) but so was the VXT - but the Lotus has air-con, a heater that works and doesn't leak.
It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
Ah well, we'll have to see what they're going for coming up to winter '09. I reckon there'll be a few about, that is of course if i don't keep the VX220 and buy myself a 2007 CBR1000RR....It's also, being a supercharged car, open to fiddling around for more power
I'm incredibly impressed with mine - don't hold your breath for < £20k cars just yet unless the City implodes, or you get a very high mileage car - this is about the worst time to sell an Exige and they're not there yet... and next year, assuming no financial implosion, the City firms will start up the projects they are waiting on budget signoff for, and the merry-go-round starts again. Which means half the people that got made redundant in 2008 will end up being re-hired and cars will get bought again for the track day season...
Right i'm going back to sleep, i've got to be up in 4 hours!
The 'blade will be a rush but you've got to ask yourself one question... do ya feel lucky?
And also, more pertinently, do you have the self control to only use as much of the performance as is necessary, and no more? I reckon you can't 
(and I know you'll take that as a challenge... so perhaps I shouldn't have said that...)Anyway this is well OT from the snap-off wheel question - I'll email you mate.
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