A little steering hub fiddling...

[slug_dub]

I've got some steering hub on the car, looks like an Ebay jobbie.

My issue is that a few months ago I had the plastic covers over the control stalks off and after putting them back on, the front of the covers is always rubbing on the back of the steering hub when they expand a bit in the heat of the day. It rubs enough to cause noticeable (but not dire) friction to the steering action.
I've put the covers back on several times to see if I can reposition it very slightly but no joy.

I was wondering if repositioning the hub just a tiny bit forward would do the trick. Apart from the bolt on the end of the steering shaft, is the hub seated just by the splines that it positions on? It seems to be fit extremely tight over those splines and I haven't been able to move it. Would a gear puller be ok to use? Or is there some other bolts or screws I should be removing?

[93_Clubman]

just the nut behind the wheel holding it on & they sometimes need a gear puller, but a bit of wd40 might help. can confirm the na8 is splined so the na6 is probably the same.

[JBT]

That adaptor looks very weak and dodgy - it may well be worth replacing the whole arrangement for your own (and other road users') safety. A guy crashed a Lancer EVO at Mt Cotton recently when the aftermarket steering wheel adaptor he had fitted broke mid-corner leaving him with no directional control and a rapidly approaching rock wall.

[slug_dub]

I certainly agree its a pretty dodgy hub, on further investigation I think a new one would be needed to fix this rubbing issue anyway... its not rubbing on the raised lip on the front of the steering coloumn surround hole, its rubbing on part of the flat face of the surround.

[slug_dub]

I guess this here would be the kind of thing to look at? (QR not necessary of course but may as well add features!) Any recommendations on hubs/quick releases and places of purchase?

[Benny]

You don't need to go to that sort of expense.
Just get yourself a proper hub, even a used one.
You often see them in the Parts For Sale section.

To take off your hub, screw the steering wheel back on, and screw it on tight.
Undo the nut holding the hub onto the shaft, but leave it on a few turns.
The last point is very important, because when you yank the wheel up towards you, you don't want that nut be taken off, otherwise the wheel will remove a few of your front teeth!
You will have to yank hard, and you can use a big hammer to bash the underside of the wheel, near the centre, to loosen it.

Failing that, you can borrow a steering wheel puller to get it off, but if you persist and bash it hard enough, it will come off.

[slug_dub]

Thanks for the replies all. That's a good tip Benny, thank you.

Less expense for a hub would be good, I do admit I'd never really thought about them til this little problem arose!

[JBT]

See this video on steering wheel removal technique. It's for an MG but the same principle applies to the MX-5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwf2BDC5DMo

[c2888]

The Factory fitted MOMO steering wheel looks dodgy because it's designed to bend when your face hits it in a crash.
Give the plastics some love with a file and you can rest easy at night.
The spline on the MX-5 and just about every car I've had the pleasure of destroying is also tapered. Once in place and tight that is where it will sit, you only have a choice where the splines line up, not how far on they sit.

Since everyone is jumping in with hammers and gear pullers for something so simple.

My preferred method for removing steering wheels, has never not worked.

1. Undo big nut, one turn from loose is plenty, leave it on if you like your front teeth.
2. Grab steering wheel at 3 and 6 o'clocks.
3. Push with left hand, pull with right hand.
4. Pull with left hand, push with right hand.
5. Check if steering wheel hub has unseated, if not repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Once unseated, undo big nut, remove steering wheel.
7. Drink beers

[deviant]

I guess this here would be the kind of thing to look at? (QR not necessary of course but may as well add features!) Any recommendations on hubs/quick releases and places of purchase?

Don't get one with QR for a road car. There are to many stories around of people not locking them on properly or driving off without checking they are on properly and then getting in a mess when it comes off.

Back in the day when I marshalled at race circuits in europe I remember a Formula Ford race where the driver in a lead car of a large pack going along a quick straight raised his hand in the air to signal a problem and that he was about to slow down suddenly.....the big give away was that the raised hand had his steering wheel in it!!! It worked out okay, the pack behind him slowed down and he braked and speared off in to the wall but luckily he had scrubbed off some speed before coming off.

There is a video of some in car footage on youtube of someone driving at a silly rate of knots and the wheel comes off in his hands, he managed to get it back on but there is a few seconds of fumbling to get it on!

[slug_dub]

All good reasons not to bother with a QR Deviant... thanks hehe. When it comes down to it if a hub isn't as expensive as those items its not like the steering wheel would be off the car all that often to justify the expense anyway.