Steering Wheel Options

[Pork Chops]

Hi Guys, just got me a '78 911 SC and want to get a Prototipo wheel as it has something really ugly in there ATM, but there are some questions I have about this as follows:

1. Is 350mm diameter OK for wheel effort given there is no power steering?
2. Is 350mm diameter OK for seeing the gauges?
3. I've read you can get 370mm repros...
4. Apropos of the above, is this why I read about eccentric hubs? Does it raise the height of the wheel so you can see gauges and get more leg clearance? I'm not that tall so the latter doesn't matter to me particularly
5. Dish or no dish? Styling wise I love the dished look but that won't be in keeping with the planned end result of the car which is to have it looking nice and neat and fairly period. It won't be a racer, but just a nice old sporty road car
6. Any other options other than the Prototipo or Arbath that I should consider?
7. I'll be going for a black spoke and black embossed leather horn button and it's going into a Cork interior

Many thanks.

[Arne2]

Bear in mind that the stock wheel is about 380mm, and is eccentric from the factory.

I have a 370mm Abarth in mine, with the eccentric. Gauge visibility is pretty much the same as the stock wheel.

[BMWonly]

I had several 350mm Momos in my Porsches and other cars, and you will need an eccentric hub adapter to see all the gauges.
As for steering effort, the 350 is fine, there is not that much weight in the front

1980 Porsche 911 SC Coupe - Steering System - Page 3

and

Steering Eccentric Adapter - JWest Engineering

[mderienzo]

I recently removed my stock SC wheel and installed a 350mm Momo Prototipo. I am 5'8" and it does block the gauges a bit but I have no issues with leg room, in fact the opposite - the smaller diameter from stock gives me more leg room. With the currently available Momo hub, the Prototipo sits 1/2-3/4" closer to the driver making the driving position more comfortable for me and giving enough additional leverage to negate the additional effort required due to the smaller diameter. I have no issues negotiating parking lots or parallel parking with the smaller wheel. I rotated my Speedo 90 degrees counter clockwise so I could see the most useful range. For me, adding the eccentric adapter would make the wheel too high for the driving position to be comfortable. My father is 6'4" and he would definitely need the adapter. Here is a pic of my view from my driving position. HTH, Mark

[Pork Chops]

Originally Posted by mderienzo

I recently removed my stock SC wheel and installed a 350mm Momo Prototipo. I am 5'8" and it does block the gauges a bit but I have no issues with leg room, in fact the opposite - the smaller diameter from stock gives me more leg room. With the currently available Momo hub, the Prototipo sits 1/2-3/4" closer to the driver making the driving position more comfortable for me and giving enough additional leverage to negate the additional effort required due to the smaller diameter. I have no issues negotiating parking lots or parallel parking with the smaller wheel. I rotated my Speedo 90 degrees counter clockwise so I could see the most useful range. For me, adding the eccentric adapter would make the wheel too high for the driving position to be comfortable. My father is 6'4" and he would definitely need the adapter. Here is a pic of my view from my driving position. HTH, Mark

Very helpful thank you. The car already has an adaptor on it which the wheel will fit onto but unsure if it's eccentric or not. So by the looks of things the tacho is OK but the speedo is the main gauge to be obscured. Perhaps oil temp, but that's OK as it's a gauge you only look at occassionally in a street driven car. Does that sum it up? I'm 5'9" so I'm pretty similar in stature to yourself.

Thanks for the other replies.

[Pork Chops]

Also going to be getting one of these (RH image)



Am I buying from the right place with the right quality? Any other suggestions?

[Ronnie's.930]

If you are too cool, like me, to rotate your gauge cattywonker style, then you can opt to have a boss, new face plate made by North Hollywood Speedometer (like so) in order to place the important numbers so they are not obscured by a 350mm wheel.

[mderienzo]

Originally Posted by Pork Chops

Does that sum it up?

Yes it does.

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

If you are too cool, like me,

CLEARLY I am not but if I send my speedo in to have the trip odometer fixed, maybe I'll have the numbering adjusted. Thanks for sharing that.

[Ronnie's.930]

^^^

That's exactly what I did - odometer gear needed replacing, so I ordered the custom face plate from NHS and had it installed, along with the gear replacement, at a local instrument shop I was familiar with. I did that primarily because of the reported, very long wait times at NHS at the time (it took six weeks to get the plate - very nice quality, though).

[littleoldman]

Do you really need to see the gauges? Honestly, if you are driving it regularly you will feel the RPM and Speed and a simple glance at the gauges confirms.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by littleoldman

Do you really need to see the gauges? Honestly, if you are driving it regularly you will feel the RPM and Speed and a simple glance at the gauges confirms.

Why not set up the gauges so that you can see them if you want to, considering it is entirely doable? Not necessary to drive the car (could do that with a blocking plate in place of the gauges), but is nice to be able to see them clearly, if so desired, after ditching the hideous OEM steering wheel (the 4-spoke, bread truck/Grandma's station wagon wheel).

[Pork Chops]

Originally Posted by littleoldman

Do you really need to see the gauges? Honestly, if you are driving it regularly you will feel the RPM and Speed and a simple glance at the gauges confirms.

You don't need to but it's a little frustrating. I did a track day the other week and my Cup wheel obscures my tacho on my GT3 and I only clipped the limited a couple of times on up changes so hardly makes any difference in reality.

That said if the choices are a fugly steering wheel or some blocked gauges then I know twhat I'd take.

[deputydog95]

Originally Posted by mderienzo

I recently removed my stock SC wheel and installed a 350mm Momo Prototipo. I am 5'8" and it does block the gauges a bit but I have no issues with leg room, in fact the opposite - the smaller diameter from stock gives me more leg room. With the currently available Momo hub, the Prototipo sits 1/2-3/4" closer to the driver making the driving position more comfortable for me and giving enough additional leverage to negate the additional effort required due to the smaller diameter. I have no issues negotiating parking lots or parallel parking with the smaller wheel. I rotated my Speedo 90 degrees counter clockwise so I could see the most useful range. For me, adding the eccentric adapter would make the wheel too high for the driving position to be comfortable. My father is 6'4" and he would definitely need the adapter. Here is a pic of my view from my driving position. HTH, Mark

Which Momo adapter did you buy? The standard (which the L for long model), or the short one?

My shop is putting in my 350mm Momo wheel with the short Momo adapter next week. I'm a whopping 5-6 (and shrinking as I get older) so it made sense to go with the shorter adapter as my seat is closer. I never even considered gauge visibility... Being shorter, it may be a non issue for me.

[deputydog95]

Originally Posted by Pork Chops

You don't need to but it's a little frustrating. I did a track day the other week and my Cup wheel obscures my tacho on my GT3 and I only clipped the limited a couple of times on up changes so hardly makes any difference in reality.

That said if the choices are a fugly steering wheel or some blocked gauges then I know twhat I'd take.

In my race SC, I have a hard time seeing the gauges so I went with a tach that lights up and flashes for shift points. Problem solved. I never look at the speedo so I didn't bother doing anything about that.

[Mick_D]

Try a deep-dish wheel, people say it helps arm fatigue AND you can see teh gauges better .I just can't find one I like the look of except for the Momo Mod 7, but it has that silly yellow stripe... man am I picky or what?

[dfhtrhjn]

If you don't want to do a deep dish, you can do what I did and install quick release steering. You get to keep the flat wheel (which I like better), the closeness of the deep dish wheel, and the gauge visibility is better too!

And a theft deterrent I guess.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by Mick_D

Try a deep-dish wheel, people say it helps arm fatigue AND you can see teh gauges better .

Yep to the lessened arm fatigue but nope to increased gauge visibility.

Originally Posted by Mick_D

I just can't find one I like the look of except for the Momo Mod 7, but it has that silly yellow stripe... man am I picky or what?

You're not the first to mention that the small, insignificant yellow stripe is somehow a concern; freaks one and all, I tell ye'!

[mderienzo]

Originally Posted by deputydog95

Which Momo adapter did you buy? The standard (which the L for long model), or the short one?

L0231. The stock wheel was a little far away and my hub / wheel combo is much better for me.

[Nick Triesch]

I bought the 930 type wheel from Pelican and it works just fine. I can see the gauges just fine.

[deputydog95]

Originally Posted by mderienzo

L0231. The stock wheel was a little far away and my hub / wheel combo is much better for me.

That's the long one... Odd, I would have guessed at your height the short one would have better for you since you're sliding the seat further forward like me. Resulting in the wheel being too close. I went with the S231 model (the short one) to push the wheel further away as I bring the seat in closer to maintain the same ratio.

Do you have Burger King arms? LOL