Steering shaft

[DHGTR]

guys i want to purchase a quick release connector for my steering wheel. i am away in paris at mo so have no access to the car. could someone tell me the diameter of the shaft please.
cheers
dave

[Builder]

Just finished mine last night. The collar section just below the flat plate is 1.0" OD and 0.75" ID. The pipe (shaft) is 0.75" OD and 0.50" ID.

I cut the plate off first, then cut the shaft down. Welded the quick-release plug into the end of the shaft. Total length is the same.

The quick-release is attached to the bottom of the plate. The crush-zone is attached to the top.

The quick-release is from SPA and has an 8-pin connector inside for wheel buttons. The weld plug was too big for the ID of the shaft, so the shaft was drilled out a little. The plug was slid into the shaft, spot-welded in 5 places around the shaft and ground smooth as the spot-welds are inside the chassis bushing. Then, a bead weld was run around the top.

A center hole was drilled in the plate for the wires...also an exit hole in the shaft. The total rotation (stop-to-stop) for the rack is approximately 2.6 turns. So, I will only need enough wire for a 1.3x wrap around the shaft at the wire exit.

A custom plate will be fabricated for the buttons. There are 8 wires, so I can control 7 relays (and one common power line):

Horn Hi-Beams
Left Turn PTT for Radio
Right Turn Radar Audio Kill(?)
Turn Cancel

[chris73]

Nice job!!

Did this on last car and it didnt look that well finished

[Builder]

Thanks, Chris. I still need to put the electronics in, build the plate for the buttons, and polish the shaft.

[ezakimak]

Builder,

I think I would try and get a few more turns of wire on the shaft – as this way it should be more reliable because the wires will not be bending or twisting as much every time you turn the wheel.

Probably some ware around 10 loose turns would be good. Also cable tie it to the shaft after it comes out of the hole so that it is not being bent or pulled through the hole. The airbag connections that I have worked with in the past used a ribbon cable that would wrap over itself and was held within an enclosed spool.

Looks good so far. Thumbs up

[rduart]

Would anyone have a picture of the custom plate? I think I understand what you guys are doing, but a picture would be worth a thousand words. Please correct me if I am wrong. You are putting some of the controls on the steering wheel? You are running the wire down the center of the shaft? Is that correct?

Thanks

[peterpsg]

Bear in mind that the SPA quick release is NOT road legal in the UK as it can be removed quite easily whilst still driving... you need one with a locking mechanism, I think Stig's website has the details somewhere...

[DHGTR]

thanks guys, i will retro fit the mechanism after sva, so shouldnt be a problem for me.

i found this link for the release mechanism over in the kit car forum if anyone else is interested.

dave

http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?...

[Builder]

ezakimak said:

I think I would try and get a few more turns of wire on the shaft – as this way it should be more reliable because the wires will not be bending or twisting as much every time you turn the wheel.

Agreed...good thinking. I was finishing up some of the details on it this evening. Decided on a zip-tie, but didn't think of the extra wraps. Latest photos below.

The green is like (but not) zinc chromate primer. Not sure if I like it yet, but can always take it off.

Decided on the following for buttons so far, controlling relays:

Horn - of course (one wire - common power)

Turn Signals - a latching-off-latching, illuminated rocker (for right-left) (two wires - common power)

Hi-Beams - a latch-off-moment, illuminated rocker (for beams-on and beams-flash) (one wire - common power)

PTT - Push-to-talk for the radio - momentary (one wire - common power)

Still have room for two functions (or a single two-wire function).

The 8 wires coming out the horn button location will come out the rubber boot around the crush zone and into the switches (yet to be sourced).

[Builder]

rduart said:

Would anyone have a picture of the custom plate? I think I understand what you guys are doing, but a picture would be worth a thousand words. Please correct me if I am wrong. You are putting some of the controls on the steering wheel? You are running the wire down the center of the shaft? Is that correct?

Thanks

Yes, that's corrrect. See above. I put a "1" and "2" on the first photo (my first post). From the factory, those two items are connected. The SPA quick-release I used is exactly the same length as the piece I chopped out of the factory shaft.

The original plate is only "custom" due to the extra holes I put in it to attach the quick-release (and the fact that it is disconnected)...with one exception:

The button-head screws that come through to the top side of the plate are not countersunk. Plate not thick enough. So, I took a pice of ali plate and hollowed it out where the screws come through. That ali plate is sandwiched between the crush-zone and original plate. The screws are there, but burrried in the second photo above. You can only see the nut end.

The wheel is probably 4mm closer to the driver than the stock position due to the extra thickness of the plate (visible in the second photo just above).

Edited by Builder on Wednesday 13th June 07:20

[Builder]

DHGTR said:

thanks guys, i will retro fit the mechanism after sva, so shouldnt be a problem for me.

i found this link for the release mechanism over in the kit car forum if anyone else is interested.

dave

http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?...

Good stuff! Pretty sure that's the SPA quick-release.

[Builder]

rduart said:

Would anyone have a picture of the custom plate?

Right...the buttons. The custom plate for the buttons has not been designed yet. When the switches have been source, I can draw it with AutoCAD. It will be made from ali sheet and contain two or three buttons (each side) within reach by thumb.