Steering Wheel Changes -
Since this 1983 528e was built October 1982, it has what
is known as a "coarse spline" steering wheel shaft, requiring a steering wheel with a matching "coarse spline" hub. The steering
wheel shaft and steering wheel hub changed to a "fine spline" configuration on all E28 models built after September 1985.
Because of this change, you have to be careful when purchasing a used steering wheel, making sure it will fit on your type
of steering shaft... "coarse" or "fine" spline configuration.
|
| BMW 533i 380mm steering wheel, installed by dealer, replacing the ugly four-spoke 528e wheel. |
Update February 10, 2010
Used 380mm M-Technic 1 with coarse spline hub,
from IceHaus Dave. This wheel was pretty rough (not Dave's doing) but has since been recovered by
Blaine DeLancey. NOTE - Blaine is
no longer offering this service, at the moment, due to the demands of his full time job. His webpage and Email accounts
can still be accessed, however. He has advised me that he may start offering his service in the spring, if time again becomes
available to him. I hope so, as his work was very high quality based on my direct experience with him and the work he did
on several other steering wheels I have personally examined on other vehicles. (Porsches) Contact him directly at the
link above, to find out what his current status is, regarding his recovering work.
|
| Used 380mm M-Tech I wheel recovered by Blaine DeLancey, March 2006. |
|
| Stitch detail around the center spoke and wheel. |
|
| Recovered M-Tech 1 installed just prior to the May 2006 BMW CCA Concours. |
The picture below is the wonderful AC Schnitzer 350mm
all leather steering wheel I got from Till Hansen in Germany, February 2005. A very nice feeling steering wheel,
indeed! However, they are very rare and expensive, as the last one I saw (10/26/11) on ebay with a AMILE 4284
coarse spline hub sold for $375.
|
| Full leather AC Schitzner 350mm BMW steering wheel... Love it! |
|
| AC Schnitzer TYP ATIWE 32 KBA 70111 wheel, ATIWE ITALIA |
The AC Schnitzer wheel is manufactured by ATIWE ITALIA in
a 3-hole configuration, for use with the AMILE 4284 520X 3-hole adapter hub, for the coarse-spline E28 steering shaft. Some
of these hubs showup once in a while on the European ebay listings, but they're very rare.
|
| AMILE 4284 520X BMW E28 coarse-spline 3-hole adapter hub |
|
| AMILE hub to steering wheel bracket mounting method detail |
|
| MOMO No. 2005 coarse-spline 6-hole adapter hub |
|
| MOMO hub to steering wheel bracket mounting method detail |
You can see the difference between the two hubs, above, and
that the AMILE hub would be the easier of the two hubs to adapt to other steering wheels, as I show below in the case of the
M-Tec II fine-spline hub conversion.
Fitting a 370mm M-Tec II Steering Wheel
to a coarse spline shaft -
The BMW M-Tec II steering wheel is a very nice design, but
it was never manufactured with a coarse spline hub, so that it can be fitted to early E28 models built from 1982 to mid 1985
with the coarse spline steering wheel shaft. So, I started looking for ways to modify an M-Tec II steering wheel hub so that
it could be fitted to a coarse spline shaft.
August 17, 2007 Update - A high-end proto-typing and R&D machine shop has been found and work will take place during the next three weeks, to fit a coarse-spline adapter hub
to an M-Tec II currently with a fine-spine hub, produced after 9/1985. The process involves modifying a MOMO No. 2005 hub
adapter, to be fitted to the M-Tec II steering wheel, which will have its fine-spline hub machined off to accept
the modified MOMO hub. An additional MOMO hub, model No. 2006 for "fine-spline" steering shafts will also be modified
to fit this wheel, allowing the steering wheel to be put back where it came from, if ever desired to do so.
|
| Used M-Tec II 370mm E36 M3 (fine-spline) steering wheel to be modified. |
|
| Hub configuration of this M-Tec II steering wheel... THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS! |
|
| Hub of a later (fine spline) M-Tec II steering wheel. Note the large perimeter locking ring! |
|
| MOMO #2005 hub to be fitted to the M-Tec II hub |
|
| Modifications to MOMO No. 2005 coarse-spline hub adaptor. |
August 26, 2007 Update - Work on the steering wheel is complete
and here is a summary of the work shown in the pictures. The modified MOMO hub face was drilled for attachment to the shaved
steering wheel hub face, by six recessed hex head machine screws. Make sure the position of the turn signal tab on the MOMO
hub is correctly positioned to insure the turn signal switch is cancelled properly, when the steering wheel returns to
its center postion.
Special
thanks to Lewis 'Rob' Robinson and his machinests for the great care and work that RBM Machine performed on this
BMW steering wheel. Not an inexpensive project, but one that is certainly a 'you get what you pay for' modification.
|
| MOMO hub and M-Tec II steering wheel mods, note spline socket removed from wheel hub. |
|
| Semi profile of the MOMO hub mounted to the wheel, horn contact ring not shown mounted. |
|
| View of wheel hub face with MOMO hub attached, horn ring and contact wire attached. |
|
| - CLICK TO ENLARGE - |
|
| - CLICK TO ENLARGE - |
This M-Tec 2 steering wheel in my E28 has generated a lot
of comments, ranging from 'beautiful' to 'awful, too modern for the E28'. However, its 370mm diameter and grip feel always
changes most negative comments to positive, when they sit behind the wheel and actually experience its feel in their hands.
I only allow this when you take off your shoes and wear white cotton gloves, when entering my car.
|
