Ideal steering wheel size for a PT car?

[mikedc]

Small steering wheels in hot cars are a time-honored modification. The reasons are obvious: It speeds up the effective gear ratio of the box/rack, and it also effectively reduces the power assist, in one fell swoop. And an aftermarket wheel probably looks cooler too.



But what if you're laying out a steering system from scratch? Any gear ratio, any assist level, etc? Is a smaller steering wheel really preferable anymore if you have total freedom over the rest of the system? I wonder about doing things the other way: Using a large OEM-size steering wheel, paired with a faster gear ratio + less power assist.


Any thoughts on this?

I'm talking about an honest street car. Go-kart-fast steering is fun for a few minutes at a time but that's not what I want.

[cornfedbill]

My experience is that the steering wheel is a personal preference item. I prefer a small diameter with a fat rim. I don't like the thin rims of the old American cars. Something like 13" or 14" seems to be ideal for me. This may not work for others.

[rustomatic]

I like the 15-inch diameter, with three inches of dish--this is what's in my Falcon, which has a steering system that does not remotely resemble anything that ever came in a Falcon. It's about the same diameter as my 2012 Honda. I like to have the wheel fairly close, but I also need to be able to stretch one of my legs fully, if necessary. I also needed to be able to minimize shaft length above my quickener, so as to reduce flex and needless torque; the dish in my wheel helps with this, as does the light weight of aluminum...

Attachment 75117

The lack of sticky grip on the wheel does get a bit annoying, however. I'll probably be fixing that soon...

[aray327]

Like mentioned already it's a preference. I have an original style three spoke wheel wrapped in leather. It thickens the wheel while continuing with the original theme. I prefer my interior to all match in design. It bothers me to see a new wheel and old everything else.

If it's just a race car make it all race. If it's a street car that you race you have to make sacrifices