Jump to content

Steering wheel safety


Recommended Posts

Hi

I just wanted to raise a safety issue as discovered by my dad (mid eighties) this week end.

I don't want to name names at this time as the issue only showed itself this weekend and the supplier hasn't had the chance to be informed to reply.

 

In february this year My dad bought and fitted a replacement steering wheel for his new (to him) vitesse.

From a well know oil and assessory supplier and a well known steering wheel type.

 

Well when visiting a car meeting sporting six club ?? the rim came off on his hands. I thank my god as he does that it was on the show field thus not highway speed and he didn't hit anything.

But he and my mum had been travelling on the south Devon roads to get there.

It appears all the rivets holding the rim failed. Or we're never correctly fitted/ spec'd.

They were under the trim area wheel spoke to rim.

 

Especially if you have bought a new wheel over Xmas to this spring please check your steering wheels

 

Thank you

H

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yip it aint funny, and in my case, a deffo scary moment

as it wer on a hillclimb, went into 90deg corner, turned wheel, still going straight on

turned some moer, center bit flew up, hit me face thru me helmet

and just manged t,stop wid inches t,spare frae the bales

 

did just what was in your pic

I ed heard a creaking noise fora few weeks coming frae the wheel

ya rivet must,v gon, then another, which put too much strain ont wheel

and it litterally turned itself inside oot,

 

v v scary moment

 

M

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Hamish,

 

in this instance, may I suggest that you name names - right bloody now . . . . .

 

Supplier's right of reply is all well and good, but it does not override the necessity of advising the motoring community of a potentially catastrophic failure, especially when common sense suggests that it is more likely to be a batch failure than a one-off instance.

 

There is nothing unreasonable in blowing the whistle immediately - you are after all merely highlighting a problem, and quoting chapter and verse in terms of supplier and manufacturer. What you don't do is try and apportion blame.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

Link to post
Share on other sites

When equipment faults are found and reported in a medical journal, the form is that the reporter's and the manufacturer's letters appear simultaneously. Journals always press for a rapid response and expidite publication.

 

We should be seeking not to pillory the supplier but to know what they will do about this gross failure. And this report with the response should be publicised through the classic car world.

John

Link to post
Share on other sites

This has just reminded me of something that happened to my Son's mini about 18 months ago, not the same fault but a well know steering wheel manufacturer beginning with M. The boss put together by them came apart as he was driving along, fortunately he managed to stop safely. When we got it home all of the screws that hold the boss together (not to the wheel) came out, they weren't loctited in or any form of securing the screws apart from being fairly tight, I sent it back to the well known Mini Parts Suppier and asked them to send it back to the manufacturer and to get them to report back to me.

They sent me a replacement boss which again the screws were just done up tight, so I loctited them in and peened the end of the screws over.

I never heard anything again from them, I now feel quite GUILTY that I never chased them up as I was going to post a warning on here too but unfortunately my memory is not what it used to be, sorry.

Link to post
Share on other sites

100 percent with Alec

 

Hi Hamish,

 

in this instance, may I suggest that you name names - right bloody now . . . . .

 

Supplier's right of reply is all well and good, but it does not override the necessity of advising the motoring community of a potentially catastrophic failure, especially when common sense suggests that it is more likely to be a batch failure than a one-off instance.

 

There is nothing unreasonable in blowing the whistle immediately - you are after all merely highlighting a problem, and quoting chapter and verse in terms of supplier and manufacturer. What you don't do is try and apportion blame.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

100% agree

this is a major safety issue and should be out there now.

ROY

Link to post
Share on other sites

This has just reminded me of something that happened to my Son's mini about 18 months ago, not the same fault but a well know steering wheel manufacturer beginning with M. The boss put together by them came apart as he was driving along, fortunately he managed to stop safely. When we got it home all of the screws that hold the boss together (not to the wheel) came out, they weren't loctited in or any form of securing the screws apart from being fairly tight, I sent it back to the well known Mini Parts Suppier and asked them to send it back to the manufacturer and to get them to report back to me.

They sent me a replacement boss which again the screws were just done up tight, so I loctited them in and peened the end of the screws over.

I never heard anything again from them, I now feel quite GUILTY that I never chased them up as I was going to post a warning on here too but unfortunately my memory is not what it used to be, sorry.

Trouble is that there are at least three well known manufacturers with names starting with M!

Link to post
Share on other sites

These are the most serious failures I have ever heard of - and there are three posted already.

Guys, PLEASE name the seller and manufacturers. And tell your insurer. And local Trading Standards.

These sws must be removed form the market and the cars they have been fitted to.

Practical Classics might be interested too- send them photos.

Peter

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here you go, Mountney.

I am lead to believe from my father this is the make concerned in his case.

I will share more as and when I know more.

My dad doesn't like this public exposure however I felt it should be shared and chose a generic steering wheel check method.

Incidentally I bought a cheaper make wheel couple years ago but the type where the wood sandwiched the Ali rim that you could see was all part of the spoke and hub ring assembly.

 

It appears that the more rigorous checks need to be on the leather leather effect type where you can't readily see the manufacturing type.

Edited by Hamish
Link to post
Share on other sites

Gi Hamish,

Telling who is the supplier may not be relevent at this moment in time, but informing others about the manufacturer and type is important. People with a similar steering wheel will be very interested, and tgey are probably not only applied in TR's.

In situations like this I always ask myself:

What if it goes wrong (someone else get's an accidend due to a similar defect), would I have acted/escalated?

 

This is an entirely different issue than say a non-fitting part.

 

Regards,

Waldi

Link to post
Share on other sites

Nothing uncommon about steering wheel spokes being secured to the rim by rivets of one sort or another - now or back in the day.

 

Rivets failing for a pastime isn't so common, hence my suggestion of a possible batch fault.

 

Mind you, think of a smaller steering wheel on any TR, then think larger section more modern tyres, then think of the resultant effort required to turn the steering wheel at slow speeds.

 

How many of these aftermarket steering wheels are designed primarily for modern cars with power steering ?

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Hamish

 

The manufacturer should be very very worried.

 

This could have resulted in a colossal liability claim against them.

 

No response is no good. They should promptly, like within hours, issue a statement of intent re this product.

 

If thy don't go to the Motoring Press to ensure someone isn't killed by such a catastrophic failure.

 

Iain

Link to post
Share on other sites

I had the original one on my early 6 snap off the rim coming off the M69. At least that was over 30 years old at the time!

 

Fortunately able to turn it with the spokes

I hope that is a one-off.

Or are there more original s/w coming apart that we don't know about?

Peter

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.