21 replies to this topic

[richie]

I'm reading "Life at the Limit" and Graham Hill helped to resue Jackie Stewart who was trapped at Spa 1966 following an accident in a ditch. "I ran off to ask a marshall to find a toolbox - he bought one back and undid Jackie's steering wheel, took it off and got him out". As a result, "every BRM has a spanner attached to the steering wheel, taped on, so that if ever anyone needs to take the wheel off quickly

When did removable steering wheels come in?

[David McKinney]

The German teams had them before WW2

[Alan Cox]

A propos richie's reference to the BRM team attaching a spanner to the wheel following Stewart's 1966 Spa accident, here is another excellent Eddie Whitham photo of the said JYS carrying one in his H16 at the 1967 Spring trophy, Oulton 1967

Originally posted by David McKinney
The German teams had them before WW2

As David says, you only have to watch a film of one of the Mercedes or Auto-Union team pit stops from a pre-war GP to see the wheels being removed to ease entry and exit. If you are fortunate to see one of these cars close up, you will also see what beautifully-engineered release mechanisms they adopted.

[r.atlos]

Originally posted by Alan Cox
A propos richie's reference to the BRM team attaching a spanner to the wheel following Stewart's 1966 Spa accident, here is another excellent Eddie Whitham photo of the said JYS carrying one in his H16 at the 1967 Spring trophy, Oulton 1967

Guess he would have been better off with an Allen wrench ...

[Ray Bell]

I seem to recall there was a rule, surely it was in F1, that steering wheels could not be removable...

This occurs to me to have been some time in the sixties and aimed at preventing cars being too small and restrictive. Anyone else recall this?

[Rob G]

Originally posted by David McKinney
The German teams had them before WW2

Yep, and Manfred von Brauchitsch's post-fire 1938 German GP crash was blamed, rightly or wrongly, on the steering wheel not being reattached properly following his quick escape from the flames.

[f1steveuk]

And of course the story that an off duty soldier walk into the flames of Seaman's accident, removed the steering wheel, and pulled the driver clear. I take it that it was obvious what one pressed to release these wheels?

[JtP1]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I seem to recall there was a rule, surely it was in F1, that steering wheels could not be removable...

This occurs to me to have been some time in the sixties and aimed at preventing cars being too small and restrictive. Anyone else recall this?

Yes, that was the rule in the 60s. Must have been removed by the mid 70s, because Hunt's 76 McLaren certainly had one or not after Nicki Lauda stole the wheel during practice at one GP while Hunt was getting in the car.

[Ray Bell]

I was sure it was... thanks for confirming it...

I now wonder why it was brought in, possibly because of the Nurburgring incident being written up somewhere? And then, why was it removed?

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by JtP1


Yes, that was the rule in the 60s. Must have been removed by the mid 70s, because Hunt's 76 McLaren certainly had one or not after Nicki Lauda stole the wheel during practice at one GP while Hunt was getting in the car.

I don't know when they were banned. Porsche had a removable steering wheel in 1962 and BRM fitted one after Stewart's 1966 accident.

[john aston]

My Caterham has a removeable steering wheel- or easily stealable wheel as it is otherwise called.The alternative is to wander around your destination holding a Momo wheel and looking like a dipstick.Not a problem which JYS or Graham Hill often faced admittedly.

[JtP1]

Originally posted by Roger Clark

I don't know when they were banned. Porsche had a removable steering wheel in 1962 and BRM fitted one after Stewart's 1966 accident.

I am wondering if the rule was worded "the driver must be able to exit the car without removal of the steering wheel". That must have been dropped by the mid 70s, as there was no way in or out of a M23 with the wheel fitted.

[Pils1989]

Originally posted by john aston
My Caterham has a removeable steering wheel- or easily stealable wheel as it is otherwise called.The alternative is to wander around your destination holding a Momo wheel and looking like a dipstick.Not a problem which JYS or Graham Hill often faced admittedly.

We got a fabric bag made for the Elise's red Momo steering-wheel, color matching.
More discreet and you are less worried someone steals it on a cafe terrace when you aren't looking or what not.

[stevewf1]

Originally posted by richie
I'm reading "Life at the Limit" and Graham Hill helped to resue Jackie Stewart who was trapped at Spa 1966 following an accident in a ditch. "I ran off to ask a marshall to find a toolbox - he bought one back and undid Jackie's steering wheel, took it off and got him out". As a result, "every BRM has a spanner attached to the steering wheel, taped on, so that if ever anyone needs to take the wheel off quickly

When did removable steering wheels come in?

I can't answer your question about removable steering wheels, but I've read Graham Hill's "Life at the Limit" many times over the years and to this day, it's still one of the best books I've ever read.

[Tony Matthews]

Not removeable, but the Mercedes 300 SL had a tilting steering wheel released by a big lever behind the wheel - this allowed the bottom of the wheel to pivot towards the pedals, easing entry and exit.

[jatwarks]

I remember a report (genuine ?) that a driver rolling around Indianapolis in formation, awaiting the green flag to start the 500, decided to remove the steering wheel whilst trundling along the straight to adjust (?) it; then struggled to get it back on for the approaching curve !

Someone on the front row, I believe.

Anyone care to confirm that ?

Jim.

[fines]

Wasn't that Mears in his rookie year?

[D-Type]

To quote Robert Edwards in Archie and the Listers when describing Archie's drive in the works Elva-Climax KDY 68:

"The Elva was to provide Archie with at least one embarassing moment. Unlike the cars he had driven before, it had not been built around him,and like many race cars it used a detachable steering wheel, which the Listers did not. He succeeeded in removing it more than once, as a result of his habit, ingrained by now, of pulling on the wheel to steady it while changing gear."

[fines]

Originally posted by fines
Wasn't that Mears in his rookie year?

On reflection, I believe Mears had trouble with an unfastened helmet, not the steering wheel!

[Milan Fistonic]

In late 1990 Richard Petty injured his hand when he crashed during testing at North Carolina Speedway. The steering wheel had come off as he entered the pit lane. He tried to re-attach the wheel but failed and hit the wall.

[Tim Murray]

Originally posted by jatwarks
I remember a report (genuine ?) that a driver rolling around Indianapolis in formation, awaiting the green flag to start the 500, decided to remove the steering wheel whilst trundling along the straight to adjust (?) it; then struggled to get it back on for the approaching curve !

Originally posted by lanciaman in the 'Embarrassing moments in motorsport' thread
Tom Sneva banging into the backstretch wall on a pace lap for the 1986 Indy 500 as a consequence of taking the steering wheel off to align it. This faux pas later explained as a suspension part breaking.

[kayemod]

I'm a bit surprised that Nuvolari's name hasn't been mentioned in connection with removable steering wheels. There's one fairly well documented incident where he ran several laps of a race in Turin brandishing his detached wheel at the crowd and the other drivers. The wheel was hinged to aid getting in and out of the car, the hinge had broken, and Nuvolari was playing to the madly cheering crowd by waving the wheel at arms length, all the while steering with the remaining fixed spoke. Not an intentionally removable wheel in this instance of course, but a gift to a born showman like Tazio. Not too sure where I read this, but it was probably in Christopher Hilton's excellent Nuvolari biography.