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SOLID VS. COLLAPSIBLE HUB ADAPTERS

Mads van Appeldoorn
February 17, 2020

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Safety first

Anyone who wants to install a non-factory sports steering wheel in their car cannot avoid buying a hub adapter for the specific vehicle type. For the newcomers – every car make has a special steering column with a specific mount for factory steering wheels. If you install a sports steering wheel – you need an adapter – called hub. The hub is mounted on the mentioned steering shaft, on top the actual steering wheel, usually with a 6-bolt screw connection.

This is no different with classic cars than with newer vehicles – if you want to go without the airbag. The Porsche and BMW friends will know what I mean when I talk about the Momo solid hub adapter, be it the Momo 230 or Momo 152. The solid hub, a one-piece adapter that looks best with the classic Porsche 911 or BMW 2002. And that doesn’t just concern these two brands – it affects all classic vehicles.

very special concave grip profile

Momo solid hub adapter for Mini MK1/MK2

I just wrote the article on Safety Equipment Items a few days ago, the trigger was a sad one. Safety. The purists among us don’t want seat belts in cars that used to be delivered without belts. May be they even carry the first aid kit from 1967 that has been delivered with the car. On the other hand faster engines are okay, bigger brakes, brighter headlights. But preferably, the solid Momo hub adapter.

On Sunday morning, I saw a nice 67 Porsche 911 at a gas station in Calabasas and the driver and I started chatting. He proudly showed me his (new) cover on his (modern – therefore collapsible) Momo hub adapter. Instead of the wrinkled rubber cover, he printed a cover with his 3D printer, very smooth and straight, looked really, really good, like it was done at the factory. Pretty stable. And firm. Something he called a solid hub simulator. How ironic.

Collapsible hub with rubber boot

Collapsible hub

And that got me thinking. Was it form follows function or function follows form? The wrinkled rubber cover is there on purpose and underneath there is much more: this spider-like construct has been designed with safety in mind and developed to absorb kinetic energy as much as possible in the event of an impact.

As much as I understand the penchant for the old solid hubs, in the event of an accident I would rather have a hub that gives way and at least reduces the risk of injury. If you drive through the residential area with your old Porsche or BMW at 25 – ok. But many of us drive the old cars on racetracks here in North America or around the world – please do me a favour and get a Momo collapsible hub adapter if you don’t already have one. Always safe driving!

COLLAPSIBLE MOMO HUB ADAPTERS

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