Being the proud owner of :-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4562243890&rd=1

I've hit upon a snag with regard to fitting a windscreen - the steering wheel doesn't extend into the car much past the frame. The wheel wouldn't catch on the screen, but there'd only be about a cm between the top of the wheel & it.

I'm looking at a few options :-

1) Smaller wheel 12>10"
2) Fit a spacer behind the wheel
3) Extend the steering column
4) Fit a 1/4 screen - I take it the air flow is pushed up and over by an short screen
5) Don't fit a screen and enjoy the taste of bugs
6) Any other ideas - answers on a postcard please

What steering columb are you using?Hows it fitted to the frame?10" steering wheels build big arms ...been there..hehehe if you lengthen the columb you may have to alter the bracket on the frame.But the lengthening isn't a problem.Give us some more details................. ;)

It's a little hard to tell from the e-bay photos but it looks a lot like the wheel is raked more steeply up than is normal (normal on the few I've seen, anyway). Most are positioned so that the column goes straight to the steering box (have a look at mine in the gallery - there's plenty of photos with the column visible).

Has your column got a universal joint in it? A 1302 / 1303 column maybe?

Anyway (if I'm right) this will move the wheel away from your lap (which is great) but towards the windscreen.

Hold tight fellas....I'll get some pics sorted out, but it might take a day or two.

steve, I had a 10" wheel on my fug-4 and it was bloody hard work, dont use anything smaller that a 12".......I would reccomend pursuing the spacer method, which is very easy to do, or lengthening the steering column slightly, and go for a full screen ONLY

Right - pics as promised :-

Here's the problem -



You can see here how the column has already been adjusted -



I'm with Knighty on the spacer idea. If the wheel were to extend into the cockpit by 1 or 2", that'll do it. The main steering wheel structure is the length of the rubber cover (couldn't be arsed to take the wheel off again for the picture)



I'm sure it's possible to get a long 'wheel structure' to swap over or failing that a bolt on spacer.

Forgot to mention it's a 12"(H) x 13"(W) flat bottomed steering wheel

I reckon that you could bolt a round aluminium spacer with 6 bolt holes between the wheel and the hub (I did exactly that to give myself a little more room between wheel and indicator stalk). However, to give yourself 2" of space between screen and wheel (you'll probably be wearing gloves a lot of the time) you'll need a spacer maybe 3" long (which is suddenly getting to be a big heavy spacer!) I don't know about a longer hub - what make is the wheel?

You may end up having to move the whole wheel mount and lengthen the column - not the end of the world but there'll be welding and fabrication involved. Can you weld?

I notice that you do have a universal joint. If you unbolted the column from the frame then it would flop down. So you could probably put some spacers and longer bolts in and move the wheel down. That may put the wheel too much in your lap, though. Don't underestimate how big a pain that will be.

You could also do a combination of the two spacers - the two together may be enough.

Or you could just have a flyscreen. That's all I have. That means that I don't need washers, wipers and demisters. You'll need all that if you have a windscreen, remember. Try cutting a piece of scrap hardboard to size for a test, go for a drive, and see if it works for you.

DVD, is your fly screen laminate glass or a plastic ?

Also, how is it fitted to the frame ?

I've been making some enquires with a local windscreen company who can cut the laminate on site. It might be that all I'll need to do is attach a flat bed frame for the screen to lie on - it's really dependent on what solution the fella comes up with for the fixing of the screen. I take it some kind of bonding agent.

B&Q of all places, sell lengths of 'L' shaped steel & Aluminum ideal for this purpose.

I take your point about a fly screen over a full windscreen. If I went for the full screen, I'd probably look to copy MR Munster's version in the gallery. He has a panel at the bottom of the screen for the wiper motor to poke through. Saves faffing with the bonnet.

http://forums.fugitives.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28

My flyscreen is 6mm polycarbonate (the same stuff that bulletproof glass is made from) cut to size and held in place with bolts. It's trimmed with aluminium U channel, but that's for appearance rather than strength.

Why fly screen over a full screen - Is it purely the agg of fitting a wiper and washer or something else ?

Don't get me wrong, it seems like a far more attractive proposition in respect of ease. Though I'm not so sure how effective they are as apposed to a full screen.

Yes - and demister too.

Like I said - make yourself one out of plywood or something and see if you can live with it. You need to be able to see over the top for it to be legal so it'll be a good test of that, too :lol:

Got the screen issue sorted :-






The plan is to drill a hole through the chequer board plate and fit a wiper motor with a direct link spindle. I'm looking at a rear wiper motor.

I didn't want the wiper to come up through the bonnet. Personal perference I suppose. (Was that diplomatic enough Knighty ?)


The screen is a sheet of laminate bonded directly onto the frame. This should allow for any flexing in the frame.



Cost......£10 for the chequer plate, including cutting to size
£150 for the screen and fitting.

The job was done by CCS Windscreens in Chelmsford 01245 490590
www.ccswindscreens.co.uk

I think they've done a good job. They were keen that the finish looked right. They even painted the plate for me and adjusted the steering....(though they did want me to check that prior to driving off !!!)

It was discussed about bonding the screen inside the frame rather than on top of it, but it was felt that it would take better on top.

To do a proper fit inside the frame, I reckon you'll need to weld/screw some 'L' shape supports first and then bond onto that......Haven't got the time I'm afraid

Very strange driving back.......no bugs or tears !!!!

So what did you do about the steering wheel?

At the moment it's a bit lowered. If you have a closer look at the 3rd picture, you'll see the polycarbonate spacers that did the job to get me home.

I'm gonna get a 12" wheel and then adjust the column to suit.

The wheel at the moment is 12"H x 13"W. I'll have a look at it when I get a minute. There is probably some scope to spacer out the steering boss a bit as well.

The wheel does turn completely, but you have to drive it like a driving instructor giving it loads of push/pull. None of that racing driver bouncing the kerbs stuff that Knighty does !!

Right then, quick update - I've gone for an 11" wheel to ensure good clearance. If you've ever looked, you'll know there is an abundance of varieties of 11" steering wheels available on the market...................erh, well no actually, there's just the one. That'll be £100 please Mr Turner and here's you're nice MOMO sticker to go alongside the MAX Power one !!!!

I ordered it from a company called Motorspeed in Scotland. '1 job' sent a 12" version rather than the 11". It turns out the shagging Momo importer is based 20mins away in Wickford. Phone call - rant/rave - drive around there...sorted.

It's on, it steers, I don't rap my knuckles on the screen. I can now have a Formula One adventure at every roundabout. (I've always argued that roundabouts are just a series of bends !!)

As for the steering column. It's been lowered by just under 2cm from the welded mount on the frame. I've packed out the gap with about 10 pieces of aluminum strips. The aluminum came fro B&Q. It was pre-drilled. Just cut to length. The idea being that the bolts that attach the column go through the strips and therefore have no chance of ever sliding out. I still can't believe that the pre-drilled holes lined up perfectly.

Sounds fantastically dodgy.....but it's well solid and works.
I'll send pictures when I get time. I'm afraid I'm on the eve of the Benidorm re-visited tour 2005 - earlier start. (Now then Knighty - that's what you call a Pass !!)

Larging it to some degree :
http://www.solmelia.com/sol/hoteles/jsp/CH...p?idSolRes=0311

Nice job Steve B) B) B) screen looks good, its always nice to find a company that are competent of doing what you tell them, a dying breed now I find…….all you need now is some more power!.........I’m now seriously toying with converting my fug from the current 1.5 8 valve, to the 1.7 16v……..the problem is the 16v are fuel injected, which will be a pain the ass with regard to hacking the relevant wiring from the cars wiring loom, high pressure fuel system etc……. then trying to make it all work……have since found that people are simply mounding the twin 40 webber/dellorto carbs from a 1.7 8v onto some converted/welded 16v manifolds……..aparrently its quite easy to go from the standard 135bhp to 150bhp on a 16v……..my current motor is 95bhp, and I’m thinking I wont notice the jump to 115bhp for a 1.7 8v……..……..but I dare say, from late December onwards I will be snowed under with pi55y/5hitty nappies and more decorating this winter……. may have to offer the missus a new handbag as a bargaining tool ;-)

Right then, pics as promise. More for Viking's benefit as he is still considering selling his soul to the God of Fugs :-

One 11" Momo wheel in situ



Here is the adjustment to the column. The bolts run through the ally plates so there is no chance of them moving


Proper crap photo...sorry



Got to say....bloody nice wheel !!


As for the seat Viking, I just unbolted, re-drilled and re-fitted.

The car is slowly getting there. I've adjusted the timing which now makes it far more driveable, though still lacking in umph - so the carb/mixture is next on the list.

Wiper motor & some suspension will come. Messing around with the dials & dash for later.

Is it the photo, or is the centre of that wheel 'off centre'? Interesting idea if it is.

I think it's the photo, though I see what you mean.

nice job steve - looks like an off-centre steering wheel to me.......lots of the newer boy-racer wheels are done like that now.......nope not a dad yet, 23rd Dec is the due date, fug is feeling left out at the mo, as the office and nursery have been taking priority, fug is now out of insurance and is on a SORN, am planning to play with the suspension heights, like lower it, over the next few weeks.......probably wont have it on the road again till spring, although its miles better than when I bought it, I still aint happy with a fair few things, suspension and exhaust to name a few.......when the time comes next year i think I'll take the fug to an exhaust place to have something made, as I am dreading doing the job myself!

Excuse my ignorance fellas, by off set, do you mean that the column is not dead centre of the wheel - if so you are quite correct. (there's more up top than down below.....kind of like me really when I have to ask questions like this) I thought you meant the column was at an angle and not straight..........................which is probably also correct after I've dabbled with it !!