328 Steering wheel adjustment?

I'm pretty sure I have seen posts re this but a search using "steering wheel" didn't reveal anything about it though it did reveal posts about using R12 in the AC system! I also checked the owners manual and didn't see anything about that. (I'm NOT saying there might not be something there, but I didn't find it).

I seem to recall that the steering wheel can be adjusted up/down to some degree. When I sit in the car the wheel completely obstructs all the lights above the tach/speedo and I would like to (preferably) raise the wheel so I could see them.

Is there a way to adjust the wheel either up or down or am I confusing that capability with some other post re steering?

 

There is. I adjusted mine to a more vertical position. IIRC, there are two bolts that secure the column to a bracket near the top. Loosening them allows for a surprising amount of movement.

 

As above, there is some adjustment you can make.

The other thing to look into is a spacer. Hills do 25 & 50mm spacers & I found the 25mm spacer made a huge difference & makes the car much more comfortable to drive - and I can still reach the indicator without taking my hand off the wheel (I think that would be a struggle with the 50mm spacer).

 

I might add that to get to those bolts one needs to remove four little screws that hold the leather covered piece that hides them under the steering column.

 

On my GT4 there was an adjustment,,only slight maybe an inch or so..but on my 328 there is no such adjustment..

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275027&highlight=tilt+steering

This helped me, as well as the 1" spacer.

 

Your 328 SPC shows the same bolts/mechanism (and splined shaft/squeeze nut connection that must be loosened and retightened to allow movement) as the 308 for steering wheel vertical adjustment (as described/linked in the thread that Brian referenced) -- have you tried removing the cover(s) in the local area to access them?

 

I will check Steve but the 328 SPC Tav 41 shows the movement in the bracket to be forward and back,not up or down..unless lm looking at it differently..I do remember looking at it once on the actual car itself and couldnt see any way to be able to adjust the steering wheel up or down..but l will have a better look

 

Ok l got under there and had a better look..Thee doesnt seem to be anyway l can make the steering go up or down..I would like the steering wheel to go a bit higher as the top of the rim of the wheel obscures the speedo a bit..

 

Referring to TAV 41 (in the 328 ABS 1988 SPC):

The casting #11 pivots about one of the #58 bolts and the other #58 bolt slides in slot in the chassis mounting bracket (similar to how an alternator belt adjustment works) -- this causes the steering wheel to (generally) move up and down (note: they only show one of the #58 bolts in the SPC diagram, but you can see the second hole at the bottom of casting #11 where it goes).

However, the rotating motion of casting #11 also changes the shaft length slightly so nut #27 must be loosened to let the splined joint slide to a new position, and then be retightened after bolts #58 have been retightened.

 

YES.

And the slightest adjustment CAN EASILY mask the 'Slow Down' lights on the dash with the cross bars of the steering wheel when driving straight. This depends to only a small degree on your body make-up and where you desire to adjust it.


If you are running catless ...... then who cares if you are masking the Idiot Lights?

 

Mine came from the factory at the "FULL UP" or 'Italian' position as best I can tell.

 

My thanks and apologies to you Steve..I looked under there properly today and actually removed the bottom part of the lower dash to inspect it better.I loosend the two nuts and it did make a big enough difference.Now the speedo is no longer obscured..Captain Steve saves the day..

 

Thanks from me also - I did the same and now the row of lights a cross the top of the dash are visible.

 

Glad to hear that you've both got the better visual access that you wanted, but you should really also loosen/equilize/retighten the large nut compressing the splined shaft connection. Although there's enough "flexibilty" in the system to make a small adjustment in the steering wheel position without loosening/retightening this large nut, you may be putting some fairly high loads on the u-joints and busings/bearings in the system. Maybe you did loosen/retighten this large nut, but you didn't state that directly in your posts.

 

"Maybe you did loosen/retighten this large nut, but you didn't state that directly in your posts."

Steve, yes, I did that per your guidance. Thanks!

 

Something else you can do is change the steering wheel. Ferrari used an abnormally small one on the 308/328. Use one with a larger diameter, or a thinner rim, or a little more offset from the hub. I ran a Testarossa wheel on mine, with a one inch hub extension. Worked great, and it allowed me to run the angle of the wheel a little more vertical and still see the guages.

JR