What rim for rallying, and size?

White Hawk · Jul 15, 2018

Hey guys, when I got my Fanatec V2 a few years ago I picked up the Universal Hub and picked the Round 1 rim, but right now I’m interested in picking up a real car rim and one that’s bigger, something that you would find in a race car, but would preferably want something that would work well for rallying specifically too.

I’m narrowing it down to either a 320mm or 330mm size rim, I’m finding it hard to locate the information but that’s about what modern rally cars use? What do people think is a good size in this situation?

Has to be flat and have the screw placement for fitting to the hub and allow the use of all the buttons.

So far it’s a Sparco or OMP I want with a suede finish but the prices are a little bit higher than I’d hoped, looking at just over £200, the two closest to the type of rim I want is the OMP 320 Uno or the Sparco 333, anyone know of other options, or am I just going to have to bite the bullet?

Pär Öqvist · Jul 15, 2018

Rmd har decently priced rims. I preferr 280 mm for rallying.

Elaphe · Jul 15, 2018

Some words of advice, for what I have learnt:

A real branded rim is not worth the money. Replicas do a perfect job in sim racing and are much much cheaper.

Some rally drivers prefer 35 cm, but nowadays there's a tendency to use smaller rims. Some say that a bit of precission is lost, however. I think 35 cm is way to much for a sim rig. 30 cm or 32 cm would be a nice universal size, not only for rallying but other disciplines.

Consider weight as an important factor. Bigger rims tend to be heavy and have more intertia. Also, replicas tend to be lighter. I have seen some OMP, Sparcos and momos weighting more than 1.2 kg. That will affect how fast your rim reacts and feels.

Consider the grip section. Nowadays I've seen some oval grips in rally driving, but traditionally round grips have been the favorites. Most of the wheels you'll find today have oval grips, but there are some which have a subtle oval shape and others which are too extreme.

Suede or alcantara look racing and amazing, but you will have to use gloves, and even thought, in less than one year, the parts where you hold the rim the most will look terrible. Not worth. Leather or PVC are better choices, I think.

I use this one, which is quite unexpensive, although the shipping to Europe is not. It's a replica of the OMP Corsica, but in 32 cm, which is the perfect size for me. Some things I love about is the fact that it's completelly rounded, which I prefer for rallying. Also it feels very strong, without any flex and surprisingly, it only weights 850 gr, so it feels very agile on my TS PC Racer. The fact that it's deep dish makes it look a bit old fashioned for today's rallying, but I personally prefer it, because the handling is amazing. The PVC may look cheap, but I like it. It feels good and it will last even longer than leather.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315mm-Black-Genuine-Leather-Yellow-Stitch-6-Bolt-Deep-Dish-Drift-Steering-Wheel/122916763993?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=52954&meid=3b5b5fc4d42445218ac1e03b6dac2199&pid=100675&rk=5&rkt=15&sd=351184522875&itm=122916763993&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci:a985aa1f-8815-11e8-8d14-74dbd1808d75|parentrq:9d60d1b01640aa4802e564a1fffb8ddc|iid:1

I also tried this rim, which is very unexpensive, but really nice too. I don't know if the leather is real, but it feels like it is and the matt finish looks great. It's 33 cm and it weights more than the other one. My plans were to install it with a plate, but I ended up discarding the idea, because the result was too heavy, bulky, and not very comfortable to use with the coiled cable, etc. (not worth just for the aesthetics and for the buttons on the wheel which I never use and are fine on the sepparate button box). This rim is has some shape on the places where the hands are supposed to rest. The grip is similar to the grip of the previous rim, not very oval and a bit thicker.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Leo...542.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.6f5c4c4dndsAgv

mrdavid · Jul 15, 2018

I use a OMP Trecento 300mm myself, did use a 330mm OMP Targa but much prefer the smaller size for rallying and older cars in AC. There are not many wheels to choose from in 300mm diameter, 320/330 loads of choice.

If you do go for a smaller diameter be prepared for a good workout in Dirt Rally !!

Deleted member 197115 · Jul 15, 2018

300mm is a sweet spot.
I like SportLine Imola 3
They have both leather and suede variant, pick one that suits you better.
https://www.competitionsupplies.com...s/aps-imola-300mm-flat-3-spoke-steering-wheel
This is APS replica, but should be the same quality wise
If you need genuine SportLine contact this guy
https://www.ssrg.eu/webshop.html#!/Sportline-Imola-3/p/77464792/category=27782794
Some video review from fellow simracer, starts at 33.25