# SMG optional paddles



## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Having personally imported about 80 SMG wheels in the last year or so, yes, large paddles are now standard. I just sold two that have large paddles.


----------



## patton03m3 (Mar 17, 2003)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> Having personally imported about 80 SMG wheels in the last year or so, yes, large paddles are now standard. I just sold two that have large paddles.


Large paddles were *not* on my Feb. 2003 US Spec M3 Coupe. I personally replaced mine with the larger ones. Just FYI.

Also, the larger paddles are slightly more convenient, FWIW.


----------



## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Someone already mentioned that.

Your car maybe a 02/2003 but that doesn't mean the SMG wheel is produced in that month. The wheel may be produced some time last year.



patton03m3 said:


> Large paddles were *not* on my Feb. 2003 US
> Spec M3 Coupe. I personally replaced mine with the larger ones. Just FYI.
> 
> Also, the larger paddles are slightly more convenient, FWIW.


----------



## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

RS2 said:


> OK so every single M3 seems to have the smaller paddles fitted as standard while the spare part M3 wheel have the larger one. Can we agree on that?
> 
> 
> 
> /RS2


No, I believe Steve Medina confirmed that his newest car came with larger paddles


----------



## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Doesn't matter what/when/which. If your 03 M3 has small paddles, just switch them out to large paddles. No point drawing a line really.


----------



## FlyingDutchMan (Jul 18, 2003)

saksiri said:


> if you look at F1 drivers they keep their hands toward the top of their lopped-off steering wheels (10/2)... not directly on the sides (9/3). i think it does help, because in regard to the push/pull thing mentioned above, when you turn the wheel a moderate amount and one hand moves to the top of the wheel arc, the top hand is easier able to pull the rim across and down rather than having to push it up from the other side.


Yeah, but bear in mined F1 wheels turn alot less lock to lock than any street car. So I wouldn't make any comparisons with paddle position between F1 and a BMW SMG. F1 Drivers rarely reposition there hands, hence the tops and bottoms of thier streering wheels are missing.


----------



## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2002)

Well my 3 week old EB car didn't come with large paddles so maybe they shove on what they have got in stock at the time.

Neil.


----------



## gustave (Aug 26, 2003)

saksiri said:


> if you look at F1 drivers they keep their hands toward the top of their lopped-off steering wheels (10/2)... not directly on the sides (9/3). i think it does help, because in regard to the push/pull thing mentioned above, when you turn the wheel a moderate amount and one hand moves to the top of the wheel arc, the top hand is easier able to pull the rim across and down rather than having to push it up from the other side.


Hmm... this is entirely not true. Virtually all F1 drivers hold the steering wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock. I admit that with the modern type of steering wheel designs it is not always easy to discern. But if you look at enough photos it becomes obvious.

Jean Alesi was the last F1 driver I know of who was well known for holding his steering wheel higher up at the 10 and 2 position. That was back when the steering wheels were round.

See the link for an example of the MS hand position:

http://e30m3performance.com/now_showing/ms_spacer/index.htm

FWIW,

Gustave


----------



## saksiri (Apr 16, 2003)

gustave said:


> Hmm... this is entirely not true. Virtually all F1 drivers hold the steering wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock. I admit that with the modern type of steering wheel designs it is not always easy to discern. But if you look at enough photos it becomes obvious.


Schumi's hands aren't even on the wheel in that pic! 

but it is hard to tell. i just looked through some galleries at f1-live.com and still, in all the pics it looks to me like everyone's hands are up against the top of the wheel... but i suppose with a steering wheel with a flat top and mostly flat sides it is hard to tell the difference.

as for my own personal preference, 10/2 does feel a lot better for some reason. maybe it's because my arms can pull down on either side through a longer steering arc. i also do like having the hand coming over the top of the wheel to come over sooner, which placing hands higher on the sides of the wheel does... (if that at all made sense...)


----------



## gustave (Aug 26, 2003)

saksiri said:


> Schumi's hands aren't even on the wheel in that pic!
> 
> but it is hard to tell. i just looked through some galleries at f1-live.com and still, in all the pics it looks to me like everyone's hands are up against the top of the wheel... but i suppose with a steering wheel with a flat top and mostly flat sides it is hard to tell the difference.


Yes - it's the best photo I could come up with on short notice 8^)

But his left hand is on the steering wheel in the "driving" position. And it is closer to 9 than 10 o'clock. 9:30 maybe? 

Here is a pic showing some F1 steering wheels from the 1999 season. I am not sure how this will turn out. My first attempt.

BTW, I also prefer my hands at 10 & 2 when just tooling around. But if a brisk turn approaches my hands automatically slide down to 9 and 3.

Regards,

Gustave


----------



## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

saksiri said:


> Schumi's hands aren't even on the wheel in that pic!
> 
> but it is hard to tell. i just looked through some galleries at f1-live.com and still, in all the pics it looks to me like everyone's hands are up against the top of the wheel... but i suppose with a steering wheel with a flat top and mostly flat sides it is hard to tell the difference.
> 
> as for my own personal preference, 10/2 does feel a lot better for some reason. maybe it's because my arms can pull down on either side through a longer steering arc. i also do like having the hand coming over the top of the wheel to come over sooner, which placing hands higher on the sides of the wheel does... (if that at all made sense...)


9 and 3 allows you to turn the wheel further before you have to move more than one hand position on the wheel. This becomes VERY important in skid recovery. If you move both hands, you no longer have any idea where straight ahead is on the, leading to "interesting" recoveries. 

With 9/3 you can turn the wheel until the lower hand is about 6 o'clock, then release your grip on that hand and continue to turn until the upper hand gets all the way over the top and most of the way down the other side. Coming out of the turn, you unwind the wheel until the lower hand reaches the spoke and then you tighten the grip and you are back to normal

The BMW wheels have a bump at about 10 - 2 to allow you to push the wheel better. The reason you get taught to not push the wheel in most cars, is the lack of grip on the wheel. The bump gives you something to push against. I find, if I put my thumbs over the spokes at 9 and 3, then the bumps are just above my thumbs.


----------

