The aftermarket steering wheel route is a popular choice on the MGA, replacing the original three-spoke OE wheel with a smaller-diameter wood-rim wheel for a more sporting period appearance and a more direct steering feel. Fitting an aftermarket wheel to the MGA column requires three matched components, the wheel itself, the boss that connects the wheel to the steering column splines, and, where the wheel uses a recessed centre, a wheel centre badge.
Wood & Leather Wheels
Wood-rimmed steering wheels in the classic three- or four-spoke pattern remain the most popular aftermarket choice for the MGA, typically supplied with a polished or laminated wood rim and chrome or polished aluminium spokes. Leather-rimmed wheels offer a similar look with a wrapped leather grip in place of varnished wood, providing better all-weather grip and a more durable finish for cars used regularly. Wheel diameters are usually smaller than the OE wheel, quickening the steering response while remaining suitable for the unassisted MGA rack.
Boss Kits & Wheel Centres
The boss is the connecting hub that fits between the steering column splines and the back face of the wheel, and the MGA column boss must match the column's spline pattern correctly, as fitting an incorrect boss is the most common cause of a wheel that wobbles, sits too high, or fails to engage the horn push connection properly. Boss kits are typically supplied including the necessary fixing hardware, lock nut, washers, and horn push contact arrangements, so the wheel can be fitted as a complete unit, and are available to suit the standard wheel mounting hole patterns of the major aftermarket brands. Wheel centre badges fit into the recessed centre face of an aftermarket wheel, restoring the MG identity to the dashboard area, with reproduction MG octagon centre badges offered in the period-correct colour schemes that match the MGA's broader interior badge specification.
Originality & Ordering
Fitting an aftermarket wheel takes the car away from factory specification, which matters for concours-judged restorations but is irrelevant for road-driven cars, and many MGAs carrying aftermarket wheels were retrofitted in period during the 1960s and 1970s, the wood-rim look now being closely associated with the MGA. Where original specification matters, the OE Steering Wheel section should be referred to instead. Three points should be confirmed before ordering, whether the existing wheel is being replaced complete or only one component requires renewal, the wheel mounting hole pattern which determines which boss is compatible, and whether the new wheel includes a horn push contact arrangement compatible with the MGA's centrally-mounted horn push wiring.