Is it time to replace your race suit? Let’s get you track-ready. Top 5 Steering Wheels For The BMW E46, With Fitment Guide
The E46 is one of those cars that keeps turning up in the showroom. Twenty-odd years old now, still quick enough to be fun, cheap enough that people are happy to modify them, and the interior is the first thing that gives away the age. I am Cameron, and steering wheels are one of the most common things I get asked about for this car.
The good news is that the E46 is one of the easier cars to do this on. The awkward news is that almost nobody asks the question that actually matters, which is not which brand, but which size.
Everything below is kit we stock. Prices sit on the live product cards so they stay right, and the boss kits listed are the ones that genuinely fit an E46 rather than a generic BMW fitment. The interior shots on this page are illustrations rather than photographs of a customer car, and the product photography is our own.
The bit that makes all of this easy: 6x70mm PCD
Here is the thing that saves people a lot of worry. MOMO, OMP, Sparco and Sabelt all build their steering wheels and boss kits to the same six bolt pattern, 6x70mm PCD. It is effectively the industry standard for aftermarket wheels.
What that means in practice is that you are not buying into a brand. A MOMO boss kit will take a Sparco wheel. An OMP boss will take a MOMO wheel. A quick release sits between the two and works with either, and the B-G universal unit is drilled for both 6x70mm and 6x74mm so it covers the odd one out as well.
So the decision splits into three separate choices that do not constrain each other:
- The boss kit, which is chosen by the car
- The wheel, which is chosen by you
- The quick release, which is optional and chosen by how you use the car
Get the boss right and the rest is free choice.
Which boss kit fits an E46
Three options, all in stock, all correct for the E46 shape built between 1998 and 2006.
The MOMO E46 (All Years) hub is the one I reach for first, because it is listed specifically against this car rather than a year range. The MOMO 3 Series (1997-2006) hub covers the same car through the year range and is a few pounds less. The OMP unit is machined aluminium and is listed for the E46 98-06 as well as the later E90, so it is the one to pick if there is more than one BMW in the family.
All three are drilled 6x70mm, so whichever you choose, every wheel further down this page bolts straight to it.
The five wheels I would put in an E46
1. MOMO Prototipo 350mm
The Prototipo suits an E46 better than anything else here, and it is not only a looks thing. At 350mm it is the closest of these to the original wheel, so the steering weight barely changes, and the three-spoke design with drilled aluminium spokes sits properly in a car of this era. Leather rim, classic shape, and it has been in the MOMO range long enough that it is not going to date.
2. MOMO Montecarlo
For people who want the rim a little closer. It is a semi-dish design with 40mm of dish, so the wheel sits nearer than a flat one, which most people find better for a driving position with your arms bent rather than straight. It comes in 320mm, 350mm and 380mm, and for an E46 I would take the 350mm.
3. Sparco R383 Champion
Sparco build this one for performance road use rather than competition. The 330mm rim is wrapped in perforated leather, it is a flat design rather than dished, and it is the most comfortable of these over a long drive.
4. Sparco R330
The value pick, and the one that goes into a lot of track-focused E46s. 330mm, and you can have it in leather or suede. Suede grips better if you drive in gloves and looks right in a stripped car. Leather wears better if the car sits out in the sun and you drive it bare handed.
5. OMP Trecento
The entry point of the five and the smallest at 300mm, with a suede rim and aluminium spokes. Worth knowing that 300mm is a big step down from the factory wheel, so it feels quick on turn-in and heavier when you park. In a stripped track car that is exactly what you want.
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From £159.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £175.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £244.99 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £110.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £217.99 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Quick release, and whether you actually need one
A quick release sits between the boss kit and the wheel and lets you pull the wheel off. There are two reasons people fit one, and only one of them applies to most E46s.
The real reason is getting in and out. If you have fitted a bucket seat and a harness, or a cage with a door bar, the wheel is genuinely in the way and being able to lift it off makes the car usable. The second reason people give is security, and it is a weaker argument than it used to be.
If your E46 is standard inside apart from the wheel, you probably do not need one. If it has buckets and a cage, fit one.
Weld-on units are the cheaper way in but the column has to be machined, so that is a job for someone who has done it before. Bolt-on units cost more and go straight on. The B-G universal is the one to pick if you want it to move between cars, because it is drilled for both common patterns.
Fitting it
It is a straightforward job, but there is an order to it:
- Disconnect the battery before you start, so the horn and any warning lights behave afterwards
- The original wheel comes off first, then the boss kit bolts to the column splines
- Mark the column and the wheel before you undo the centre nut, so the new wheel goes back on straight
- The boss kit carries the horn connection through, so nothing needs cutting
- Torque the centre nut properly, and check the wheel is centred with the road wheels straight before you drive it
If you would rather not do it yourself, we fit these in-store.
What I would actually buy
For a road-going E46 that still does normal miles: a MOMO boss kit and the Prototipo 350mm, no quick release. That combination keeps the steering weight close to standard and it looks like it belongs in the car.
For an E46 that sees track days with a bucket seat: the same boss kit, a Sparco R330 in suede, and a B-G quick release so you can actually get in and out.
For a budget build: the MOMO 3 Series hub and the OMP Trecento, and go in knowing the steering will be heavier when you park.
Final thoughts: boss by the car, wheel by you
The wheel is the part of the car you touch most, and it is one of the cheapest ways to change how an E46 feels. Just keep the order of the decisions straight. The boss kit is decided by the car, the wheel is decided by you, and because everything here shares the same 6x70mm pattern, nothing you pick locks you out of anything else.
If you are stuck between sizes, ring us and ask for me. Tell me whether the car is a daily, a weekend car or a track car, and I will tell you which of these to buy.