Quick Release Shootout Part 1: Thick QRs

Part 1

Part 1

Welcome to the 2016 revlimiter.net Quick Release Shootout. In the next 50+ photos and handful of youtube vids, I’ll try to show the differences between various Quick Releases on the market and how each actually snaps on and off (works). All the QRs will be installed in Sharka, my 95 Miata, but it’s a universal part so it should be the same in any car.

Before I begin, I’d like to state that I’ve not been paid for this. I’ve not received any of these stands from manufacturers for the purpose of reviewing them. I bought all of them with my own money.

I would also like to state that I run an automotive business but do not sell any of these parts. I’ve got no skin in the game. I only wanted to figure out which quick release I liked the best. I found myself with a bunch of them and thought the internet car community might benefit.

Quick Release 101

hub

This might be obvious to 99% of you. For the guy in the back who isn’t sure, here’s a crude diagram to show how a quick release fits between your wheel and your hub. And here’s some straight talk on quick releases in general.

There is no such thing as a “quick release hub.” I’ve seen the term, but it’s not really a thing. A quick release is a device that fits between your aftermarket steering wheel (Momo, Nardi, etc) and your hub adapter (to fit said steering wheel on your car). It’s a third piece of the puzzle, and it doesn’t have to be purchased with the wheel, hub, or both. You can always add it any time.

  1. If you have a stock steering wheel, you cannot use a quick release. It needs a hub adapter to bolt onto. If your stock wheel is a 6 bolt model like a Momo/Nardi, then you can probably add a quick release behind it.
  2. If you already have a hub adapter and an aftermarket wheel, you do not need to buy another “special” hub adapter to make a quick release work. Usually.
  3. The quick release goes between your steering wheel and hub.
  4. You can almost always get your horn to work with any quick release adapter.
  5. A quick release will space your steering wheel closer to you. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Class is dismissed. Now onto the more exciting stuff!

The Quick Releases

The Quick Releases

The Quick Releases

The Hubs

Click the links above to go straight to a particular quick release review.

Works Bell Rapfix2

Works Bell Rapfix2

Works Bell Rapfix2

The WB Rapfix2 is a standard thickness quick release. It functions via a push button and ball bearings. The QR does not conduct a ground signal, but there are two posts in the center of it to let the horn work.

Rapfix dimensions

Rapfix dimensions

Thickness: 62mm / 2.4 in.
Weight: 450g / 15 oz hangs from the steering wheel; 576g / 1.4 lbs total.
Instructions: Yes!
Horn retainer ring: Yes, removable.
Hardware Included: Yes.
Price: Around $350 USD

Works Bell instructions

Works Bell instructions

This is a rarity. I’ve never seen a QR that included instructions. And, spoiler, this is the only one in my collection that has instructions.

Rapfix receiver and release.

Rapfix receiver and release.

The smaller piece on the left (above) is what stays on the car. The larger piece is the quick release adapter. It bolts to the steering wheel.

WB Rapfix2 horn wiring

WB Rapfix2 horn wiring

The horn wires up easily. All wires are the right size and all connectors are the right polarity. A similar metal ring goes on the other side of the quick release between it and the steering wheel.

WB Rapfix and short hub installed.

WB Rapfix and short hub installed.

Hub/QR thickness

Hub/QR thickness

With the WB short hub installed, the total hub + QR thickness is ~ 4.75″ or 120mm.

Steering wheel to signal distance

Steering wheel to signal distance

The distance from the steering wheel to the turn signal is 3.625″ or 92mm. This is roughly 1.5″ greater than the stock distance. It’s still quite easy to hit the turn signal with my fingers.

As you can see in the video, the WB Rapfix2 is very easy to use. It doesn’t require any work to align the two halves of the QR since it self-centers. The QR clicks into place in a very solid manner and forms a solid connection between the wheel and hub.

NRG Quick Release Gen 3

NRG Gen3 in blue

NRG Gen3 in blue

The NRG Gen 3 functions exactly the same as the WB Rapfix2. It is a standard thickness quick release adapter and uses ball bearings to attach a wheel to the hub. It does not ground through the quick release body and features grounding rings to allow the horn to work.

NRG dimensions

NRG dimensions

Thickness: 62mm / 2.4 in.
Weight: 716g / 1.6 lbs hangs from the steering wheel; 835g / 1.8 lbs total.
Instructions: No
Horn retainer ring: Yes, removable.
Hardware Included: Yes.
Price: Around $175 USD

NRG horn ring - hub side

NRG horn ring – hub side

NRG horn ring - wheel side

NRG horn ring – wheel side

The horn connections on my example of the NRG do not work straight out of the box. The wiring exists and these problems can be easily fixed with a few terminals and a crimping tool, but it was a bit disappointing to see that the wiring was incorrect.

The Works Bell QR I received had the correct horn wiring. If you receive an NRG like the one pictured here, you would just need to make the connectors look like the WB pictured here for the horn wiring to function correctly.

hmmm.

hmmm.

I present this photo without comment.

NRG Gen3 installed.

NRG Gen3 installed.

NRG Gen3 receiver.

NRG Gen3 receiver.

Hub/QR thickness

Hub/QR thickness

With the WB short hub installed, the total hub + QR thickness is ~ 4.75″ or 120mm.

Steering wheel to signal distance

Steering wheel to signal distance

The distance from the steering wheel to the turn signal is 3.625″ or 92mm. This is roughly 1.5″ greater than the stock distance. It’s still quite easy to hit the turn signal with my fingers.

As the video shows, the NRG Gen3 is quite easy to use. Oddly, those big ears on the side don’t really help to remove the wheel. You still have to press the button (just like the WB) and the ears kinda get in the way. At least they did for me.

It doesn’t require any work to align the two halves of the QR since it self-centers. The QR clicks into place in a very solid manner and forms a solid connection between the wheel and hub.

The NRG and WB thick quick release adapters function exactly the same.

Slim Quick Release Adapters

Wanna see them? Go check out Part 2. Sorry for breaking things up. It was just too much information for one post.

Quick Release Shootout Part 2

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  • […] them head to head with the same types of measurements is not so common. I did three blog posts. revlimiter.net Quick Release Shootout part 1 – thick (standard) QRs from Works Bell and NRG revlimiter.net Quick Release Shootout part 2 – thin […]

  • David says:

    The NRG hub just a quick tip if you spin the blades 180 degrees you no longer have to press down the button.

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    I love the data on your web site. Kudos!.

  • Thomas says:

    Your guide and review was extremely helpful. All aftermarket hubs and quick releases contain a lot of additional parts which are not always necessary and it was causing a lot of confusion for me.

    My only feedback is this: The NRG Quick Release horn connectors are designed to match an NRG steering wheel (more specifically, an NRG horn). So, it isn’t that NRG used the wrong connector, but rather, NRG wants you to use their entire setup. Now, I don’t know if that makes things better or worse, rather, it is just my observation.

    Again, thanks for the write-up!

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