Detmar Steering Wheels
Detmar has been building steering wheels in Detroit, Michigan since the late 1950s, and the category is where the company started. DETMAR was established in 1957 as a steering wheel manufacturer , and steering wheels remain central to its identity today. The company's wheels are aimed at the demands of boats, off-road vehicles and utility equipment rather than the passenger car market.
Built for Marine and Off-Road Use
Detmar says its steering wheels are designed to meet the rigorous physical and environmental demands of marine and other offroad applications. That matters because sun, water, temperature swings and vibration quickly wear out wheels made for the street. Detmar's Daytona wheel is described as having heavy-duty, nonmagnetic high-impact plastic construction, and the nonmagnetic material is a sensible choice around boat compasses.
Detmar Steering Wheel Product Lines
Detmar offers several named wheel families, each with its own spoke layout and grip style:
- Daytona: A classic sport wheel design with a hard grip rim and leather grain appearance, 13 inches in diameter.
- Viper and Viper EQ: A distinctive, clean appearance from front and rear viewing angles. The EQ version uses an equidistant three-spoke layout, and both come in hard or soft grip rims at 13-1/2 inches.
- Mustang EQ: The latest in equidistant three spoke design, with soft or hard grip rims which are leather grained with finger grips.
- Legend: An advanced four-spoke design with a 13-1/2 inch diameter.
- Contour: The same modern, ergonomic design as the Legend series but in an equidistant three spoke configuration, at 13-3/4 inches.
- Integra: A distinctive three spoke design with high visibility between the upper spokes and rim.
Grip Style, Size and Dish
Hard grip rims are rigid and easy to clean, while soft grip rims give a more cushioned feel during long days on the water or trail. Most Detmar designs add leather graining, stitching and molded finger grips for better hand placement. Diameters in the lineup run from 13 to 13-3/4 inches, with dish depths from about 3-1/8 to 4-5/8 inches. Dish determines how far the rim sits from the helm or dash, so check it along with diameter when replacing a wheel.
Detmar lists some wheels, such as the Daytona, as fitting standard 3/4" tapered shafts. Confirm your shaft taper and keyway, and whether you need a separate center cap or logo cap, before ordering. Detmar sells many wheels in versions with or without a center cap, so the wheel and cap are not always packaged together.
OEM Roots and Custom Capability
Detmar is also an OEM supplier, which helps explain the consistency of its designs. The company designs, engineers, tools and manufactures proprietary and custom products for original equipment manufacturers and distributors in markets including recreational vehicles, lawn and garden, and marine. Some wheels, including the Viper series, can be molded in contrasting or custom colors for OEM customers. The company's website carries a "Made in the USA Since 1957" tagline.
Explore More
To see everything Detmar makes, visit the full Detmar brand page. To compare wheels from other manufacturers, browse the complete Steering Wheels category.