Steering wheel swap guide, this is not common "how-to" but just small guide... Options

[malpaso]

At last I had some time for another upgrade. Steering wheel swap... My stock one was 4-spoke with airbag/horn in the middle.


Just history now . Since today I have this one genuine 7th gen. Celica/91-04 MR2 st. wheel.


Although horn mechanism and airbag connector were different everything is working now. And I'll try describe here how generally do that... believe it will be handy for anyone

step no one: remove old steering wheel
Two screws on sides (behind small covers) holds airbag part




There are just two plugs inside. That yellow one is for airbag and white is horn (there is possibility also for cruise multi switch, where are many more wires. Horn wire is black, every time that last on right connected to wheel body)


When you unplug everything + unscrew nut in the middle you should remove wheel with puller (w/o that it's not possible at all)


step two: solving airbag connection


Different airbag connector means find right module (spiral) for it...


...or use same airbag refill




Of course... some customization should be done if airbag refill has different size (more are different, more custom work is needed). My one was just bit different... and airbag part was easy take into parts.


step three: solving horn connection
This step depends on type of horn you have. However every time it's about find how horn mechanism works, cut black wire off old wheel and connect it somewhere... It really depends on that horn mechanism. However it's really easy, just one wire to screw... somewhere .

step four: piece everything together
Installation of new wheel body (with same center bore of course) is easy...


...and in my case screw horn cable to airbag body (not wheel body like stock one)...and all finished .


This post has been edited by malpaso: Jan 6, 2007 - 4:27 PM

[tankd0g]

I just swapped a 99 rav4 wheel into my 5th gen (looks like a 98-99 celica 3 spoke). The 5th gen cruise control switch is an analog device as far as I can tell, with 4 wires on it. The Rav4 switch was a 2 wire digital. So I had to reuse my switch. It fits half decent using two of the holes already in the new wheel. Had to make a little bracket out of a peice of metal that I had but that was it. I thought I was going to be able to put the charge from my 5th gen airbag into the new wheel but it's much bigger than a 6th gen airbag like is pictured at the start of this thread, so no go. I could cut and splice the wires but I'm afraid that the trigger system is different so I decided it was safer just to leave the airbag out. I yanked the airbag light from the dash as well as the ABS light which I also have permanently disabled.

All in all it looks pretty good and the 1" smaller wheel makes for much quicker handling. Can't find the card for my camera or I would have taken pictures for all this but if anyone needs to see what I did with the cruise control switch I can get a picture of it.