Can I fit a '95 steering wheel to a '97 car
11-12-2018, 02:57 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Can I fit a '95 steering wheel to a '97 car
I’ve got a 1997 Zenith Blue C2S with a blue steering wheel and thought it would be good to have a black wheel rather than blue…..just to tone down the blue interior a little !!
So some time ago I purchased a black steering wheel complete with air bag and had it restored to absolutely mint condition but have recently discovered thru the posts on this forum (and confirmed with the seller) that it is a 1995 wheel with the deeper dish versus the shallow dished retaining frame as on the later models.
Whilst there have been untold posts over the years re changing steering wheels from 4 spoke to 3 spoke etc and also the posts re air bag retaining frame differences etc I’m unable to find anything definative re whether an early wheel can be put on a late car.
I’ve heard somewhere that the issue (if there is one) may relate to differences in the splines so before I remove the original wheel from the car hopefully someone can advise whether a 1995 wheel can be fitted to a 1997 car without any issues please.
Regards
Bob
So some time ago I purchased a black steering wheel complete with air bag and had it restored to absolutely mint condition but have recently discovered thru the posts on this forum (and confirmed with the seller) that it is a 1995 wheel with the deeper dish versus the shallow dished retaining frame as on the later models.
Whilst there have been untold posts over the years re changing steering wheels from 4 spoke to 3 spoke etc and also the posts re air bag retaining frame differences etc I’m unable to find anything definative re whether an early wheel can be put on a late car.
I’ve heard somewhere that the issue (if there is one) may relate to differences in the splines so before I remove the original wheel from the car hopefully someone can advise whether a 1995 wheel can be fitted to a 1997 car without any issues please.
Regards
Bob
11-12-2018, 04:15 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thanks 911PERVY for clarifying that !!
I'm not swopping or interchanging anything btw the wheels....simply going to put the early wheel in its entirety onto the late car.....so all should be good.
I'm not swopping or interchanging anything btw the wheels....simply going to put the early wheel in its entirety onto the late car.....so all should be good.
11-12-2018, 10:48 AM
#4
Three Wheelin'
I did the same swap a few years back, since I found a new wheel in better shape than the one on my car. I can confirm that the splines were slightly different, such that when the new wheel went on it was cocked slightly to one side, as if the splines were set into the wheel with perhaps 1/2 a spline difference in orientation. I recall I could put it on with slightly more than 1 degree of difference to the left or less than 1 degree of difference to the right. At my next alignment, it was straightened as part of the front toe adjustment.
I know that the rack should be 100% centered, and this wheel keeps that from happening, but the difference is so small I can’t see that it matters. I don’t notice anything in driving - whether I’m driving straight or when I turn it full lock either side.
edit: I had a typo in which there was a “can’t” instead of a “can” in a critical location. Fixed.
I know that the rack should be 100% centered, and this wheel keeps that from happening, but the difference is so small I can’t see that it matters. I don’t notice anything in driving - whether I’m driving straight or when I turn it full lock either side.
edit: I had a typo in which there was a “can’t” instead of a “can” in a critical location. Fixed.
Last edited by Tlaloc75; 11-12-2018 at 11:37 AM.
11-12-2018, 11:45 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
The early vs later 4 spoke wheels on the exterior are identical and will fit the same on the car. It's the inside airbag mount and airbag that is different.
Have some recent experience as a few group buy members are getting their 4 spoke airbag covers redone via carsdream.
The early 95 has a different deeper airbag that is not interchangable vs the later 97 one since the frame it attaches to as well as the interior of the steering wheel is different on the early 95 vs later 97. I did found though the airbag cover is interchangable so if you have nice airbag cover that is leather you can now put it on any wheel as long as you are comfortable disassembling the airbag.
Have some recent experience as a few group buy members are getting their 4 spoke airbag covers redone via carsdream.
The early 95 has a different deeper airbag that is not interchangable vs the later 97 one since the frame it attaches to as well as the interior of the steering wheel is different on the early 95 vs later 97. I did found though the airbag cover is interchangable so if you have nice airbag cover that is leather you can now put it on any wheel as long as you are comfortable disassembling the airbag.
11-12-2018, 11:51 AM
#7
Three Wheelin'
The early vs later 4 spoke wheels on the exterior are identical and will fit the same on the car. It's the inside airbag mount and airbag that is different.
Have some recent experience as a few group buy members are getting their 4 spoke airbag covers redone via carsdream.
The early 95 has a different deeper airbag that is not interchangable vs the later 97 one since the frame it attaches to as well as the interior of the steering wheel is different on the early 95 vs later 97. I did found though the airbag cover is interchangable so if you have nice airbag cover that is leather you can now put it on any wheel as long as you are comfortable disassembling the airbag.
Have some recent experience as a few group buy members are getting their 4 spoke airbag covers redone via carsdream.
The early 95 has a different deeper airbag that is not interchangable vs the later 97 one since the frame it attaches to as well as the interior of the steering wheel is different on the early 95 vs later 97. I did found though the airbag cover is interchangable so if you have nice airbag cover that is leather you can now put it on any wheel as long as you are comfortable disassembling the airbag.
I did reuse the airbag by swapping the frame.
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11-13-2018, 09:13 PM
#10
Three Wheelin'
11-17-2018, 04:46 PM
#12
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About four years ago I changed out the wheel in my '97 for an earlier wheel (the original had gotten pretty scuffed up and the '95 wheel was almost new). As discussed in the above posts, the airbag and airbag frame are deeper on the earlier wheels. With both the older and newer style wheels, the bolt heads of the bolts that secure the airbag to the frame are "trapped" between the steering wheel and airbag frame during assembly. This keeps these bolts in place while the wheel is installed on the splined shaft, before the airbag is secured to the frame using these bolts.
When I changed wheels, I reused my '97 airbag and frame The challenge that I had was figuring out a way to keep the airbag bolts in place when reinstalling the wheel (with the deeper wheel, there was too much space between the wheel and frame, so the bolts were not held in place - when I put the wheel on the splined shaft the bolts fell out of the frame). My admittedly klugey solution was to tape the bolts in place on the airbag frame with electrical tape before bolting the frame to the wheel. The airbag bolts have a shoulder that bears against the back of the frame. I put a hole in each piece of tape so that the bold head was not covered by the tape, but the shoulder was held down by the tape. This worked and I was able to reinstall the wheel and airbag with no issues.
When I changed wheels, I reused my '97 airbag and frame The challenge that I had was figuring out a way to keep the airbag bolts in place when reinstalling the wheel (with the deeper wheel, there was too much space between the wheel and frame, so the bolts were not held in place - when I put the wheel on the splined shaft the bolts fell out of the frame). My admittedly klugey solution was to tape the bolts in place on the airbag frame with electrical tape before bolting the frame to the wheel. The airbag bolts have a shoulder that bears against the back of the frame. I put a hole in each piece of tape so that the bold head was not covered by the tape, but the shoulder was held down by the tape. This worked and I was able to reinstall the wheel and airbag with no issues.
11-20-2018, 12:10 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
Well I tried to upload pics, but it would not work. No matter, unfortunately for you, I decided to have my old wheel recovered so I dont really have a need to swap out. My apologies.
