mike cap

Guys,

I can't comment about the airbag versus non-airbag debate, but I do have the AJ-USA steering wheel in my car that Ron posted above.

It really is a fine sw, well made and a beautiful addition to the interior of the car. With the center crest in place (silicone glued, not double sided sticky tape) it looks like a million bucks and is light years ahead of the OEM sw from a fit and feel standpoint. I especially like the placement of the horn buttons - directly under your right and left thumbs. If you get this sw, you gotta get the Euro trumpet horns too!!

JohnJL

Is the crest metal? If so, what would it feel like coming at you @ 200MPH, or whatever speed the airbags deploy?

I am imagining a reversed crest imprinted on my forehead (assuming it didn't come at me edge-on!) ala the **** in Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Jastx

Exactly, or sticking out the back of your skull after passing through your eye and brain. I think putting a metal crest on an airbag is a very, very BAD idea.

Davies

I think it's the airbag that hits you, rather than the center cover of the steering wheel. I remember reading that the cover is hinged.
(otherwise the whole cover would become a projectile blown at your face by the airbag, at which point it probably wouldn't make much difference if there was a little metal crest attached to it or not.)

mike cap

John and John,

The new 997 has the center metal crest on it's steering wheel. As Matt says, the airbag cover hinges up and the airbag deploys. This is the same positioning of the crest and three-spoke sw design as the AJ-USA sw that many of us have on our 993's.

William Green

Having been there, so to speak, the force of the deplying airbag basically pulls apart the front cover. The cover itself is quite thin and does not have any hinges.

A bit like the alien exploding from the chest scenario

Jastx

Hmm, good point Mike.

I guess it depends on an excellent adhesive to be sure the crest doesn't come flying off under explosive force. I'm sure the factory version on the 997 works -- its connection to the air bag cover may even be through the cover -- but it could vary with DIYers.

Davies

Ouch. In which case then, a metal crest glued to the steering wheel could represent a serious problem when an airbag deploys...I stand corrected.

No steering wheel crest for me...

JohnJL

I'm going to sharpen mine so it doesn't hurt so much going in ;-)

Pzkw993

Just for conversational purposes:

The crest really shouldn't fly off until the hinged cover reaches the end of its travel, meaning that for most 993 wheels it should hit the dashboard, not the driver. But even if it flew off during the cover opening, the airbag should beat it to your face. In the same way that a bullet accelerates all the way down the barrel due to the gas expansion (with some minor exceptions such as a 9mm Parabellum in a sixteen-inch US-spec SMG barrel) the expansion-driven airbag should travel faster than the recoil-driven (and glue-decelerated) badge.

On my '95, it's easy to see that the cover splits in the middle and both halves follow a very sharply angled path away from the driver's face. On the newer wheels... hard to say.