How hard to change the steering whee?

**Uncle_Ken** · 16-03-2005, 11:45 AM

Hi all
Hope this is in the correct section.
As my AUII has an air bag how hard is it to take the steering wheel off without the air bag going bang.

I'm thining about getting a XR6/6 leather wheel.
Is there a tech guide on what to do?

Uncle_Ken:gren:

EFFalcon · 16-03-2005, 12:21 PM

its very easy.
u'll need a special shaped tool to get the acual air bag off, its basically like a security torx bit only it has a 6 pointed star instead of a 5, ford should be able to loosen these for you for nothing.
you will also need a Torx T50 security bit to undo the actual steering wheel.

ford will tell u to disconnect the battery for 5 mins before unplugging the airbag, so do that (i don't, i do it straight away :P )
undo the 2 bolts (6 pointed star things) at the back of the steering wheel, these are hidden by 2 round covers.
the airbag will then slide forward and only be held on my wiring, you will have to unplug the airbag wiring and the horn wiring.

once the airbag is out of the way you will see the wiring for the stereo buttons/cruise control.
you will have to unhook the wiring from any clips and undo the 4 (or 2 if u only have stereo buttons) screws holding the buttons on.
once these are undone u should be able to manouvoure the buttons out of the way, if not and they're getting caught on the plastic shroud then just make sure they have a little bit of slack

Next you will have to undo the big Torx bit (T50) in the middle, undo that, take it out, then put it back in a few threads (this prevents the steering wheel whacking you in the face when u pull it off)
you should be able to then yank the steering wheel off (takes a lot of force)
hold onto both side of the steering wheel and pull while rocking from side to side, some come easy, some come off hard, once its off time to put the new one on

**Uncle_Ken** · 16-03-2005, 12:45 PM

I don't have the tools so I might just go outto Narellan Spares (Sydney) and see if they will do it as part of the deal.

Knowing my luck I'd get half way through and things would go...

:
As Clint Eastwood would say "A mans got to know his limitations"

Uncle_Ken

:

LG · 16-03-2005, 02:23 PM

I got Ford to put my momo steering wheel on, and they only charged me $80, so its not too bad seeing as the Security piece/tool costs around $60.

au-steve · 16-03-2005, 03:12 PM

i got the torx bit for $45 from ford.

EFFalcon · 16-03-2005, 03:18 PM

$80 :o
i simply purchased the T50 bit, its used on many other parts through out the car so worth having
mine was deffinately no where near those prices though, i got a whole torx bit kit and it was heaps cheaper then that.

DivHunter · 16-03-2005, 03:54 PM

shizer Ford charged me $38 so i just got them to do it as I don't plan on changing it again.

buickman · 16-03-2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairmont99

shizer Ford charged me $38 so i just got them to do it as I don't plan on changing it again.

I paid $33 from a ford dealer for the air bag removal tool. It seems there is no set price on parts and tools sold. It is a 10-15 minute job to remove and replace with the right tools.

buickman

FAT69XT · 16-03-2005, 09:40 PM

I'm about to do the same- the AUII has only done 100K and the rubber on the wheel is already loose and you can twist it!

Got a nice leather one for it, Ford can put it on for me i think!

Cheers,
Matt

**Peuty** · 16-03-2005, 11:13 PM

EFFalcon, you will find that the 6 star piece that hold the airbag on is actually a 5 star piece on the AU's. And the bit holding the wheel on itself is the six piece.

Just finished changing mine over the other week.

buickman · 17-03-2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairmont99

shizer Ford charged me $38 so i just got them to do it as I don't plan on changing it again.

Me thinks you should have purchased the air bag tool. Ford P/N301PR for $33 so as to remove your steering wheel. As you mentioned today things are not looking good on the repair front on the Fairmont. If they decide to write it off you might have trouble trying to get to the car to remove parts without buying the wreck back.

buickman

DivHunter · 17-03-2005, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buickman

Me thinks you should have purchased the air bag tool. Ford P/N301PR for $33 so as to remove your steering wheel. As you mentioned today things are not looking good on the repair front on the Fairmont. If they decide to write it off you might have trouble trying to get to the car to remove parts without buying the wreck back.

buickman

Nah it's all good the guys at Martins will swap anything over for me ;)

EFFalcon · 18-03-2005, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

EFFalcon, you will find that the 6 star piece that hold the airbag on is actually a 5 star piece on the AU's. And the bit holding the wheel on itself is the six piece.

Just finished changing mine over the other week.

Must have been a change from AUI -> AU II then.
AU I deffinately had the old style T50 holding the steering wheel on (ala EF/EL)
and the 6 point for the airbag.

buickman · 18-03-2005, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFFalcon

Must have been a change from AUI -> AU II then.
AU I deffinately had the old style T50 holding the steering wheel on (ala EF/EL)
and the 6 point for the airbag.

No way my Ghia is a series 1 and has the 5 star airbag security bolts that requires the 301PR security tool. I acutully thought of removing the bolts with a small chisel & hammer then replacing with the e series T50 bolts.Which might be the case if you have seen a series 1 with the 6 sided bolts. All AU's & BA's have the 5 star sided bolts. The larger S/Wheel holding bolt is 6 star.

buickman

RG · 18-03-2005, 09:38 AM

I got mine changed over by a smash repairer for $20. Cheaper and quicker than ford.

EFFalcon · 18-03-2005, 09:50 AM

looks like some AU's copped Eseries parts then.
coz i deffinately removed the steering wheel bolt myself with the T50 bit, but the airbag ones werent going anywhere with the 6 point star.
i can get photos P

au11futura · 07-05-2009, 10:32 PM

i found the hole kit for $15 at cunno's and they fit better than the genuine ones from ford i got.

mik · 07-05-2009, 10:53 PM

hmmm interesting, i tried several tool shops none had the torx bit but one said if i get a company letter head order he can get it in for me at a cost of $45.00 because its classed as a security bit

: ,local ford dealer spares did`nt have one, after hours of mucking around i got the dremel out with little cutting disc and carefully cut a slot in the head of the torx bits and unscrewed them with a screw driver, replaced them with allen key bolts.

lostdude · 08-05-2009, 12:00 AM

i got a small flat head screw driver, and filled away the middle of it.
worked like a charm

StealthAu · 08-05-2009, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle_Ken

Hi all
Hope this is in the correct section.
As my AUII has an air bag how hard is it to take the steering wheel off without the air bag going bang.

I'm thining about getting a XR6/6 leather wheel.
Is there a tech guide on what to do?

Uncle_Ken:gren:

If you try a search you might come accross a few answers. I've even posted the part number for a set of 5 sided torx bits from Repco at around $20.

**Peuty** · 08-05-2009, 06:27 AM

Good advice Brendan, but Uncle_Ken posted that in 2005...

StealthAu · 08-05-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

Good advice Brendan, but Uncle_Ken posted that in 2005...

Didn't read the date, either way he could of done a search and found the part numbers, I only posted them 2 years after he asked the question

**Uncle_Ken** · 09-05-2009, 06:47 PM

Holy C@$p!!! thats a blast from the past...I've had the Momo on for ages. When I bought it from Macarthur spares (NSW).
I got them to swap if over for ...um I forgot how much LOL.

UK

EgoFalcon · 18-01-2010, 03:13 PM

What is cunno's? and is it in NSW?

GK · 18-01-2010, 04:08 PM

Bit of a thread mine! LOL!

Just shows that there's nothing new under the sun! The same questions keep getting asked by each new batch of AUvians! LOL!

GK

Riksta · 18-01-2010, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EgoFalcon

What is cunno's? and is it in NSW?

Cunningham's Warehouse. Not sure if they're in NSW or not. I tried Googling it to see, funny that the first result is for one of their main competitors, Cheap As Chips!

POELWYK · 18-01-2010, 06:33 PM

this is good as info i gota buy the tools for my car i plan on doing a steering wheel swap this week

scrivens · 27-01-2010, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

THE HACK: 1988 Mitsubishi Colt GXL Hatch - Limited Edition - Mighty 1.6L Engine - Every option a Colt could have had from factory!

An off-topic aside. My brother bought one of those new and had it for 20 years and 450,000+km. Apart from the usual points, plugs, filters and brakes the only thing ever needing replacement was one sump gasket. Even had the original water pump, clutch and so on. Travelled all over Australia in it as well as commuting from Lithgow to Newcastle and back every weekend for years. Amazing little car.

Dave_Obsession · 27-01-2010, 09:29 AM

Ugh....this thing has been brought back from the dead twice now LOL
We should have some sort of thread mining smily we can insert!!!

CONGO MILLENNIUM · 17-12-2012, 05:26 PM

IS there a special tool needed to unplug the yellow cagle/plug from the back of the air bag?
How is it unplugged?