Replacement steering wheel help

[Wok]

Having just purchased a new leather MOMO steering wheel for my VXII,
could anyone please tell me the correct procedure for doing this myself
as Holden have quoted $120 to do it. Surely there is a way to do this correctly at home and not have any issues/problems with the airbag module. Any guidance would be great as I'm new to this modification thing.
Cheers :D

[Rt!]

pull airbag fuse out
undo the torx screws at the back
remove airbag, unplug horn, remote and airbag
undo the torx bolt
remove steering wheel (make sure you pull straight and you dont misalign the wheel)
redo everything the same way you removed it
plug the airbag fuse back in before restarting car
and you're good to go. quite easy really

[Redfox]

Instead of pulling the airbag fuse out, you should disconnect the main battery for 10 seconds. This will shut down the airbag system without having to remove fuses (and what if you got the wrong fuse!?)... but don't forget your radio codes! My holden dealership quoted about $85. Just walk in there and tell them you know how to do it and how long it takes, but you don't have a torx tool. Then they won't feel obliged to f'ing rip you off. Bastards.

[Wok]

Thanks all for your help :D I'd hate do something wrong
being new to this modding thing.

Is the torx only used for the 4 bolts in the back of wheel
or are there more hidden inside behind the airbag???

Also the bolts don't look like a normal torx as they have a
bit in the middle. What is this for as my set at home won't fit???

[JBonDSS]

there called tamper resistant torx, any dicksmith, jaycar & most tool shops will have small kits with correct type of torx bits

[Gaz101]

The hardest part is putting the wheel back on straight!!!! :rolleyes: Do a few blockies and keep adjusting. You will be an expert at removing them soon.

The torx bit i have is called a 'Tamperproof torx bit', but the name should be synonymous.

Getting the airbag and horn wires off the back is a little tough. Just 'pull out' the yellow one, but the red one will need a small blade screw driver to be removed. I detached the battery, but removing the fuse should do the same job. And there are only the 4 screws on the back of the wheel, no suprises.

[PJK]

Are there any rules about removing airbag steering wheels from cars fitted with them as standard and replacing with a non airbag item.

Just curious as most modded cars I've seen have stuck with the original

[Devil CV8]

Are there any rules about removing airbag steering wheels from cars fitted with them as standard and replacing with a non airbag item.

Just curious as most modded cars I've seen have stuck with the original
Only one rule... You can't remove an airbag if the vehicle came equiped with it.

[PJK]

Thanks Devil

[stato]

Wok, just help me on this one, are you keeping your airbag in the new wheel?

[VX2VESS]

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=1865&highlight=torx

[Wok]

Stato,

Yes the airbag fits in it's original place.

The wheel is identical to the original one except wrapped
in beautiful black and perforated red leather made by MOMO.

Bought it off an auction from EBAY.

Had the chance to fit it tonight and I must say WOW!!!! :cool: :D :D

It took about 3/4 hr. to fit. Easy as!!!!

Now I am starting to understand about this bug that bites everyone
that has an LS1, and this is my first real mod.

Bring it on . HMMM Let's see, what next???? :idea:

[Redfox]

Wok, I got the same wheel but haven't had a chance to fit it. Where did you get the torx tamperproof tool from? I think i have the torx tool to remove the screws in the back of the wheel, but what about the one inside the wheel that is the main bolt to hold the wheel on the shaft? I was under the impression that this bolt was some sort of torx bolt or something. Or is it just a standard hex bolt? I haven't ever taken the wheel off, so I wouldn't know.

Was the red wire hard to take off like gaz101 said?

Btw how much did you pay for this wheel if you don't mind my asking?

[SV8VY]

I don't know what the fuss is all about...I have removed and fitted many times.
Step one have the steering wheel straight.
Disconnect the battery (you wont need any codes)I have had it disconnected for hours with no problem.
Take you keys and put them in your pocket
The screws at the back can be undone by using a standard small screw driver and turn one way until it lets go.
Start undoing the centre nut most of the way then pull back and forward until loose then take off.
Take off the 2 connections and there you have it.
Put it back on but don't be tempted to drive around without the air bag on to centre it as you will get a fault.
If you need to move it a notch or two you will have to move it again.

[Wok]

Redfox,

I picked up 6 tamperproof torx's in a set from Repco for $15. Small to large. You will need a T30 for the 4 at the back

I just used a 17mm standard socket for the centre torx nut. A bit loose but it works.

There are two red connectors inside. One for the horn/one for the stereo controls. A small flat screwdriver helps as they are a bit difficult. The yellow airbag connector is tight but just pull straight back and it should pop off.

I picked my wheel up for $125 - posted from Victoria to me in Queensland. Brand new - perfect. Thought it was a bargain as I had a previous quote from JHP of $295 plus postage for the same wheel.

Good luck with yours and just follow everyones instuctions here and you should be OK. If I did it( and I'm mechanically illiterate) anyone can. Let me know how you go!!

PS After a short drive this morning, I had to re-adjust mine one notch to right to make it spot on. Now very :D

[Redfox]

SV8VY, sounds pretty simple, but how come you say that you just need a standard small screw driver to remove the screws in the back of the wheel when everyone else says you need tamperproof torx tools? I have the torx tools to do the job on the rear screws, but the centre nut is puzzling me. I have never opened up my wheel and seen it, but am I right in saying it needs a torx socket? If so, would I be able to use just a normal socket wrench? I don't want to ruin the outside of the nut tho. Maybe i'll go out and get a t20 torx socket bit.

[Gaz101]

Just a normal socket wrench does the centre bolt.

[stato]

Hi Wok,

Thanks for the reply, glad the wheel's a goer!

[Redfox]

Sounds good, I'll give it a shot when I get the time this week. I already have the tamperproof torx, and was considering getting the centre torx socket, but if you guys reckon a standard hex socket works, then i'll give that a shot. Got a whole repco set of them. I'll let you know how it goes.

Btw $125, damn that's cheap! I paid heaps more! Btw did you find that it looked like the wheel had been mounted before (scratches where the bolt holds it in place) but the leather was brand new? I got a feeling a whole used set of these wheels were sent off to momo for covering. Actually, who knows if they are really momo? Just because they got a stamp on them doesn't mean that they are. Could be some dodgy asian job...

Either way, the wheel looks nice and I'm quite pleased with it. The only thing that sorta makes me wonder if it's genuine or not is the fact that the red perforated leather was glued down and not sewn like the rest of the wheel. I wonder how long that will last. I'm keeping my stock leather wheel just in case.

Hrmmm...

Btw do you mind my asking who you bought it off? Or just some random eBay guy?

[SV8VY]

I just used a srew driver and twisted to one side,,,simple really and a normall socket also.
Dont see the big deal,,,I took mine off and on 4 times to adjust the wheel.
I also bought mine on eBay for $115 (If I remember right)this was the SS wheel for my Sv8 auto knob and boot (all alloy)

[OscarTheGrouch]

Bloody oath, $125 is cheap - I just checked, there's 2 on there at the moment, one's going for $150 and one's $160 odd. Still a good buy, just not quite as good :)

It needs a matching gearknob/boot and handbrake cover - that would really set an interior off. I was thinking about fitting Monaro stuff but everyone seems to be doing that....

[Wok]

Oscar,

I found that the trick for bidding is find an item you like and then keep
an eye on it. Don't bid straight away as this just means the price goes up quicker. I wait until the last 10 minutes or so and then hit!!! Works for me.

Btw I currently have my original VXSS anthracite wheel for auction on Ebay if
anyone is interested.Mint condition/flawless.

At the moment it is going for $80 odd dollars with still 6 days to go.
Just search for VX SS Leather steering wheel

Redfox,

A mate of mine bought one of these over 2 1/2 years ago and still is in perfect condition. He told me by applying Vaseline once or twice a month keeps the leather nice. (No jokes please). I have tried this on previous leather items and it certainly works. Just apply a good coating and leave on overnight then wipe off excess. It is not slippery and makes it come up great. :)

[SV8VY]

Oscar,

I found that the trick for bidding is find an item you like and then keep
an eye on it. Don't bid straight away as this just means the price goes up quicker. I wait until the last 10 minutes or so and then hit!!! Works for me.

I actually use a robot to snipe it for me the last 5 sec of the auction :lol: as long as your bid is higher than the last bidder you will win and you wont have to wait for it.
It gives you 3 successful snipes to test ,then charge a small fee for each win.I love it see here Sniper (http://www.auctionsniper.com/?how=sales@aussiefones.com)

[Falchoon]

Hope you didn't pay too much for your MOMO wheel, Rare Spares have them for $148.50 GST inc.

Product Code: 92110123R Description: STEERING WHEEL LEATHER VT-VX RED & BLACK MOMO https://rsp-secure.com/Shop/e-cat/Products/Thumbnails/92110123R.jpg

[OscarTheGrouch]

Hope you didn't pay too much for your MOMO wheel, Rare Spares have them for $148.50 GST inc.

Product Code: 92110123R Description: STEERING WHEEL LEATHER VT-VX RED & BLACK MOMO

W00t - that's bloody great - thanks for that! You've just saved me $70 odd - both the wheels I was looking at on Ebay went for $255, but I got a 2nd chance bid on one at $220 and would have taken it had you not posted that. I never thought of Rare Spares....

I wonder if there's a maximum purchase quantity... it'd be worth buying a few and reselling them :)

[Redfox]

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd give you a quick update... I installed my momo steering wheel today. Was relatively easy and saved me $85 (the quote holden gave me).

Just a few things to note...

- When taking off red horn plug, you can see a little catch that holds it in place. Instead of pushing the little catch in like I originally thought you do, get a small jewellers screwdriver and stick it under the edge of the outer socket and lift it up. Kinda hard to explain in words, but that one had me puzzled for a bit as I didn't want to break it so it took a while to get it off.

- When removing the yellow airbag connector, like the other guys said, just pull it straight off the cast aluminium airbag unit. Don't try and pry up the yellow plastic clips like I did. I was having trouble, so I came online, read it through and realised that you just gotta pull really hard on the yellow plug away at 90 degrees to the aluminium surface and it will pop off.

- Use a 17mm (from memory i think!) socket wrench to remove the T20 torx bolt in the centre of the wheel. Unscrew it most of the way but not all of the way. Pull the wheel back to make sure it's loose. Then unscrew the bolt all the way.

- Before pulling off the wheel, get a permanent marker and just mark on the steering shaft the points that line up with the holes on the wheel and vertically up so that you know where to align the wheel when you replace it. This is really handy, and once you have these markings you will find it hard to go wrong, thus preventing you from having to reposition the wheel later.

- Finally, when replacing the airbag/horn unit, be careful when you are screwing in the T30 torx screws that you aren't threading the hole on the airbag/horn unit. I imagine that if you screw those up (no pun intended) you would probably have to get a new airbag unit if it doesn't affix to the wheel properly. So just be careful. If you are having a lot of resistance, take it out, check with your eye that the holes are lining up correctly and try again.

Hope this info helps someone. Besides all these tricky little things, it's a reasonably easy operation. Just remember to cross your fingers when you are doing it. I'm still a bit paranoid about the thing blowing up in my face! :)

[Wok]

Redfox,

Well done on the installation.

When I first asked and started this thread I didn't expect
so many replies and viewings for such a thing as replacing a
steering wheel.

Go figure :shock:

[OscarTheGrouch]

Thankyou all - as a result of this thread I ordered my wheel from Rare Spares the other night - and I'm pretty confident there won't be any problems fitting it, with all these handy tips :)

And SV8VY, thanks for the tip on Auction Sniper too. You have a referral :) I've never really sniped before but I'm giving it a go now... it'll save me sneaking into the back office at work and bidding on work time - damn pesky auctions that end during business hours, heh...

[Devil CV8]

I wonder if there's a maximum purchase quantity... it'd be worth buying a few and reselling them :)
Don't lower yourself down to their level... There's enough scum out there as it is ripping off poor unsuspecting suckers.

[OscarTheGrouch]

Don't lower yourself down to their level... There's enough scum out there as it is ripping off poor unsuspecting suckers.

Nah, of course not. It was really just a tongue in cheek comment... in hindsight maybe I should have used a different smiley ;)

[Redfox]

Hehehehe like me... I paid waaaay too much for my wheel... but it's a bit too late now. Either way I'm still really happy with the wheel as long as it holds up for a while and doesn't wear or unstitch too easily.

For all the guys out there who have this wheel, do you really reckon it's a genuine Momo wheel, or some dodgy business pumping them out in asia? Cos I would've thought that Momo genuine stuff like this would retail for waaay more than what it is.

Hrmmmm there's some food for thought! :)

[Falchoon]

They have a genuine Holden part number so I'm guessing they are the real Mc Coy but they are mega cheap really so you would have to wonder. :(

I've bought supposedly genuine parts through Holden before that were Taiwanese copies. An eqivalent MOMO wheel for BA XR Falcon is an $830 option when you buy the car, over $1200 if you buy it over the spare parts counter :eek:

[Redfox]

Yeah exactly... seems a bit cheap.

Sure it's got a genuine holden part number because I am sure they are genuine holden steering wheels. But those genuine holden wheels were sent overseas (either italy or china) and covered with nice leather and stamped with a momo logo then sent back here. It would be interesting to call up momo and see if they really did do a batch of VT-VX Commodore steering wheels only to send them back and sell them for under retail. You couldn't make money on them at that price!

I paid quite a bit for mine because i originally thought they were genuine. Even the box and everything said made in italy. But I got a feeling something is a bit dodgy. But i'm still happy. Drove around today and it was a pleasure to handle. The only thing that I have noticed so far is that on the back of the wheel where the hub meets the actual wheel, the red perforated leather is glued and you can feel the edge of that leather sorta sticking up a bit. Give it a few months or years and it will probably come up. But I have had a look at some genuine momo wheels and they actually do glue that section of the leather instead of stitching it like I thought they did.

[VXSSV8]

Sorry to dig this old thread up but I tried fitting my $50 leather wheel I got off Ebay but ran into a problem with the centre bolt. For those that have a VY, any idea on the size of the bolt? I roughly work it out to be 1 1/8" or 29mm roughly which is bloody huge. Biggest I've got is 19mm. It would seem from what I have read they changed in size from VX to VY as everyone that quoted sizes said it was 17mm. Tried a wrench but can't make a good enough connection to undo the bolt. I know others found theirs easy but this thing feels welded in. I guess when I get the right socket it will unscrew fairly easily. Would never have taken it apart if I had known the size was not 17mm, hopefully others won't get caught either :) . Put it all back together and will go off in the morning to find my socket. Thanks to all that posted instructions as it was a piece of piss apart from the bolt :rolleyes: . Here is a piccy for those interested.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sormsby/VY Steering Wheel.JPG

:D

[Darkrayne]

Im contemplating changing the wheel over on my VY SS S1.. and have been quoted $110 by holden :|.. main thing im worried about is the air bag and air bag light staying on after the new one is on..

[macca33]

If you disconnect the battery and airbag fuse prior to fiddling, then ensure that you disconnect and reconnect the under-airbag module clips with care, you shouldn't have any trouble at all. The only time you would get a code would be if you broke or failed to properly reconnect something.


Now, where did that thread mining smiley go to? :whip:

Cheers,

Macca

[Y2kGoofball]

just gotta watch it though and whatever you do make sure the fuse is pulled and the keys stay in the back pocket. Once the ABs failed light is on it needs Tech 2 to clear which means a trip to Holden, who will then want to know whats set it off and whether they need to investigate it as its a safety issue then.

The other thing Ive seen happen, only once but it once is enough, when the keys put into the ignition the airbag deployed POOOOOF. We still dont know what caused it or why, possibly a faulty airbag or SRS sensor or module, but the bastard did go off and the mechanic copped a fair old whack back into the seat. That said Ive pulled the wheel off the Adventra at least 11 times when I swapped it over (to get it aligned) but it still needed a wheel alignment as the little tong things that go over the shaft were slightly a different offset between plain to leather wheels

[Darkrayne]

this is what im hoping to put on!.. should fit straight swap? as already have a leather wheel though with red stitching and breathing holes top n bottom..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Sir/wheelnbrake.jpg

[VXSSV8]

No worries at all. Since my post above I have pulled my wheel off multiple times and not had any dramas. Take it slow and follow instructions above.

:)

[Darkrayne]

Sweet cheers dude :)

[SSVTIIBLK]

awesome thread! just bought a red/black momo steering wheel off ebay for my VT. this thread was an great help and job done in under 30mins!