can i change my steering wheel?

[scott b]

the stock steering wheel on my BA is wearing out and falling apart n needs to be replaced. can i put a non airbagged aftermarket wheel on it???

[Cosmo Dude]

Not legally.

[scott b]

has anyone done it and had any troubles as far as cops or regestering ur car??

[Rupewrecht]

There's nothing stopping you from doing it, but it makes the car illegal, the airbag light will be permanently lit in your dash...and technically and it's making the car unsafer.

Other Mazda airbag wheels from the same era will fit and work, or just get the same one from a wrecker. If you get the same wheel, then all you need is the wheel rim - not the airbag centre.

[scott b]

hey dan, do the mazdaspeed ones hav airbags?? or can u get any aftermarket ones wit airbags?

[Rupewrecht]

nah, none of the Mazdaspeed ones are airbag ones. But anything from an NA/NB MX5, FD RX7 or 626 will fit.

There's leather MOMO ones, as well as the regular Mazda airbag wheels (some leather, some not)

Have a look in here as there's a couple of suitable ones - like the MOMO one and the FD Efini one. The auctions may have expired, but come up fairly regularly. I can have a search if the MOMO or FD ones pique your interest
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9760

[scott b]

nah think i like the stock on but dw ill just try find one of them but i can wait a lil bit for one. thanks anyway

[RedLineResident]

i know its illegal, ive been looking at getting an aftermarket one for a while too.

im really taken back by this; makes the car unsafe? as opposed to not having an air bag at all... i don't really see an issue?

another thing is, whats the smallest diameter steering wheel you could get? - legally (if we were to ignore the legal implications of a non airbag wheel)

[Rupewrecht]

Unsafer. Well, wouldn't you generally be better off having an airbag in a crash than not having one?

[RedLineResident]

thats infact true, im not dusputing that for a second. its the illegal part i don't agree with.

there are more cars without airbags than there our those with, especially of that age.

its definatelly more unsafe, but the airbag was an option when new, so there is plenty of identical cars out there with no airbag.

i hope you see where im coming from, i know its less safe, but it can still do without - as hundreds of other astina's have surelly demostrated.

[Rupewrecht]

I get what you're saying. But it's still illegal.

Interestingly though from another forum i'm on:

Originally Posted by 2GU UP

we have had written confirmation in the past from engineers and the RTA
stating that if a vehicle was delivered with and without SRS
it is LEGAL to remove the SRS system and replace it all with NON-SRS parts.

we have had to convert cars to NON-SRS in the past at the request of the customer
because parts were no longer available to repair the SRS system after water damage

So, you'd have to get it engineered, and it's a big if in my opinion

[DavoAust]

dan a mate tried to do that with a ford recently. the clause is that parts have to be unavailable for the foreseeable future AND it must not interfer with any other safety devices.

For v6 owners with the passenger airbag this is out as removing the drivers airbag deactivates the passenger one from memory. its been pissing me off as i want a nice ricey wheel

[Squirt758]

I found this, but its for QLD Transport so the NSW rules might be different... Page 9 talks about replacement steering wheels and stuff...

Might be unrelated but i thought i might help, i found it whilst looking for MOMO steering wheels, good ol' Google...

[70NYD]

wow, thx squirt , that was a really interesting read. now i know that it is LEGAL to put undebody neons on your car as long as they are not flashing and are not white yellow red or blue XD and that it is legal to have blue tinged headlights as long as they appear generally white when viewed from frond

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by scott b

nah think i like the stock on but dw ill just try find one of them but i can wait a lil bit for one. thanks anyway

Mazda 626 of the same era has the same Airbag wheel, as do the later KJ Lasers/Lynx.

I've got a black "DW" wheel with 'bag sitting in the garage that could be a possible as it's a very stock looking wheel - just black.

A.

[Cincinnatus]

well... if u want one.... i picked one up from dan, about 8 months ago, it arrived a week ago, by which time it was no longer needed.
It's a mazda 3 spoke steering wheel, with an airbag, leather, off an rx-7 i think, fit's our BA's.
I think i payed dan $175. Am in Sydney, if u can match that you can have it. Call or PM me.
PS, contact dan if u don't believe me that its the right steering wheel.
I thkn he's got pics of it too.

[Rupewrecht]

Originally Posted by Cincinnatus

well... if u want one.... i picked one up from dan, about 8 months ago, it arrived a week ago, by which time it was no longer needed.
It's a mazda 3 spoke steering wheel, with an airbag, leather, off an rx-7 i think, fit's our BA's.
I think i payed dan $175. Am in Sydney, if u can match that you can have it. Call or PM me.
PS, contact dan if u don't believe me that its the right steering wheel.
I thkn he's got pics of it too.

One of these from memory - the FD RX7 Efini one

[RedLineResident]

what diameter is that?

i would ideally want something with a smaller diameter than what i currently have coz ive never ever been able to heel toe due to my knees catching the wheel. now there is no need for me to heel toe, but it would be cool.

[Rupewrecht]

I'd think 350 or 360mm.

[Putonyourshoes]

how come you cant heel toe?:S how do you manage to hit the wheel? haha thats a pretty cool wheel