Hi,
I have two questions I am hoping someone can help with.

First does anyone know of any online instructions for removal and installation of the steering wheel on a 1992 C4?

Second question is does anyone know of a good steering wheel restoration service? Really what I would like is someone who could could make the steering wheel slightly thicker and custom wrap and stitch. If that's not available restoring to original but I'd prefer to match it to the new seat stitching.

Thanks
Jim

It's quite easy, really.

Remove the SRS fuse (to kill the air bag).

Remove the air bag two screws, one on each side of the air bag, on the back of the wheel (T25, IIRC).

Unplug airbag.

Remove big bolt... Now, when you do, have one person holding the wheel, and another working the wrench. You don't want to risk harming the lock pawl.

You will need the spring compressor tool and wheel removal tool, both available from Pepboys or Autozone for about $30 total.

Follow their included directions for wheel removal.

What is the condition of the tilt? Overall mileage? You may want to rebuild the column, too. New switches and such, and replace the pivot pins.

As for the wheel, Ecklers is way overpriced. I got a stock, used low mileage one from www.vette2vette.com for a song.

Check your local upholstery shops for custom work, or search the web... a steering wheel is a steering wheel.

Jim -

As far as the steering wheel wrap, I have a wheelskins wheel cover from ebay. You stitch it on yourself, takes about an hour. Not hard, really, just time consuming. They have a bunch of different colors. It makes the wheel a little bit thicker, too. You might want to check them out.

Matthew

MidAmerica was doing it, looks like they might not be doing it now. I'd call them anyway.

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette- ... 1984+1993-1-167-1031.html

Corvette Central has someone doing it for them. They have an exchange program. $259 for stock restoration.

Quote:

Make sure you wait at least 30 minutes or more after you remove the air bag fuse before you attempt to work on the air bag. There may be a residual charge in the system which could trigger the air bag. Even better, disconnect the battery for 30 more minutes. You don't want to take a chance of the bag deploying. After that it's not a bad job.

Ok... before we become all paranoid... the air bag isn't a ticking time bomb.

IT won't just go off.

I have handled a number of them, and have removed mine in my 92 on several occasions, and nothing has popped. If they were as unstable as people imply, they would be popping all the time, just sitting there, and they don't.

There is no power to the airbag... period... unless it is told to go pop. And that only happens when the airbag switch is activated by a severe enough impact.

But just in case.... It is reccommended that you disconnect the battery and wait 10 minutes. Some people turn on the lights after disconnecting the battery to discharge any remaining current. I have never heard of anybody getting bopped by an airbag as Andy has mentioned. But what the heck. You can gather your tools in the 10 minute suggested time. (Don't make me go hunt down where I read that) .... Please ....

We blow a couple of airbags up every year as part of our SCCA fireschool, fun to do.

Quote:

Yea, that's in the FSM.

I find all the fear mongering around the airbag is akin to turning your cellphone off at the gas pump.

No real empirical data to go with the alert...

Yes, airbags could explode, but if they do, it's not because a circuit is charged. If that was the case, it would mean that the airbag is just as prone to random deployments in the car. If handling it is going to set it off, I am figuring that static electricity is the cause, not any latent energy in the harness.

I come back to what I said earlier:

There is no power to the airbag UNTIL it is told to discharge. Where is this latent power coming from? If it is in the circuit, then it's in front of one of the accelerometers.

The accelerometer has a wire going in and a wire coming out. The wire going in is attached to a piece of spring steel with a counterweight on one end. The wire going out is attached to a flat plate thing.

When an accident happens, the counterweight and spring steel are both designed to extend at a specific rate and g-force. Not a speed, per se, but a g-force of deacceleration. The counterweight then flies forward, unrolling the spring steel and contact the front plate. Done. Airbag goes off. One wire on the airbag is ground, the other goes back to the output wire of the accelerometers.

Neat, eh? So, explain to me how the airbag is going to pop just because you try to remove it?

I liken this to an event that happened some 30 years ago... My Mom has the history of unreasonable paranoia... and depression, but that's another clinical issue. However, we were driving home from FL at Christmas time, c1980. We stopped at a fireworks place, don't know why, cause I wasn't allowed to buy anything... you see, she had gotten a new pack of fireplace matches for Christmas and was concerned they would set off the fireworks. Even then, at 15, realized she was taking LSD on the side (no crack jokes yet, such a shame). I reminded her that she was driving a car with 15 gallons of explosive fuel... and she was worried about a pack of matches going rogue? WTF?

I still didn't get any fireworks, but the logic was so damned flawed as to be comical.

This kinda stuff is urban legend... someone somewhere blew and airbag and, oh, yea, it was someones cousins friend (adding the cousin part always makes it more real sounding). Airbags are to be respected, but this level of fear is just insane.

Trust me, if they were this unstable, the damned things would be popping at the first hint of a pot hole.

In the early days of airbags, they did have some issues... location of the accelerometers was a big one... VW put theirs right behind the headlight, so if you whack the headlight hard enough, at like 5~8 MPH, they bags would go... and that killed at least one child that I am aware of. As for airbags just popping? It would have to be caused by a wiring fault or someone monkeyed with it.

I am discussing this same mod with Jack at Redline Goods.
http://www.redlinegoods.com/
Their website does not show this as part of their service but they stated on a different forum that they have started doing custom steering wheel covers.
I just got an e-mail from him this morning asking if I wanted them to recover the wheel from my 91 or if I only want it set up to be recovered.
Either way it appears like I would have to ship the wheel off and since they are somewhere in Europe (Germany?)shipping cost might be a problem.
If I do end up sending it somewhere I will probably get a used one from Jason at Vette2Vette and send them that one instead.
Here is the phone number for Chuck Pelton. He does very nice work. I saw his display at Carlisle and his restoration work is beautiful. 248-681-4336

OK, updated info: I am ordering a leather steering wheel cover, shift boot, console cover and e-brake cover from Red Line. Their website is wwwlredlinegoods.com
I have been sending e-mails back and forth with Jack there. He stated that they are an American company but the work is performed in Europe so it can take a month to 6 weeks to have it done. I am using their stock medium blue and black colors since my interior is blue. I was assuming that I had to remove my steering wheel and send it to them but that was not the case.
I will post pics when done. Jack stated they can do custom colors and custom applications. The steering wheel cover is not listed on their web site but it costs $50. The owner stitches it on themselves using the supplied kit.

Are they still offering the CF discount?

I've been wanting their console cover & shift boot but just haven't got around to it.

I've heard a boatload of good comments on their boots.

Hey corvetteronw
Did you get your steering wheel back yet? How did it come out?

Hey Bogus..
Is this the rebuild kit you were referring to?

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvet ... ?crosssell=Product_Viewed