Home Made Steering Wheels

[Mike Amen]

Hi Fellas

Does anyone know the legalities of making your own steering wheel?

I fitted a sports steering wheel to my 80 series cruiser, but it's a bit small and obscures the gauges. I'd like to make something similar to a Holden GTS wheel that will fit onto my SAAS boss.

I'm intending to make it from Stainless steel for strength.

Also, does anyone know what sort of padding is used on steering wheels? It feels quite firm, not like foam.

Thanks

Mike.

[BIGDAVET86]

somehow i dont think that telling the guys at the pits that you made your own steering wheel would go down too well.

for the price of a homemade stainless whell you could buy a bigger one and probly get a carton of piss aswell.

Cheers
Dave

[Mike Amen]

somehow i dont think that telling the guys at the pits that you made your own steering wheel would go down too well.

for the price of a homemade stainless whell you could buy a bigger one and probly get a carton of piss aswell.

Cheers
Dave

Dave

Where can I buy a 15" steering wheel. I can only find them up to 14" and that's not really 14" anyway, more like 13.5".

Mike

[Trojan]

Most of your common sports steering wheels have a molded polyurethane or rubber like substance. Either way, not something you're going to be able to do yourself easily, it needs to be bonded exceptionally well, nothing worse then a steering wheel that starts to "roll" under your hands.

15" is also 38cm, so look for wheels that size aswell, they do exist, but very limited in design (mostly wood grain) unlike the 14"/35cm wheels. You may either just have to live with a 14" wheel or a standard wheel.

What the condition of the standard wheel like? If it's not to bad, maybe look at getting it covered in leather to thicken it up a slightly and make it more comfortable, it can be done, although it's not a fun job. Any motor trimmer should be able to help you out.

I recovered a steering wheel once, and i will never be recovering one again. I just don't have the patience for such a time consuming job and the repetiveness of it all crossing the stitching back and forth by hand making sure it's all striahgt and tight as you go along.

[TOPNDR]

Would a stainless steering wheel collapse in a collision, or would the head/chest/arm colliding with it collapse (break)?

[fullmetaljacket]

any australian steering wheel needs to be ADR compliant and tested, I bought a racing steering wheel from the local Autobarn, it had the gear shift buttons on the sides (now used for horn), was not ADR compliant, value $550......got it for $100, fitted it to my Escort auto-X car (as by law it was not to be fitted to a road going vehicle).

[grimbo]

alot of the hot rod guys are using billet steering wheels that have no padding etc on them. As long as the steering column is still collapsible it may still be ok to run it as long as you aren't disconnecting an air bag or the like. Would pay to contact your local authourities to find out tho, also your insurance company

[TazMAV]

If you are wanting a GTS type wheel why not try rare spares I think I still have an original one but I haven't got the boss for it from memory, been that long since I seen the back of the shed.

[MarkT]

I don't remember the exact ADR, I think it's ADR 10A that refers to the steering wheel and colum.
All vehicles made after 1972 are subject to this rule and thus ANY steering wheel fitted to a vehicle after that date that was not an 'original equipment' item is illegal.
Autobarn have a wheel that they tell you is ADR compliant but it only meets the ADR requirements when fitted to the car that it was tested on.
To meet the ADR's, the wheel you buy must be tested on the type of vehicle you are fitting it to. A very expensive process.

Mark