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Steering Wheel - What to do?
bilbo - 17/5/10 at 08:04 AM

I'm in a bit of a quandary over steering wheels. As with much of my build, a lot of it was planned, built and stuff bought prior to the switch from SVA to IVA. This includes my steering wheel. I bought an after market one with a nice central pad and collapsible boss – perfect for SVA, but now for IVA, I understand this wont do (don't really understand the reasons why?)
I know most people just use the donor wheel, but my problem here is that I'm not using a sierra column, but rather a Rover one from my other donor. I have the Rover steering wheel, but it originally had an airbag in it, but now has a rather large void in the middle of it.
So what should I do – use the aftermarket one and hope for the best, or make some sort of replacement pad to fit in the middle of the original?

Cheers,
Bill


mangogrooveworkshop - 17/5/10 at 08:43 AM

get a pad made and get a upholestry place to make it so it looks pro than you are unlikely to have an issue with it.
When we did an mk in glasgow it had a removable steering wheel!!!!!
It was going to fail so we had a desperate search of the weegie scrappers for a wheel. Sorted it and we got it past. After markets are a no no .....not worth the hassel


bilbo - 17/5/10 at 08:56 AM

Thanks. I think it's going to be a PITA to get a pad made that will look half decent, but if that's the only way

Also, it's a bit of a bus wheel. I'll probaby have to cut my legs off for the drive to IVA.

[Edited on 17/5/10 by bilbo]


contaminated - 17/5/10 at 09:17 AM

quote:


I'll probaby have to cut my legs off for the drive to IVA.



Make sure you radius the edges!


bilbo - 17/5/10 at 09:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by contaminated
quote:


I'll probaby have to cut my legs off for the drive to IVA.



Make sure you radius the edges!



40inches - 17/5/10 at 10:57 AM

I'm using a MGF column, the wheel still has the airbag on, so I am leaving it as it is, must admit I was a bit nervous about driving around with the (disabled) airbag in front of my face, until it dawned on me that I do that everyday, in the tintop


bilbo - 17/5/10 at 12:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
I'm using a MGF column, the wheel still has the airbag on, so I am leaving it as it is, must admit I was a bit nervous about driving around with the (disabled) airbag in front of my face, until it dawned on me that I do that everyday, in the tintop


Would that be acceptable for IVA


40inches - 17/5/10 at 12:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by bilbo
quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
I'm using a MGF column, the wheel still has the airbag on, so I am leaving it as it is, must admit I was a bit nervous about driving around with the (disabled) airbag in front of my face, until it dawned on me that I do that everyday, in the tintop


Would that be acceptable for IVA


Section 14, paragraph 5 of the IVA manual states that airbags are not allowed on non mass produced vehicles. I am hoping that a disabled airbag will be OK, otherwise I will have the same problem as you


britishtrident - 17/5/10 at 12:32 PM

Early 90s Rover 214 wheel (might need the column as well) no air bag


britishtrident - 17/5/10 at 12:37 PM

Like this one ebay item 300428085673


David Jenkins - 17/5/10 at 12:56 PM

I wonder if an airbag would come under the "if it's fitted, it must work" rule, whether it's disabled or not. If they decide that it's a fitted airbag, then you'll be stuffed under the "no airbags for non-mass-produced vehicles" rule, as stated earlier.

I'm not sure how you'd disable it anyway - just disconnecting the wires wouldn't do it, as the explosive charge will still be active.


iank - 17/5/10 at 01:04 PM

I'd expect (hope to be honest) that they'd fail any airbag wheel where the charge was still in place. No idea how you'd remove it safely though.


bilbo - 17/5/10 at 01:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Early 90s Rover 214 wheel (might need the column as well) no air bag


Thanks for that. Would this fit a 600 column do you think? If not, I guess it's back to plan A and making a pad to fit the space - don't really fancy having a de-activated airbag in there, or changing the column at this late stage of my build.


40inches - 17/5/10 at 01:38 PM

David and Ian, I think you are right I am toying with the idea of making a mould from the airbag and casting a rubber replacement. At the moment it is in a corner of the workshop with the pad pointing up, I break out in a cold sweat everytime I handle it


stuleah - 19/5/10 at 08:17 PM

Taken form the IVA bible
"1.
Any part of the steering control directed towards the driver which is contactable with a sphere of 165mm diameter must have a radius of curvature of at least 2.5mm. This does not apply if the vehicle is a mass-produced vehicle and has an airbag fitted to the steering control which was fitted at the time of manufacture. However in this case all parts of the steering control must be blunted."

looks to me that you could mould it in fibreglass and paint it as long as its radiused it doesnt look like it needs to be padded to me.
"5.
Airbags are not permitted on vehicles which are not mass-produced."
that'll be no airbags allowed then


40inches - 19/5/10 at 09:17 PM

Well, today I have been mainly disarming an airbag, no underpants were harmed in this endevour

From this



To this



Everthing that went on in between is in my archive.
bilbo, sorry if your thread has been hijacked, I thought this may be of interest to you