Changing steering wheel?

cogie_bear

hey all,

just a question, ive been researching, or trying to research if i can get my steering wheel changed on my opel corsa, is this legal? if so what are the types of wheels i can have?

cheers

challengemaster

As far as I know, the only rules surrounding it are that if the car originally had an airbag fitted to the steering wheel, the new one must also.

djimi

Provided you can get a boss kit for the Corsa then you can get any type of wheel you like. I had a Momo wheel on my 98 Accent because I absolutely hated the factory one that was one it.

As Challengemaster said, the only sticking point would be an airbag. Im not even sure its illegal to disable the airbag; as far as I was aware you have to run it by your insurance but so long as they are happy with it (and chances are they wont be) then you can go ahead. I could be very wrong about this tho, so you would either need to wait for confirmation or do some more research into it. Disabling the airbag might cause issue with the NCT...

cogie_bear

ok thanks very much, i cant stand the steering wheel i have its waaay too bulky, just the airbag part i mean, unlike most other cars this one is really in ur face type thing,

si_guru

One day you might be happy that the airbag is in your face!

2yung2adm

Actually the NCT will not notice the airbag not being there but if the light does not extinguish it is now a failure.
Research has shown that if you are seated too close to the airbag you stand the chance of serious injury from the bag in the event of activation.
Many people with short legs have to sit close to the airbag and thus disable it
From "the policenotebook" university of Oklahoma
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]Q[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]: I’m a short person, so I sit very close to the steering wheel. What can I do to avoid serious injuries from the air bag?

A: It is important to remember that the number of drivers killed by air bags is small and that many more drivers are saved by air bags than are killed by them. A majority of the drivers killed by an air bag were not using their safety belts.

Others were positioned too close to the steering wheel at the time of the air bag deployment. All drivers need to be properly belted and sit as far away from the air bag as possible to allow the air bag to deploy.

Air bag risk is minimal if a driver can sit 10 to 12 inches or more away from the steering wheel. Short drivers should move the driver’s seat rearward to allow space between the driver’s chest and the steering wheel, and the seat back should be tilted back slightly.

To the extent possible, the driver should hold the steering wheel from the sides so that his or her arms aren’t between the driver and the air bag. This arm positioning reduces the risk of arm and hand injuries.

While NHTSA has not analyzed the ease of use or safety implications of pedal blocks or extenders, it is aware that they are available for use by short stature drivers.[/FONT][/FONT]

http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm

djimi

2yung2adm wrote: »

Actually the NCT will not notice the airbag not being there but if the light does not extinguish it is now a failure.
Research has shown that if you are seated too close to the airbag you stand the chance of serious injury from the bag in the event of activation.
Many people with short legs have to sit close to the airbag and thus disable it
From "the policenotebook" university of Oklahoma

I always saw this as being case of "damned if you do, damned if you dont". If youre sitting so close to the wheel that the airbag is a danger to you then chances are you are in much greater risk of hitting the wheel in the event of an accident if you dont have the airbag. I dont know what the answer is tbh; if it were me Id probably take my chances with the airbag over the steering wheel...

Anan1

2yung2adm wrote: »

Many people with short legs have to sit close to the airbag and thus disable it
From "the policenotebook" university of Oklahoma
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]Q[/FONT][/FONT]
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm

AFAIK US airbags are still a lot bigger than European ones.

si_guru

I had a crash recently in the UK - a fe***e driver t-boned me from a side road at only 30mph.... and the airbags saved my ugly mug for sure! My colleague and passenger now views side and curtain airbags in a new light.

Esel

You don't look at the steering wheel when you're driving the car. Suck it up!