DIY: Steering Wheel Removal

vidwiz · 09-20-2017, 06:10 PM

I bought a salvage Z. Airbag was blown, seller had stripped the bolts. I tried all the suggestions in this thread to no avail. A few things I also tried unsuccessfully but not, I think, in this thread:

1. Use next size up torx, t35 security and pound in with hammer.
2. Increase friction with any of the following; valve grinding compound, rubber band, duct tape, green scrubber material from back of sponge, steel wool.

So I was at the point of drilling them out but decided to see what my local shop said. Their mechanic with 25 yrs experience got them out. He did a lot of picking at them from what I could see and got the intended bit to finally grab. Well worth the 50 bucks to keep me from screwing it up further. I was having nightmares about how to hold the drill steady and how it would interact with the small security pin in the middle of the bolt. To the guy who got it out with needlenose visegrips, you dah man, I tried several and no way could I get them in there...

StormWhite · 01-27-2018, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by future370zzz

If anyone is looking for an orange airbag clock spring connector PM me.

Here are a few tips and cautionary advice on top of what has already been mentioned for those attempting this mod.

1. An hour or two before starting, hit the two airbag T30 bolts with WD40 or liquid wrench to loosen them up. You can clean up the mess inside afterwards.

2. Use a socket ratchet to remove the airbag T30 bolts. You will likely need this for additional leverage. These bolts are tight.

3. Remove the gray clip first to give you more room to remove the orange and yellow airbag clock spring connectors (don't ask me why I know what they are called, ugh).

4. Have a small needle nose plier ready to remove the orange and yellow airbag clips.

5. There is a small hook that keeps the orange/yellow wires away from the center of the wheel. Make sure you unhook the wires to give yourself more room to unclip the orange/yellow wires.

6. Remove the orange connector and then the yellow. Furthest to the closest.

7. Be CAREFUL with the orange/yellow connectors. I broke the black clip on the yellow connector and had to open up the connector and pull the two wires out. Felt like doing surgery. If you need to do this be careful, these the ends are fragile. Had to remove and reinstall these little wires 3 to 4 times to align the wheel correctly and broke them. Had to purchase a set of the orange and yellow plugs on ebay. I have an orange one for sale.

8. After removing the steering wheel center nut, before pulling out the wheel, mark the steering wheel bolt to provide a reference for installing the new steering wheel. My OEM steering wheel center nub didn't match up to the steering wheel bolt notch on the car. Also take a photo so you can reference when re-installing. If it's not aligned properly, you need to redo the entire DIY again because you won't notice until you actually drive the car if it's just off by one small spline.

9. Remember to tuck back the orange/yellow wire harness away from the center of the wheel.

10. Lightly tug and push on the connectors to make sure they are seated properly. Don't what that airbag light to come up. you should hear a click, if not they should not be able to pull out.

11. A trick to keep the bolts on your screwdriver and out of the steering wheel. Is to insert the T30 screwdriver to your bolt and tape it so it doesn't fall back behind your steering wheel. Tape should stick to the bolt, just remove it after nut is tightened with needle nose pliers.

I hope the tips above makes your experience smoother than mine. This is a simple DIY but you can't just blow thru it because you're dealing with tight bolts that can strip, special connectors, reference points for proper alignment.

Speaking of special connectors, PM me if you need an orange airbag clock spring connector.

I shall be attempting this job soon and after perusing the thread and consulting the manual I have a couple of questions:

No 4:

Manual says to just lift up the locking tabs on the tops of the clockspring connectors of the airbag rather than remove them. It says once the tabs are lifted each clock spring connector can be removed.

No 5 & 9

Is the small hook removeable or do you have to bend it to release the airbag harnesses?

future370zzz · 01-29-2018, 12:23 PM

No. 4 - use your own judgement on how to remove it. If you have a manual, use those instructions as they are straight from the maker. Be careful with those connectors as they are special and can be hard and expensive to source. They can be hard to pull up if the right spots are not pinched. Probably meant to be like that so they don't jiggle loose.

No. 9 - loop is open at the bottom cables can just be move out of loop.

Do what makes practical sense. If it's not going smoothly, don't force it but progressive force may need to be used in some situations like any DIY install.

StormWhite · 01-29-2018, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by future370zzz

No. 4 - use your own judgement on how to remove it. If you have a manual, use those instructions as they are straight from the maker. Be careful with those connectors as they are special and can be hard and expensive to source. They can be hard to pull up if the right spots are not pinched. Probably meant to be like that so they don't jiggle loose.

No. 9 - loop is open at the bottom cables can just be move out of loop.

Do what makes practical sense. If it's not going smoothly, don't force it but progressive force may need to be used in some situations like any DIY install.

Thank you for the clarification.

The information for No. 4 comes from the Nissan service manual but I am not looking forward to tackling those connectors.

StormWhite · 02-15-2018, 01:17 PM

As an update I fitted my new steering wheel today and I was surprised to find that a 2017 base model only has one airbag connector that was indeed removable by raising the black portion of the clockspring connector with a small screwdriver.

Biggest problem was my factory wheel had a counterweight/anti vibration plate? fitted at 12 oclock on the centre hub. My replacement remodelled OEM Juke /370Z steering wheel had partial holes that were not threaded. I had to drill the holes and tap the threads.

Despite trying two different spline positions I think I will have to get the tracking done as the mark on the steering wheel is off.

tims370z · 01-21-2019, 01:14 AM

Is there a need for a steering wheel puller? It's being called for in the OEM repair manual.

StormWhite · 01-21-2019, 05:19 AM

No puller was required when I changed my steering wheel. I just unscrewed the retaining nut a fair way then pulled on the steering wheel which released very easily.

My biggest problem was unscrewing the two airbag retaining bolts as its easy to round off the Torx heads due to excess Loctite . I obtained replacements in advance from the Nissan Dealership.

God-Speed · 01-21-2019, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormWhite

No puller was required when I changed my steering wheel. I just unscrewed the retaining nut a fair way then pulled on the steering wheel which released very easily.

My biggest problem was unscrewing the two airbag retaining bolts as its easy to round off the Torx heads due to excess Loctite . I obtained replacements in advance from the Nissan Dealership.

This is easy, just take your time with the torx heads and you will be fine. Don't forget to discount your battery first.

Horizon · 01-14-2021, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmk988

I replaced my steering wheel and all went seamlessly thanks to this thread. However, I have two issues:
1) The horn is not working. Does anyone know which wire I must have not connected correctly that controls the horn?
2) The wheel is crooked. When I put it back on, I aligned the engraved lines, but as I tightened the center lock nut, the wheel starts to drift. Is there a trick to keep this from happening other than just holding the wheel very tight?

I had both of these issues. The issue of the wheel not lining up was fixed when I got an alignment, but 9 months later I still don’t have a horn.

Inflaymes · 01-16-2021, 07:29 AM

New wheel probably didn't come with the little, round, copper horn contact points. (2) Mine didn't and I had to complain and get some sent to me, which took another 2 months.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horizon

I had both of these issues. The issue of the wheel not lining up was fixed when I got an alignment, but 9 months later I still don’t have a horn.

Horizon · 02-01-2021, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inflaymes

New wheel probably didn't come with the little, round, copper horn contact points. (2) Mine didn't and I had to complain and get some sent to me, which took another 2 months.

While you might be correct, I am learning towards this being an issue with the connection of the grey plug that sits to the left of the airbag. My reasoning behind this is due to my pick up/end call button no longer working after this install, in addition to the horn. Do you have any pictures of the copper pieces? I purchased my wheel from @Jaliscos_carbonfiber on Instagram, and he didn't mention anything like that. If I remember correctly, when I first installed the wheel, the red racing line was like 5-10 degrees off center. This led to me removing the wheel two or three times in total in an attempt to get it center (this was fixed when I got my alignment). I also had an EXTREMELY hard time (every time I removed the wheel) disconnecting the grey plug due to my fingers being too large to reach the release for the grey harness. As a result, I had to use numerous random objects such as skewers, and long screwdrivers in order to push the clip down.

NorthStyle · 02-01-2021, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horizon

While you might be correct, I am learning towards this being an issue with the connection of the grey plug that sits to the left of the airbag. My reasoning behind this is due to my pick up/end call button no longer working after this install, in addition to the horn. Do you have any pictures of the copper pieces? I purchased my wheel from @Jaliscos_carbonfiber on Instagram, and he didn't mention anything like that. If I remember correctly, when I first installed the wheel, the red racing line was like 5-10 degrees off center. This led to me removing the wheel two or three times in total in an attempt to get it center (this was fixed when I got my alignment). I also had an EXTREMELY hard time (every time I removed the wheel) disconnecting the grey plug due to my fingers being too large to reach the release for the grey harness. This led to me using numerous random objects such as skewers, and long screwdrivers in order to push the clip down.

Sounds like you may have damaged the clock spring connector. Do you have any lights on in the dash and/or are your stereo buttons working?

Horizon · 02-03-2021, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthStyle

Sounds like you may have damaged the clock spring connector. Do you have any lights on in the dash and/or are your stereo buttons working?

No, there aren’t any lights on the dash indicating any issues. Everything on the wheel works fine except for the pickup/end call button, and the horn.

Side note: I don’t really know how to use this site well, is there a way to get a notification that you responded to my comment? I don’t really like having to come back to this page and check for updates every few days.

Horizon · 02-03-2021, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthStyle

Sounds like you may have damaged the clock spring connector. Do you have any lights on in the dash and/or are your stereo buttons working?

After doing some more research today about how a clock spring works, I think you might be right. While I don't exactly remember purposely spinning the spring, I do recall it moving, and I can totally see myself getting bored and just spinning it for fun.

1/4atatime · 06-19-2021, 10:52 AM

Thanks for the guide easiest install ever once I found a wrench big enough to give me some leverage with security bolts gosh Nissan why so much loctite!

01-29-2018, 12:23 PM	#93 (permalink)
future370zzz Track Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bay Area Posts: 555 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Rep Power: 14	No. 4 - use your own judgement on how to remove it. If you have a manual, use those instructions as they are straight from the maker. Be careful with those connectors as they are special and can be hard and expensive to source. They can be hard to pull up if the right spots are not pinched. Probably meant to be like that so they don't jiggle loose. No. 9 - loop is open at the bottom cables can just be move out of loop. Do what makes practical sense. If it's not going smoothly, don't force it but progressive force may need to be used in some situations like any DIY install. StormWhite likes this. __________________

06-19-2021, 10:52 AM	#105 (permalink)
1/4atatime Base Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: VA Posts: 179 Drives: Silver 2018 370z Rep Power: 6716	Thanks for the guide easiest install ever once I found a wrench big enough to give me some leverage with security bolts gosh Nissan why so much loctite! redondoaveb likes this. __________________ Did any of my post help you or just feeling nice?Give Rep\|Add me to your friends list\|View My Build "The real you is who you are when ain't nobody watchin" - NF

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Non oem steering wheel	zzdudaka	Exterior & Interior	11	05-16-2015 12:23 AM
Steering wheel	jmmy	DIY Section (Do-It-Yourself)	3	09-26-2010 09:28 AM
WTB: OEM Steering wheel	JSD-ZX	Wanted	0	07-23-2010 03:21 AM
Steering wheel hub with SRS fix?	SE	Exterior & Interior	3	04-05-2010 12:06 PM
Steering Wheel?	The BlueMax	Exterior & Interior	1	02-02-2010 11:24 PM

09-20-2017, 06:10 PM	#91 (permalink)
vidwiz Base Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: AZ Posts: 9 Drives: '14 370Z Rep Power: 8	I bought a salvage Z. Airbag was blown, seller had stripped the bolts. I tried all the suggestions in this thread to no avail. A few things I also tried unsuccessfully but not, I think, in this thread: 1. Use next size up torx, t35 security and pound in with hammer. 2. Increase friction with any of the following; valve grinding compound, rubber band, duct tape, green scrubber material from back of sponge, steel wool. So I was at the point of drilling them out but decided to see what my local shop said. Their mechanic with 25 yrs experience got them out. He did a lot of picking at them from what I could see and got the intended bit to finally grab. Well worth the 50 bucks to keep me from screwing it up further. I was having nightmares about how to hold the drill steady and how it would interact with the small security pin in the middle of the bolt. To the guy who got it out with needlenose visegrips, you dah man, I tried several and no way could I get them in there...

02-15-2018, 01:17 PM	#95 (permalink)
StormWhite Base Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Hampshire UK Posts: 225 Drives: 2017 370Z Coupe Rep Power: 74894	As an update I fitted my new steering wheel today and I was surprised to find that a 2017 base model only has one airbag connector that was indeed removable by raising the black portion of the clockspring connector with a small screwdriver. Biggest problem was my factory wheel had a counterweight/anti vibration plate? fitted at 12 oclock on the centre hub. My replacement remodelled OEM Juke /370Z steering wheel had partial holes that were not threaded. I had to drill the holes and tap the threads. Despite trying two different spline positions I think I will have to get the tracking done as the mark on the steering wheel is off.

01-21-2019, 01:14 AM	#96 (permalink)
tims370z Base Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 104 Drives: 15 Nissan 370Z Sport Rep Power: 8	Is there a need for a steering wheel puller? It's being called for in the OEM repair manual.

01-21-2019, 05:19 AM	#97 (permalink)
StormWhite Base Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Hampshire UK Posts: 225 Drives: 2017 370Z Coupe Rep Power: 74894	No puller was required when I changed my steering wheel. I just unscrewed the retaining nut a fair way then pulled on the steering wheel which released very easily. My biggest problem was unscrewing the two airbag retaining bolts as its easy to round off the Torx heads due to excess Loctite . I obtained replacements in advance from the Nissan Dealership.