blanz
03-31-06, 10:54 PM
Tried of your old, rubber steering wheel in you S-10 Truck, envious of your friends with Leather wrapped factory steering wheels. Fret no more friends, a replacement factory leather wrapped steering wheel is only $47 bucks and an hours worth of work away.
I purchased a used factory wheel on ebay from seller s10warehouse. Wheel arrived real fast (2 days) and was in perfect condition for a used wheel.
Below is a semi-comprehensive guide to removing your old wheel and replacing it with a factory leather unit. My S-10 is a 2000, but I would assume this would be similar to any '98 and up. As usual, don't blame me if you F#@k up and blow a bag into the side of your face. You should have no problems with this mod. if you take your time.
First, the airbag system in the steering wheel must be disabled. Start out by removing fuse #16 from the side of the dash labled SIR.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20one.jpg
Second, the lower drivers side sound insulator panel (black cover) must be removed and the knee bolster panel (face panel below the wheel) must be removed. You must unhook the parking brake cable from the mechanism to allow this short cable to be free when you drop the knee panel away.
Look in and trace the yellow airbag cable coming down from the steering columm to the connector under the dash.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20two.jpg
Remove the orange connector lock from the yellow connector, then separate the connector. This breaks any electrical connection to the airbag module.
Third, unlock the steering wheel and rotate it so that you can get a small screwdriver into the access slots on the backside of the wheel. You need to twist the screwdriver a bit to push the spring out of the slot that retains the horn/airbag module. Pull up a little on the airbag module at that corner while trying to push the spring leg out of the way. This can be a bit tricky the first time you do it so don't give up. Once you get the first side to pop loose, you'll get the other side a little quicker.
Here's what you'll see once the module is free.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20three.jpg
Pull up on the connection lock clip on top of the airbag module connector and pull straight up to remove the connector from module as shown
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20four.jpg
Module is now free from steering wheel. GENTLY place out of the way.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20five.jpg
Remove the horn contact twist connector from the wheel by pushing in and turning. This is the white plastic piece with the two red wires attached.
Fourth, use a wheel puller to pull the old wheel from the steering column shaft. The two threaded holes on each side of the center nut are 5/16-18 threads used to grip the wheel hub. No metric **** here!
I fabricated a quick and dirty wheel puller that used a jacking screw in the center to push the wheel upward.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20six.jpg
Closeup of the make shift wheel puller with the horn contact pushed to the side.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20seven.jpg
Fifth, with your old wheel positioned horizontally as shown, take your old wheel off and wing it as far as you can throw it. It is a sure fire method for burning off some built-up frustrations. Mine went 40 feet.
Sixth, align your new wheel up (there is actually a small arrow on the wheel hub and a very small stamped line on the shaft end to help with alignment) and push down over the splines. Install the wheel nut and torque to 30 lb/ft. Re-install the horn contact, re-attach the airbag electrical connector and push the module back into the wheel (two sockets in the wheel accept the two bullet nose studs on the module).
Give a good push in and the two spring legs will re-engage the module studs.
Finally, re-connect the airbag connector under the dash, put the knee bolster panel and parking brake cable back in and closeout the lower sound panel under the dash.
Place the SIR fuse back in to the fuse panel and check all systems for proper operation with engine running (i.e. no airbag light on or flashing).
Best to do this from the passenger side just to play it safe.
Final shot of the complete install
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20eight.jpg
It sounds like a lot of work for just a leather wheel, but it really wasn't that much fuss. Total time was under an hour.
The leather wheel feels so much better that that old ratty rubber one.
The guys at S10warehouse have a really big selection of used late model S-10 parts for pretty decent prices. Check 'm out for other mods.
Drop me a line if you have any questions.
Bill
I purchased a used factory wheel on ebay from seller s10warehouse. Wheel arrived real fast (2 days) and was in perfect condition for a used wheel.
Below is a semi-comprehensive guide to removing your old wheel and replacing it with a factory leather unit. My S-10 is a 2000, but I would assume this would be similar to any '98 and up. As usual, don't blame me if you F#@k up and blow a bag into the side of your face. You should have no problems with this mod. if you take your time.
First, the airbag system in the steering wheel must be disabled. Start out by removing fuse #16 from the side of the dash labled SIR.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20one.jpg
Second, the lower drivers side sound insulator panel (black cover) must be removed and the knee bolster panel (face panel below the wheel) must be removed. You must unhook the parking brake cable from the mechanism to allow this short cable to be free when you drop the knee panel away.
Look in and trace the yellow airbag cable coming down from the steering columm to the connector under the dash.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20two.jpg
Remove the orange connector lock from the yellow connector, then separate the connector. This breaks any electrical connection to the airbag module.
Third, unlock the steering wheel and rotate it so that you can get a small screwdriver into the access slots on the backside of the wheel. You need to twist the screwdriver a bit to push the spring out of the slot that retains the horn/airbag module. Pull up a little on the airbag module at that corner while trying to push the spring leg out of the way. This can be a bit tricky the first time you do it so don't give up. Once you get the first side to pop loose, you'll get the other side a little quicker.
Here's what you'll see once the module is free.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20three.jpg
Pull up on the connection lock clip on top of the airbag module connector and pull straight up to remove the connector from module as shown
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20four.jpg
Module is now free from steering wheel. GENTLY place out of the way.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20five.jpg
Remove the horn contact twist connector from the wheel by pushing in and turning. This is the white plastic piece with the two red wires attached.
Fourth, use a wheel puller to pull the old wheel from the steering column shaft. The two threaded holes on each side of the center nut are 5/16-18 threads used to grip the wheel hub. No metric **** here!
I fabricated a quick and dirty wheel puller that used a jacking screw in the center to push the wheel upward.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20six.jpg
Closeup of the make shift wheel puller with the horn contact pushed to the side.
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20seven.jpg
Fifth, with your old wheel positioned horizontally as shown, take your old wheel off and wing it as far as you can throw it. It is a sure fire method for burning off some built-up frustrations. Mine went 40 feet.
Sixth, align your new wheel up (there is actually a small arrow on the wheel hub and a very small stamped line on the shaft end to help with alignment) and push down over the splines. Install the wheel nut and torque to 30 lb/ft. Re-install the horn contact, re-attach the airbag electrical connector and push the module back into the wheel (two sockets in the wheel accept the two bullet nose studs on the module).
Give a good push in and the two spring legs will re-engage the module studs.
Finally, re-connect the airbag connector under the dash, put the knee bolster panel and parking brake cable back in and closeout the lower sound panel under the dash.
Place the SIR fuse back in to the fuse panel and check all systems for proper operation with engine running (i.e. no airbag light on or flashing).
Best to do this from the passenger side just to play it safe.
Final shot of the complete install
http://webpages.charter.net/blanz/S-10%20Steering%20Wheel/S-10%20Leather%20Steering%20Wheel%20eight.jpg
It sounds like a lot of work for just a leather wheel, but it really wasn't that much fuss. Total time was under an hour.
The leather wheel feels so much better that that old ratty rubber one.
The guys at S10warehouse have a really big selection of used late model S-10 parts for pretty decent prices. Check 'm out for other mods.
Drop me a line if you have any questions.
Bill