worn steering wheel
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
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worn steering wheel
My 01 f250 lariat's leather steering wheel has a large hole worn thru it at the twelve oclock position. The dealer wants $175.00 for a new one. The problem is because of the air bag, they don't recomend I replace it myself. Any solutions out there. I don't want to put some cheesy cover on it, I like the look of a clean factory wheel.
Thanks,
fnx4wheeler
Thanks,
fnx4wheeler
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: El Dorado Co., CA.
Originally Posted by fnx4wheeler
My 01 f250 lariat's leather steering wheel has a large hole worn thru it at the twelve oclock position. The dealer wants $175.00 for a new one. The problem is because of the air bag, they don't recomend I replace it myself. Any solutions out there. I don't want to put some cheesy cover on it, I like the look of a clean factory wheel.
Thanks,
fnx4wheeler
Thanks,
fnx4wheeler
i went the cheap route and bought a cover from walmart.
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Senior User
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it's not so simple, those airbags are basically a small explosive device. Small as it can ruin your face-send u to the hospital small. Some stay "charged" for a certain amount of time even after u disconnect the battery. Thanks for the reply though.
fnx4wheeler
fnx4wheeler
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: El Dorado Co., CA.
YIKES! i did not know that about the air bags retaining a charge. Well, at least you might find one on ebay for cheap and have someone install it for you. i would check with an upolstry (sp) shop, they might do wheels.
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From: Chesapeake, VA
Removing the airbag is not difficult and not AS dangerous as dealers/mechanics advertise. I've had the airbag in and out of my Mustang 4 times and it never went off. True, you need to be careful with it, but its not going to go off unless you do something stupid, like smack it against the dash, or throw it into the driveway. Just be smart about it, and make sure you disconnect the battery. If you're worried about a residual charge, wait a while after disconnecting the battery.
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Air bag deployment
Smacking an airbag against something won't set it off. Impact sensors at the front & sometimes along the side of the vehicle send an electrical impulse to a canister of sodium azide located behind the wheel. Burning sodium azide produces nitrogen gas. Lots of it quickly. It inflates the airbag in a fraction of a second. The gas then quickly escapes through vents in the bag.
It is true that a bag can go off after the battery is disconnected. This is due to a capacitor that is wired inline incase the electrical system is isolated due to impact. Drain time varies by each manufacturer. Some are 10 seconds, some are several minutes. Consult your dealer.
Airbags are not something to be taken lightly. The sodium azide in an airbag has roughly the explosive power of a cup of gasoline.
Joe
It is true that a bag can go off after the battery is disconnected. This is due to a capacitor that is wired inline incase the electrical system is isolated due to impact. Drain time varies by each manufacturer. Some are 10 seconds, some are several minutes. Consult your dealer.
Airbags are not something to be taken lightly. The sodium azide in an airbag has roughly the explosive power of a cup of gasoline.
Joe
