Change steering wheel to a smaller one (aftermarket).

[harry-potzer]

Hey,

due to the fact that I'm more than 2m high I'm feeling somehow cramped in the driver's seat. Is it possible to change the steering wheel to a smaller one and if then how?

Thanks in advance!

:confused:

[timbar]

buy a sports wheel

[Silver]

It is possible. depending on the state in which you live there are various rules to be followed to stay legal. If you aren't worried about those, then go for what ever you like I guess.

Legal means keeping cops and insurance companies happy.

The hot rodder drifter kid next door says the cops in Brisvegas are right onto aftermarket wheels that have timber rims - no padding - even though they are marked ADR compliant, the thing is that ADR compliance changes over time and from model to model.

Its been a while since I looked at this, and BigRig had a look too - from memory in Qld there was only 1 commonly available aftermarket wheel for GQs -and it was not a lot smaller in dia than the factory. Of course if you have an airbag equipped Patrol, that's a whole different issue.

What state are you from and what model do you drive are two questions that need answering if you want to stay within the letter of the law

[MudRunnerTD]

If you chase a steering wheel from a sss Pulsar it will be smaller, bolt straight up and have a nice Nissan Logo in the middle ;)

[YNOT]

If you chase a steering wheel from a sss Pulsar it will be smaller, bolt straight up and have a nice Nissan Logo in the middle ;)

N13 Pulsar, N14 Pulsar, R31 Skyline, R32 Skyline steering wheels will all bolt straight on to a GQ Patrol and have a factory look while being smaller. The downside is they will not be legal and will obscure your vision of the gauges, the indicator and wiper stalks will also be a bit awkward to use as they will stick out past the rim of the wheel.

Tony

[harry-potzer]

What state are you from and what model do you drive are two questions that need answering if you want to stay within the letter of the law

I'm in QLD right now but the car I bought has WA rego - I don't have a permanent residence cause I'll only be travelling. So the state (right now) doesn't matter - does it? It's a 1992 Nissan Patrol GQ 4.2l Petrol...I haven't found anything in the forum so I wanted to ask...I'm sure it would somehow feel more comfortable for me - does anyone have any experience with that?

And for sure I won't get the timber one ;)


...and will obscure your vision of the gauges, the indicator and wiper stalks will also be a bit awkward to use as they will stick out past the rim of the wheel.

Damn, haven't thought of that...

[YNOT]

Damn, haven't thought of that...

Been there done that (putting a smaller wheel on a GQ), was a pain in the butt not being able to see the gauges properly.

Tony

[harry-potzer]

Maybe I'll just have a look...the car has a WA rego so it shouldn't be that big of a deal concerning the licensing/legal issues..

[YNOT]

If you fit a factory Nissan wheel out of a Pulsar or Skyline most vehicle inspectors wouldn't even notice it wasn't a standard Patrol wheel.
The pic shows a N14 wheel in my Nissan Terrano, looks like it's meant to be there.

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx224/tonyh01/P1010836.jpg

Tony

[Finly Owner]

yeah but we know the truth..................



Tim

[harry-potzer]

So, at http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/20500.asp it doesn't say anything about steering wheels. But I don't think that it IS really necessary to re-license the car just because the steering wheel...

So from the mechanical side - how do I change a steering wheel? Are there videos on Youtube? Is every car the same? Are there videos on the forum?

Thanks in advance!

[Bigrig]

So, at http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/20500.asp it doesn't say anything about steering wheels. But I don't think that it IS really necessary to re-license the car just because the steering wheel...

So from the mechanical side - how do I change a steering wheel? Are there videos on Youtube? Is every car the same? Are there videos on the forum?

Thanks in advance!

Changing the wheel isn't a great hurdle depending on the wheel - if it comes with a Boss kit then the only "jigging" you may need to do is for the horn wiring - my AutoTechnica wheel came with a boss kit but nowhere to earth the horn, so I put a self tapper into the base of the kit and soldered the earth to it - works a treat. The other problem I found was the spacer in the kit was too small and I had to hunt for a larger one ... just a big washer essentially.

The factory wheel has a small screw that holds the face plate in place underneath - commonly missed and people end up trying to rip it off thinking its a plug in plate - take it out first and you should have no issues from there even if you're only half handy.

Tools needed if straight refit:

19mm (from memory, could be bigger though) socket
Breaker bar (as they are tight)
Phillips head screwdriver

[rkinsey]

A tip for us:

When removing the steering wheel for the first time, they can be quite tight and require a lot of force or a "Wheel bearing puller" If using the former (good old armstrong tools....) then undo the nut securing the Steering wheel to the steering shaft but dont take it all the way off. Leave it done up a few turns on the end of the thread.

Then get both arms behind the steering wheel and brace your feet on the floor and turn on the armstrong tool. The wheel will want to fly off but with the nut in the way it stops dead. You can now remove the nut and the wheel at your leisure.

If you dont leave the nut on, you will require 2 peices of raw steak........ to treat the two black eyes you will be sporting for the better part of a week!!!

Cheers,

Rob.

[the evil twin]

I put an N14 wheel on my Q. Bolted straight up, had to ease a small piece of the trim about 1mm to stop it scraping. It would be a very knowledgeable inspector who could spot it as they have the Nissan logo etc.

I'm 185 Cm's and it did make a difference to the legroom and I adjusted the tilt to full max up and the gauges were fine... might not be enough adjustment for someone +200 Cm's tho

As Bigrig says don't overlook the phillips head screw... it isn't straight in the hole it is actually up at an angle, undo that, pop off the Horn trim, undo the nut (mucho tight as prev said).

To get the wheel off I brace my knees at the bottom (6 O'clock) and grab the top (12 O'clock) with one hand. Put as much tension back towards you with your knees and hand as you can at 6 and 12 O'clock and belt the wheel as hard as you can alternately at 3 and 9 downwards, yes, downwards. A rubber mallet is ideal or the palm of your hand.

You are trying to break the seal between the spline of the shaft and the steering wheel boss and this technique seems to work the best for me.

[harry-potzer]

Thanks guys - I'll think this over and have a look on some wheels. Thank you very much for answering my mechanical questions.