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One thing I do not like about my '96 is the steering wheel. I know their are aftermarket ones but they are without airbag.
So thoughts....
Anybody investigate replacing the steering wheel with a new corvette with airbag?
How about aftermarket with airbag?
How is the wiring accomplished?
Photos?
I searched but did not find (easily anyways)...esp about the wiring.
I like the new style flat-bottom wheels for looks and practicality
but I was wondering about air bags also.
I've never ever needed or used one in my life but I'm still a little paranoid
about replacing the wheel with a bag-less one.
I never liked the '94-'96 steering wheels. If I had a 94-96 C4, I would put the 90-93 steering wheel. Wish the momo and sparco steering wheels came with airbags.
I always liked the 94-6 steering wheels, especially compared to the 90-3's. I know Jaime at J&D Corvettes has a company manufacturing the 84-9 wheels. You might give him a call. I suspect though, that legal liability concerns preclude selling ones for airbag cars.
To each his own, I guess...................
ZR1fred, on the Momo web site there is no disclaimer hat I saw about selling wheels
to a non-airbag car. That doesn't mean they will, they just don't say.
Technology wise, it would be a simple matter to incorporate an airbag into an
aftermarket wheel. Would cost more of course but you'd still have that safety
feature along with appearance.
To each his own, I guess...................
ZR1fred, on the Momo web site there is no disclaimer hat I saw about selling wheels
to a non-airbag car. That doesn't mean they will, they just don't say.
Technology wise, it would be a simple matter to incorporate an airbag into an
aftermarket wheel. Would cost more of course but you'd still have that safety
feature along with appearance.
with all the air bags being recalled because of their distressing tendency to explode and send shrapnel into the person they're SUPPOSED to protect , I'm not so sure that an airbag delete is necessarily a bad thing.
Now that I think of it, realistically I probably don't have a functioning air bag.
My '96 is eighteen years old. Aren't bags supposed to be repacked or rebuilt
or something after a certain time period?
I wonder if it would work right if I really needed it?
Now that I think of it, realistically I probably don't have a functioning air bag.
My '96 is eighteen years old. Aren't bags supposed to be repacked or rebuilt
or something after a certain time period?
I wonder if it would work right if I really needed it?
One sure way to find out, It should be fine. I've never heard of an expiration date on airbags.
OK, Fred, stand in front of me while I test it...
What I was wondering about was the integrity of the bag after being packed away for so long.
I've seen them after being deployed and wonder if the fabric has any strength after "sitting on the shelf" for so long.
Or if there was any propellant leakage during that time.
I don't want to seem paranoid about those possibilities, just wondering if I'm putting too much emphasis on having an air bag that may or may not work when I'd like to have a nice flat-bottom Momo steering wheel!
I wouldn't worry much about the internal material or functionality of an older air bag. The thing I would be more concerned about would be the exterior vinyl it's wrapped in being old and crispy to the point of being like a piece of very thin pvc exploding in your face.
I don't know if it would be worse without one or not.
Technology wise, it would be a simple matter to incorporate an airbag into an aftermarket wheel. Would cost more of course but you'd still have that safety feature along with appearance.
Actually, appearance is the main reason aftermarket steering wheels do NOT come with airbags.
You know what factory wheels with airbags look like? Well, that's what aftermarket wheels would look like if they contained airbags.
If anyone is concerned about losing the safety of an airbag, perhaps you are not Corvette material. Fast cars have been around for five decades without airbags. How many race cars utilize airbags?
If anyone is concerned about losing the safety of an airbag, perhaps you are not Corvette material. Fast cars have been around for five decades without airbags. How many race cars utilize airbags?
Yes, and fifty years ago, we let our kids stand up in the front seat and roll around in the back window deck. Those that smoked thought nothing of lighting up in the car with your kids present. You advocating a return to this? "Corvette material" has nothing to do with it. What on earth makes a Corvette special? Statistics can't be denied. You obviously don't agree, but I would gladly take a couple of black eyes or bag burns from a deploying airbag if it in any way saved me from getting killed. Race cars definitely don't have airbags, but they do have roll cages, 5 point harnesses, HANS devices, form fitting custom seats and highly engineered helmets. Your Corvette got any of those??
You have to remember...that airbags are nothing more than an "SRS" (Supplemental Restraint System). While they certainly have their place, seat belts are what really saves lives. In fact, some would go as far to say there is still no hard evidence that they actually save lives in the event of an accident (Not me, just stating various articles). 84-89 C4's had no airbags. IMO, nothing wrong with removing the airbag in a C4, especially if you sit somewhat close to the wheel. I always use the cinch feature when I get in my 94'. All I can say is the Sparco wheel I installed in my 94' completely changed the way the car drove. If I daily drove the car everyday and used it as an office like I do my pickup, maybe I would leave the airbags in. There is anecdotal evidence that supports both sides. "An airbag went off in a small fender bender and killed my uncle." OR "My old car did not have an airbag and I had to have facial reconstruction due to my face mashing against the steering wheel."
Make your pick and live with it, just know that seat belts are the real savior.
I would certainly never remove a steering wheel from an air bag equipped car. I wish my 85 had them. The same people that believe they don't save lives are probably the same ones that don't believe cigarettes kill people.
My wife was in a fatal head on (both cars going about 40-45) last June in our 2015 Accord. She had a broken clavicle, both ankles broken as well as the heal on her right foot. After 17 days in hospital and rehab facility and 5 months of out patient rehab shes still got quite a limp and a still lot of pain. No way should would have survived that accident in a non air bag car. The other driver wasn't as lucky
Last edited by Cruisinfanatic; 01-22-2023 at 10:46 PM.
I had a wheel done by DSV 10 years ago for my C6 and Apsis did the bag cover (attached). Just got an '03 coupe and ordered the attached from Apsis, the options were endless. Hope it turns out as hoped.
12-16-2014, 06:49 PM
Newer Steering Wheel WITH airbag - any?
, I'm not so sure that an airbag delete is necessarily a bad thing.
, It should be fine. I've never heard of an expiration date on airbags.
