Has anyone swapped in a newer steering wheel?

[gadawgz71]

Say from a 2002 or newer or F150/F250. I'm thinking I want to swap in a newer steering wheel to match my interior resto-mod. I'm not looking for any major modification or fabrication. Didn't know if anyone on here has done this before.

I saw a Bronco on eBay a few years ago with a steering wheel from an F150. I asked him about it and he said he had a shop do all his work so he had no idea what all was involved.

[Steve83]

Click my tan CV in my sig & read the captions in the Steering Column album. The '92-up truck column is the same one used in most Ford/L/M products since ~1990. Only the shrouds & wheel are different for each application. You can bolt together parts from any of them to create what you want. Just don't go nuts with the steering wheel - the airbag is designed for your face to be a certain distance away during deployment, so if you get a wheel from a car with laid-back seats, and install it in a truck with upright seats, you could get smooshed. I'm looking at an Econoline wheel for my build, because it has illumination. My truck won't have SRS, so the airbag will never deploy. I might even remove the explosive. Yours has the system, and your VIN indicates it, so if you remove or disable it, you could be in violation of local or federal laws.

[gadawgz71]

Originally Posted by Steve83

Click my tan CV in my sig & read the captions in the Steering Column album. The '92-up truck column is the same one used in most Ford/L/M products since ~1990. Only the shrouds & wheel are different for each application. You can bolt together parts from any of them to create what you want. Just don't go nuts with the steering wheel - the airbag is designed for your face to be a certain distance away during deployment, so if you get a wheel from a car with laid-back seats, and install it in a truck with upright seats, you could get smooshed. I'm looking at an Econoline wheel for my build, because it has illumination. My truck won't have SRS, so the airbag will never deploy. I might even remove the explosive. Yours has the system, and your VIN indicates it, so if you remove or disable it, you could be in violation of local or federal laws.

Wow, haven't seen you on here in a while. Thanks for the response. Luckily, I do know well enough to stay with at least a truck style wheel. Going to see what I can find.

[miesk5]

yo,
Also consider a re-wrap w/material & color(s) to match your resto-mod
such as what 95F1504x4EB did; "...cut the leather off my steering wheel a couple years ago and put on a Wheelskins cover: got the euro tone because it was the closest to the original look with the seams on the top and bottom halves. I ordered the black/black color scheme. I don't remember exactly what size I got but it's easy enough to measure..."

GA_Longhorn mentioned "I used AX, and as mentioned above the seams weren't tight - suggest if you tear off current cover go with AX, otherwise if you go over it, use AXX..."

he has a 96 too.

[strange]

Ive got a 2002 Wood grain and leather navigator steering wheel in mine.

Was tan with Lincoln symbol in airbag so I swapped in a black F150 airbag for the ford emblem, and then re wrapped the steering wheel with black leather.

Has controls for the cruise control, the radio and the climate control, just need to finish installing the electric climate control in my truck

[gadawgz71]

Originally Posted by strange

Ive got a 2002 Wood grain and leather navigator steering wheel in mine.

Was tan with Lincoln symbol in airbag so I swapped in a black F150 airbag for the ford emblem, and then re wrapped the steering wheel with black leather.

Has controls for the cruise control, the radio and the climate control, just need to finish installing the electric climate control in my truck

Have any pics?

[strange]

Sorry the pic turned out so dark

[gadawgz71]

Thanks. That looks sharp.

[FRANKO289]

Originally Posted by strange

Sorry the pic turned out so dark

THAT LOOKS COOL !!!

thats with the orig. steering column ??? and the cruise control buttons work properly ??

[Steve83]

Yes, all newer columns are the same. If he installed the matching clock spring with that wheel, the cruise buttons should work (assuming his cruise works). If your clock spring connectors are different, just cut the mating connectors off the donor vehicle's dash harness and swap them onto your truck. The extra connectors or pins are for radio controls (which you probably won't need since they only work on factory radios) & button illumination.

[gadawgz71]

Originally Posted by Steve83

Yes, all newer columns are the same.

What would be considered newer columns....as in years?

[FRANKO289]

Originally Posted by Steve83

Yes, all newer columns are the same. If he installed the matching clock spring with that wheel, the cruise buttons should work (assuming his cruise works). If your clock spring connectors are different, just cut the mating connectors off the donor vehicle's dash harness and swap them onto your truck. The extra connectors or pins are for radio controls (which you probably won't need since they only work on factory radios) & button illumination.

any way to make the steering wheel button illumination work ???

[Steve83]

Originally Posted by gadawgz71

What would be considered newer columns....as in years?

You quoted the answer to that question already in this thread - why are you asking it again?

Originally Posted by FRANKO289

any way to make the steering wheel button illumination work ???

Of course; it's a 12V circuit like most of the others. Connect the button illumination wire from the new clock spring to your dash illumination wiring.

[BigBlue&Goldie]

I'm going to start looking for a steering wheel that matches my Superduty........13 years old and like new. My Bronco's wheel has a collapsed in center and the grip is loose.

[Evan_P]

What all would I need and would be involved in putting a 94+ wheel in a 92 and keep the cruise control functional? Can I put the clock spring of a 94+ in my column and be good to go? I dont need a functioning airbag, and if you know how to remove the explosive from the airbag Steve, that would be greatly appreciated as well. Tired of my worn down wheel.

[Steve83]

Originally Posted by Evan_P

What all would I need and would be involved in putting a 94+ wheel in a 92 and keep the cruise control functional? ...and if you know how to remove the explosive from the airbag Steve, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Last things first: the only "safe" way to remove the explosive is to detonate it. That can be done safely without ruining the cover, but it's a long process to explain, even longer to actually DO, and I'm not sure you're gonna wanna do it anyway.

But it doesn't NEED to be removed. It's perfectly safe to abandon in-place. As long as the original connector is intact and nothing is plugged into it, the bomb can't go off. And that's also the easiest way to keep the center of the rubber cover (the surface you normally see) from collapsing in.

As to what all is needed & involved... That depends on what all you want. You can certainly put a clock spring on your column & connect it to the new buttons. You MIGHT have to swap the dash connectors so it plugs in - I can't remember. Another option (if your new wheel doesn't have cruise buttons) is to simply wire some (ANY) Ford cruise buttons directly to your dash harness & mount them where you like on the dash, the center console, the driver's armrest, the overhead console...

[Evan_P]

I will be going to the local yard tomorrow so I will go ahead and see what they have. I will try and grab a wheel, clock spring and the connectors if they are still there. I want to keep the cruise control on the wheel if I can.

[NightMares]

Oh wow, I did not know all this. Thanks for this thread, the bearings in my column are loose so when I turn the wheel, it sounds like grinding metal. I've thought about finding a newer column from the 94-96 but didn't know if it could be done because of the air bag and cruise control. I was surprised to find my cruise works, so I just planned on tearing my console apart and fixing what was wrong. Now I'm happy to know I can just grab a whole column from the yard and call it a day.

Thank you.

[Big C 96]

I was thinking about putting a mustag wheel on mine

[MattHoover]

Hi all,

Did I read properly then that all of Ford's steering columns are essentially the same since 1990? Could I then install a very recent steering wheel into a '96 Bronco?