steering wheel

[2.8 30v]

I want to change my steering wheel as its getting tatty.It's a three spoke sports one I would like the same style will any three spoke sports one fit,as I've found a few with out the air bag at a good price so was hoping I could use my old air bag

 

[foursprungdugtechnique]

As far as I know, PFL and FL steering wheels are different splines, that is the only difference to my knowledge

 

[2.8 30v]

Cheers for that mines a PFL 1997 so what year range would I be looking at? I've seen a few 1998 and 1999 ones would they fit ok

 

[aragorn]

The change happened before facelift.

Early wheels have big spaced out dots on the ring around the airbag.

later wheels (after mid/late 97) have lots of tiny dots in the ring instead.

Theres a slight difference in the shape of the wheels if you look closely, most noticeable around the bottom edge of the airbag:

http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr33/98mercedes/for sale/DSCN1375.jpg

http://newbeetle.org/forums/attachm...4-steering-wheel-question-a4sportwheel001.jpg

The later wheels are slightly flatter.

 

[slepy]

I have my steering wheel for sale from my tqs. Give me a shout if you want one. Will let it go cheap.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321417884...w=321417884393&_rdc=1&clk_rvr_id=642376803086

 

[2.8 30v]

So a later one will fit as long as I buy a complete one with air bag

 

[Oranoco]

There is also a third wave to add here, as I found to my annoyance. Very early cars did not have a splined column shaft at all but instead had a hex shaft for the wheel to mount to. I purchased a new wheel for mine that is mint and found I need to change the column over too. Steering wheel has been sat in my loft now for 2 years and the job is still on my "to do" list

 

[aragorn]

So a later one will fit as long as I buy a complete one with air bag

No, the column shaft is different.

Oranoco: are you sure its a B5 wheel? Your car should have the normal early spline wheel?

 

[2.8 30v]

Had a quick look at mine its definitely splined,so what year range should I look for mines a 1997 model

 

[aragorn]

You've still not told us which wheel your car is fitted with.

If its the early bigdot wheel then only those bigdot wheels will fit.

 

[aragorn]

Theres possibly an adaptor available, 8G0419514, which lets you fit the later wheels with the bigger spline to the earlier columns.

The Audi Cabrio seems to have been "upgraded" to the '98> wheel but they didnt change the column presumably because its based on the old Audi 80. That part number was used on those models to convert it to the later spline.

 

[2.8 30v]

It has big dots around the badge on the air bag,and is what it like once air bag is removed. I have found one on eBay its from an A8 with the same part number on the metal plate but the air bag multiplug is a different colour and there's a big multiplug coming out the back of it I don't know if mine has this pulg. I can't get the eBay picture to up load for some reason the item number is 390815130893
In Armstrong's first post my steering wheel is the same as the one in the second picture

 

[Oranoco]

No, the column shaft is different.

Oranoco: are you sure its a B5 wheel? Your car should have the normal early spline wheel?

The wheel is splined and I removed it of a 98 B5, it's my car that has the hex shafted column.

 

[slepy]

My tqs wheel is splined.

 

[aragorn]

The wheel is splined and I removed it of a 98 B5, it's my car that has the hex shafted column.

I dont think yours should have a hex column? Even the older Audi 80's etc used the same small spline as used on the early A4's

I've had the wheel off our old '96 and it was the smaller spline as photographed above.

The only obvious difference visually is the earlier spline uses a hex nut to retain it, whereas the later spline uses a big bolt to attach the wheel.

 

[Oranoco]

I'll have to ge some pics next week when I get a chance. I was rather puzzled by it as it wasn't what I was expecting.

 

[foursprungdugtechnique]

this is how mine looks, FL, T55 torx driver to remove the nut

 

[slepy]

Isn't that a spline?

 

[AVLO]

So is there no way one of the new style FBSW will fit to our B5's then? It was just a thought I was toying with.....

 

[foursprungdugtechnique]

The T55 (will fit, it is a multi spline) is a collared bolt as opposed to a hex nut

 

[aragorn]

Are we talking cross purposes here?

ALL B5 wheels are splined onto the steering shaft. early cars the shaft is about 19mm, and the later ones its about 25mm.

Early ones have a hex nut securing them, later ones have am M12 XZN (spline) bolt. Jamming a torx into it might work, but dont go suggesting that its a good idea. The correct tool is the proper XZN bit.

The later ones with the spline bolt are interchangable with almost all later wheels, including those ugly flat bottom things everyone seems to drool over. HOWEVER, the later cars use a two stage airbag, whereas the B5 airbag is single stage. No-one really knows for sure how to wire these up, some folk wire up one stage of the two and hope it works. Others wire both together, and hope it works. Ofcourse until you crash your car and faceplant the steering wheel you wont know if your bodged airbag wiring will work.

 

[slepy]

If you use torx on this spline, you will probably round it off inside quickly. According to Sparco, the bolt should be tighten to 60NM and it isn't easy to do even with a proper spline bit.