changing steering wheel

[mini revs]

im thinking about changing my current steering wheel to the jcw 3 spoke wheel, is it hard to do or would i need to get someone to do it if so how much?
thanks

[r1_kde]

Not hard,

ensure your wheels and steering is strait.

disconnect the battery so the air bag is safe, take a t25 driver and feel foe a hole about 10 oclock and 2 oclock about 10mm behind the air bag, they look like dimples and may need a small cut with a sharp knife. as you push the t25 in you will feel a spring, once depressed pull that side of the air bag forward, do the same on the other side. on the back of the air bag lift the tabs connecting the wires and remove, place in the passengers well. undo the 15-20mm bolt and remove the wheel, if you have the mfsw undo the screws from behind and pull off including wires. now the wheel is loose pull forward and ensure you do not turn anything whilst doing that. take the new wheel and put in the same location as before.

put everything back in the reverse order.

Labour is less than 1 hour but expect 1 hour so normal garage £40 - £50 (above the M25) BMW £100 (above M25)

[webguru]

I was thinking of doing this too, is it possible to put the JCW wheel on when the previous one was a standard 2 spoke?

[c.gray2008]

i am just about to do this to mine, an issue of modern mini gives you a step by step, its quite straight forward, most the electrical clicks apparently clip straight back into the new wheels.
One question i have is does anyone know if the new R56 3 spoke airbag will fit the earlier R53 three spoke wheel?
cheers.

[Bonnie Scotland]

I have a 3 spoke steering wheel for sale from a June 06 JCW Cooper S if anyone is interested.
Sorry, can't help with the removal

[Rakey]

I've posted up a how to do this with pictures

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-i...ing-wheel.html

[rkw]

Quote: Originally Posted by webguru (original)

I was thinking of doing this too, is it possible to put the JCW wheel on when the previous one was a standard 2 spoke?

Swapping the steering wheel itself is easy, but there are additional steps and expense for multifunction steering wheel controls. A very nice writeup here:
http://web.mac.com/jonnieoh/My_MINI_...el_How-To.html

Quote: Originally Posted by Rakey (original)

I've posted up a how to do this with pictures

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-i...ing-wheel.html

Nice writeup for an R56, but this is a 1st gen forum.

Quote: Originally Posted by c.gray2008 (original)

One question i have is does anyone know if the new R56 3 spoke airbag will fit the earlier R53 three spoke wheel?

No, does not fit.

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by rkw (original)

Nice writeup for an R56, but this is a 1st gen forum.

Pretty much the same as R56 apart from the release of the airbag unit is a bit more tricky with there being no hole to simply push and release

Just pull airbag at top and try to release the pins that way is how I did my R53