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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

air bag dismantling


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Part of the cruise control system I have purchased is the 4 spoke toyota air bag steering wheel. I dont really want the air bag and as I do everything I can to try and keep the weight down in the car Im thinking about removing the air bag part of the wheel and just using the wheel and cruise controller in place of my 3 spoke wheel.

 

Has anybody taken the air bag wheel apart before, and if so are there any particular bits I should be aware of? I can see the explosive charge is a seperate unit, but if I undo the bolts on that unit and pull it away from the wheel will it still be a complete unit or could it potentially discharge if it is removed like that?

 

thanks

JB

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Isn't the thing set off by an electrical signal/spark? When its in the car and you have a crash you wouldn't expect it to move from it housing to go off so it therefore has to be an electrical signal.

 

That's my tuppence worth.

 

Laters

 

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I agree that it needs an electrical pulse to set it off, but the problem is the electrical pulse then sets off some sort of high explosive. I wasnt sure how much charge it needed to set it off and whether it was open fronted onto the airbag so that pulling the charge unit out would leave the whole thing exposed to the air.

 

I actually threw caution to the wind and removed it anyway. I had the nuts off the clamp already so I just eased a screw driver under the edges and slowly lifted and it came out clean. I can now remove the airbag itself and then I have a nice leather steering wheel with the cruise controler on it without the added weight of the airbag.

 

JB

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at least half a tonne!!

 

no idea, the explosive unit is quite hefty and even with that removed the wheel is still quite heavy. I can pop it on the scales if you really are interested (and arent just being 'funny'!!) :)

 

I will try and compare the two wheels some time this week, but Im currently busy messing about with headlamps.

 

JB

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I was just curious.

 

I've got the airbag/cruise wheel on mine and wondered if it made that much difference.

 

Saying that I'd probably get a warning light or maybe even the big triangle lit up if I removed mine :)

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I will stick it on the scales tonight and see what it weighed, theres certainly a lot of metal bracing in the air bag wheels which Im sure wouldnt be in the 3 spoke wheels. I think the cruise controller could be easily fitted to another wheel as well as it is only screwed in in 3 places.

 

JB

 

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