Aftermarket Steering Wheel picture thread

Can one pass state inspection without an airbag?
Are the Momo wheels generally smaller than the stock?
Is the steering wheel closer than usual with the hub or there is no difference?

it is illegal to modify/remove an airbag.
momo wheels can be ordered in many diameter sizes.
with the hub, generally the distance is the same.

since Nissan Motorsports has NISMO
wouldnt it would be cool if Honda Motorsports something cool like that too.
check it out.

evof575gtc said:

it is illegal to modify/remove an airbag.

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So then tell me this. WHY havent they made an aftermarket steering wheel with an airbag system? Other manufactures have made smaller steering wheels with airbags, why cant others do that? I think many keep the factory sterring wheel becuase of it's safety. I would pay like 400+ for it too if I had the money.

that is nice!
did you get the NRG short hub for your NSX as well?

That's the 2nd gen adapter, like the one I have... he also has the lock/cover for the bare hub - funny, we have the same horn button as well

If it is illegsal for alteration of steering wheel,so how do you guys get your car pass inspection? Do you reinstall the original steering wheel for inspection?

There is no 'vehicle inspection' in CA, only smog (emmissions) testing every two years - the only vehicle inspection occurs when you initially title a car in CA from a different state, or if you are cited for something (eg a "fix it" ticket)

In Texas it is not illegal. You can pass inspection without an airbag. I spoke with a guy in our NSX group who looked at all the data from the European, Canadian, and US databases on fatalies and injuries related to automobile accidents and suprisingly there was no survival benefit with having an airbag as long as you were wearing your seatbelt. The airbags only helped in instances when the drive was not wearing their safety belt. In most cases you just traded one type of injury for another. I actually prefer not having my airbag now and i NEVER get into a car without using my seatbelt.

evof575gtc said:

since Nissan Motorsports has NISMO
wouldnt it would be cool if Honda Motorsports something cool like that too.
check it out.

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LIFE or DEATH!!!

pelletz said:

I spoke with a guy in our NSX group who looked at all the data from the European, Canadian, and US databases on fatalies and injuries related to automobile accidents and suprisingly there was no survival benefit with having an airbag as long as you were wearing your seatbelt. The airbags only helped in instances when the drive was not wearing their safety belt. In most cases you just traded one type of injury for another.

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What are the sources? I've heard many people claim this before and it never made sense to me. I could not believe adding a different additional protection system would not save at least few extra lives.

I'm not saying the guy who spoke with intended to mislead, but I know the average person has a hard time with statistics, often making an invalid comparison or drawing a conclusion that is not supported by the facts. Being a life-or-death matter, it's a serious claim to say there is no advantage to having an airbag over just a seatbelt and I would not trust such a claim without seeing the source or supporting facts.

As far as I can tell, a driver is between 12% and 28% more likely to live with airbag and seatbelt than you would be with seatbelt alone. That's a significant difference. Could you or anyone else cite a single report that shows the rate (either injury or death) is about the same?

A couple sources:

• Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: American Seat Belts and Airbags a Necessary Combination in Preventing Deadly Car Accidents, Severe Trauma... (March 23, 2006)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Fifth / Sixth Report to Congress: Effectiveness of Occupant Protection Systems and Their Use (November, 2001) (pdf, see Exhibit 6)

Re: LIFE or DEATH!!!

MoMo Corse NSX-R.. red stitching included

pelletz said:

...suprisingly there was no survival benefit with having an airbag as long as you were wearing your seatbelt. The airbags only helped in instances when the drive was not wearing their safety belt...

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This sounds like piles of BS. Link your source, I'd love to be wrong on this one

Mugen FG360

Endless, want to sell your wheel?

Vizal said:

This sounds like piles of BS. Link your source, I'd love to be wrong on this one

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There used to be a study that said airbags where more harmful in accidents that occured at slower speeds...like up to 45mph, but then became more beneficial after that.

However, I can't remember when or where I read that...I think it was a long time ago. The technology these days has probably ironed all that out, but for me, having a 15year old airbag seemed more like a ticking time bomb than anything else, so I wasn't too sorry to see it go. (knock on wood).

(the gen 1 airbags were not known for their soft touch).

Like I said, my source was one of the guys in our NSX group. I cannot link you to him. I agree it would seem that airbags would add safety benefit, but from what he said from his findings it did not if you were wearing your seatbelt. If they help so much, why don't nascar and F1 cars have airbags??? I am not hear to argue either way, but just share some info that i had heard.

For me, i like how my steering wheel looks without the airbag. I wear my saftey belt and feel fine about it. If you look hard enough you will find the answer to most things in this world is MONEY. It wouldn't suprise me if drivers side airbags weren't used primarily as a marketing tool to sell cars and safety secondary. Yes airbags provide added safety, but my question is ... are you unsafe if your wearing your seatbelt and do not have an airbag?

FYI, A few years ago, my sister-in-law was in a front end crash around 30-MPH on rainy night, she got a broken nose and her face were bruised up from the Airbag. She had alway wear seat belts, she sustain most of her injuries to her face, not to the body or the arms, but to her face and she was piss for as long as it took to heal her. Just thought you would like to know.

I'm mixed on the airbag thing. I took it out of my BMW and ran a Sparco Lap3 which I really liked. I think the NSX could really benefit from a smaller wheel but not sure how comfortable I am with removing the airbag in the X...

I was in an accident once in my Tahoe and the airbag went off ... I was a bit dazed from the 'explosion', and the residual smoke and dust smelled real bad, but otherwise I was just fine ... no black eyes, no broken nose, etc.

That being said, I want to move the factory NSX wheel closer to my driving position by about 2 or 3", and I would like to keep the airbag. I don't necessarily like the look nor feel of the factory wheel, but I'd just as soon have the airbag, cruise, horn, etc functions all working.

I'm currently trying to figure out how to do this (move the wheel closer). I haven't found any aftermarket hub adapters that will support this.

Ay ideas ... let me know.

pelletz said:

If they help so much, why don't nascar and F1 cars have airbags???

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Spend a minute thinking about this, instead of a minute typing. By you mentioning NASCAR and F1, you obviously understand that they use the best safety equipment. So, could it be the case that they don't use airbags because they have something better? You could have also googled "formula 1 airbag" or "nascar airbag" and see that they in fact do have technology that's much better, such as HANS.

pelletz said:

but my question is ... are you unsafe if your wearing your seatbelt and do not have an airbag?

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You may have missed it, but the answer is in the articles I linked to, as well as in my reply (it's even in bold).

evof575gtc said:

Endless, want to sell your wheel?

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Negative. It took me 2 years to locate this wheel brand new.

It never fails to amaze me to see some race drivers literally walk away from spectacular crashes. No small credit to the effectiveness of modern race car safety system.

The technology behind advance race car safety system is way beyond me. However we can all appreciate the necessary confinement such system dictates. I can't picture having to strapping onself in with 5 or 6 point belts, head restrain, helmet, race approved seats and the necessary roll cage, etc., in a street driven vehicle. And believe me, strapping is a very fitting description.

I personally believe "Technologies" should be applied wisely and appropriately. Short of pure race car safety system, proper usage of retractable seat belts and an airbag or two provides the perfect compromise for daily driven cars, NSX inclusive.

Best Regards
Paul

Ojas said:

Spend a minute thinking about this, instead of a minute typing. By you mentioning NASCAR and F1, you obviously understand that they use the best safety equipment. So, could it be the case that they don't use airbags because they have something better? You could have also googled "formula 1 airbag" or "nascar airbag" and see that they in fact do have technology that's much better, such as HANS.

You may have missed it, but the answer is in the articles I linked to, as well as in my reply (it's even in bold).

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I didn't miss it. I was using your bold print to answer my rhetorical question, which is 'no'.... I am not unsafe by not having an airbag as long as i am wearing my seltbelt. Am i a little safer with an airbag, yes, but i am not being unsafe by not having one. This is my whole point.

The person behind the wheel also plays a role in the saftey. If you drive like an idiot your chances are higher to be in a collision. If you drive responsibly maybe the airbag may not need to be deployed.

My much more responsive MOMO wheel negates the need for an airbag

I am thinking about replacing my steering wheel.(hub,and get a quick realese) I want to get some thoughts on what a deep dished wheel would look like in our cars. Maybe someone has a pic ? I like having the wheel closer to me. How do you think a deeper dished steering wheel would look ?