Steering wheel options/advice

[Jack4688]

As I have an early S2 Avant (maybe even one of the first built I have recently found out), and therefore have no airbag to worry about, I am thinking of changing the steering wheel.

My first idea was a Momo wheel that WRC cars of the 90s/00s always used to have i.e. this:



Since seeing this cabrio on sale I thought a B5 A4 sport steering wheel would look nice too i.e. this:



Now obviously the second one will be just for aesthetic purposes as there will be no working airbag in there, so for which ever wheel I choose to go with what else is there I need to get myself to fit a steering wheel? Can that B5 wheel plop stright on or are there modifications required?

I'm a complete novice at this sort of stuff but am willing to learn and any help would be greatly appreciated

[A80Avant]

Momo looks awful to me. I'd choose the second one. Even so you can even retrofit the airbag stuff if you want to.

Dress it in alcantara as well. Very nice

[Jack4688]

How do you retrofit the airbag? Just out of interest because I wouldn't bother trying myself - just another thing for me to mess up!

[irishs2]

As far as I have found out on the forums, B5 wheels will fit but only early b5 up to '97. If you go from non-air bag to airbag type wheel I think you have to change the stalk covering cowling too.

[Jack4688]

So would I need the cowling from a B5 to go with the wheel or just make some mods to the existing one?

[A80Avant]

How do you retrofit the airbag? Just out of interest because I wouldn't bother trying myself - just another thing for me to mess up!

You get the airbag ecu for single type(drivers) airbag, that mounts under the middle area of the front dash, then its a matter of connecting the cables and feeding one to the main ecu. Not easy, but can be done. Trouble is that there is no point if the car is already fitted with procon ten anyway and then you don't have the hassle of the airbag light going on and off for no particular reason or other MOT issues. Best leave it just for show

[Jack4688]

Yeah it's definitely got Procon-Ten, but it would just mean it had an airbag and Procon-Ten... Not that I'm going to fit an airbag - I'll just have a massive horn button

[A80Avant]

I think audi says that you can't have both. Its dangerous

[Rusty]

Momo Tuner/D35 is the best wheel, I've had 3 of them now I had a race wheel and it was a bit uncomfortable as it's not very padded.

[Jack4688]

I prefer a flatter top to the wheel than the D35, but I think I'm leaning more towards the B5 wheel now anyway

[UrS4boy]

I think audi says that you can't have both. Its dangerous

Ummm... the 93 to early-95 UrS4/S6s in NAmerica had both ProCon-Ten *AND* airbag steering wheels.

ProCon-Ten info: http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/56644.phtml

[A80Avant]

Ummm... the 93 to early-95 UrS4/S6s in NAmerica had both ProCon-Ten *AND* airbag steering wheels.

ProCon-Ten info: http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/56644.phtml

Apparently for reasons of getting rid of the procon ten systems. What a reason!

I thought I had read it somewhere that as the pricing ten retracts the steering weel the airbag doesn't open in the correct area or something. It was a long time ago and can't remember where I read it, so don't take me for granted

[sidrick]

Ummm... the 93 to early-95 UrS4/S6s in NAmerica had both ProCon-Ten *AND* airbag steering wheels.

ProCon-Ten info: http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/56644.phtml

Saved me a question

[UrS4boy]

Apparently for reasons of getting rid of the procon ten systems. What a reason! I thought I had read it somewhere that as the pricing ten retracts the steering weel the airbag doesn't open in the correct area or something. It was a long time ago and can't remember where I read it, so don't take me for granted

Nope. The ProConTen system is not intelligent, it is purely mechanical. During a front end collision large enough to push the engine back, the ProConTen cables tension the front seat belts and pull the steering column forward. No sensing, computing and deciding, just doing.

The airbag system will trigger the air bags much sooner and in a much lower impact situation that would be needed to engage the ProConTen system.

[A80Avant]

Nope. The ProConTen system is not intelligent, it is purely mechanical. During a front end collision large enough to push the engine back, the ProConTen cables tension the front seat belts and pull the steering column forward. No sensing, computing and deciding, just doing.

The airbag system will trigger the air bags much sooner and in a much lower impact situation that would be needed to engage the ProConTen system.

I know what the procon ten system does thanks very much. What I said is that the bit I had read about the 2 systems being on the same car working together is that on a serious frontal collision while the steering wheel is moving forward so is the airbag so the opening of it is not where the airbag is intended to open but further forward, hence they believed it was dangerous to have those 2 systems working at the same time. We are not talking about a small impact but one that would have both systems activating at the same time. If you have information about the triggering times of the procon ten and airbag systems by all means you may be right.