Steering Wheel Retrofit - Single Stage to Dual Stage Wheel | Pictures | DIY

[gjVah]

Edited to re-host images. Photobucket no longer offers free embedding.

I'll keep this short and sweet. I tried to make it as simple to follow as possible. This only covers the actual modifications I had to do to the slip ring and 2 stage wheel in depth. You should already know how to remove the wheel and airbag, if not, there's a lot of threads on the subject. As always, you're doing this at your own risk. If you mess something up, end up with broken or cut fingers, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Tools used:

- Screw Driver
- Drill
- 1 Inch Belt Grinder
- Small Air Reciprocating Saw (or angle grinder)
- 16MM Wrench
- Self-Drilling Screw

After you've removed your old airbag and wheel, we will be doing some cutting and grinding on the new wheel and OLD clock spring. We'll be using the NEW dual stage wheel and NEW airbag with our OLD clock spring. The green dashed lines in the picture below show the material that was removed. Use a reciprocating saw to cut a sizable portion of the wheel to make room for the old clock spring.







Pay attention to (1) and (2). (1) is the approximate angle you would need to make the sure the clock spring fits, (2) is the hole you will need to drill to secure one of the tabs of your clock spring to the back of the wheel. If you wanna get creative and figure out a way of using more of the tabs, be my guest. I couldn't be bothered. And everything works as it should so take that as you will.




Close up of the back of the clock spring to give you an idea of why we cut that portion of the wheel in that angle (1). You will also remove these 2 tabs marked with X, we won't be using them, and there is no easy way to make it fit unless you wanna do more grinding on the wheel. Again, this is the way I did it, I'm sure someone will figure out a better way.



Below you will see what it should look like when put together. I used a self drilling screw to make sure it's nice and secure using the remaining tab (2) in the hole we drilled earlier, again (2) on the second image above. You can use any screw, it doesn't matter, the material of the wheel is pretty soft compared to the screws I had laying around, anything would have worked honestly. You can even use one of your old screws, just make sure you drill a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw and you're set. Also pay attention to (1), this should now make more sense as to why we had to grind the wheel in that particular shape.




Below is a view from the inside of the wheel, the green dashed line represents the material we had to cut out of the wheel to make the clock spring fit.




And of course a picture of the fully functional wheel, installed. All the buttons work, I didn't need any extra cables or adapters. Everything fits and works perfectly. I can finally use the buttons, and my indicators self cancel as they should. The car is a 2/99, the wheel and airbag are off of an E46 M3 (2005).




Thanks for looking, and good luck. This is not a hard modification, given you have some tools at your disposal and some free time. Just take it easy, grind slowly and test fit often.

[DennisCooper]

Hi GJVah,





A lot of 'early' E39 owners are going to be doing the Carlton dance for sure as at LONG last they can have the later steering wheels on their Pre March 1999 cars

Big up to you for working out this mod !

Cheers, Dennis!

[gjVah]

Hey Dennis, glad to see you're still around

[cnsorial]

I was just thinking about this mod after driving my brothers e46 with that steering wheel and it's so much nicer.


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[cnsorial]

Great diy. How'd you hook up the airbag? Any warning lights?


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[JaxPlanet]

I was close to doing this until the sport wheel was added to the Takata recall. Definitely make sure the airbag is not affected/or replaced under the recall, you have enough red in your interior Google search: bmw sport wheel takata

That said, it is the perfect compliment to your interior. Thank you for sharing how you made it work.

[gjVah]

Great diy. How'd you hook up the airbag? Any warning lights?

Thanks, I plugged in the airbag to the second stage connector. I still have to get my cluster coded, so no idea on how the airbag light would be affected.

- - - Updated - - -

I was close to doing this until the sport wheel was added to the Takata recall. Definitely make sure the airbag is not affected/or replaced under the recall, you have enough red in your interior Google search: bmw sport wheel takata

That said, it is the perfect compliment to your interior. Thank you for sharing how you made it work.

Thanks, will check with the local dealer to see if the airbag falls under the recall.

[cnsorial]

Thanks, I plugged in the airbag to the second stage connector. I still have to get my cluster coded, so no idea on how the airbag light would be affected.

- - - Updated - - -


Thanks, will check with the local dealer to see if the airbag falls under the recall.

Oh alrighty, let us know if the airbag light comes on. Thanks for experimenting though!

Although that isn't a sure way to tell if it's functioning properly. All that would mean is that it's getting the proper resistance. Maybe someone should get junked single stage car and plug in the second stage airbag and test it....


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[sealbeach740]

To the OP - how do you know the conversion truly/actually works?

[CaleCro]

Well...at these days parts for e39 are cheap and can be easily sourced.
I also retrofitted steering wheel onto my 09/97 540 but not as you did. Only what is same is airbag connected on one stage, not dual.

I replaced all from donor FL car, steering column upper part, slipring with 2x additional pins for SMG, indicator & wipers leavers, both diamond shape keys with drivers doors hatch/lock and trunk lock.
price for all retrofit cost me 200€ + 400€ FL wheel from M3e46

FL wheel after customization of logo and leather repair



new keys



car before with M-sport single stage


and now


on this picture indicator leaver left old one because i ordered wrong one. So now I'm waiting for proper one and new upper and lower plastic cover.


no any airbag lights active, all is as it should be


and last one with all finished including bazel for iDrive

[sealbeach740]

CaleCro - could you explain what that iDrive in your E39 controls?
I like the re-wrap of the E46 steering wheel - I should do that to mine (it's got some worn spots that could use re-covering) & those paddles look cool.

[CaleCro]

CaleCro - could you explain what that iDrive in your E39 controls?
I like the re-wrap of the E46 steering wheel - I should do that to mine (it's got some worn spots that could use re-covering) & those paddles look cool.

Yes indeed, when you grab the wheel it is so pleasant.... at first idea was to wrap it all in leather, but around buttons was too complicated.

iDrive is for controling NBT.... retrofited from X5 e70. All what e39 has it is working on NBT.

[Augusto Bender]

[QUOTE = gjVah; 29778963] Obrigado, conectei o airbag ao conector do segundo estágio. Ainda tenho que codificar meu cluster, então não faço ideia de como a luz do airbag seria afetada.

- - - Atualizado - - -

Please send me a photo or diagram of the connections, tks


please send me a photo or diagram of the connections

[gjVah]

please send me a photo or diagram of the connections

There is no way to put in the wires the wrong way. They only fit in the respective connector. There's no re-wiring required.

[stefan83]

gjVah heloo bro i just buy 2002 e39 dual stage airbag and stering whell im so glad that you make this whit old clock but pls tel me i hawe e39 528i 1998 and my stering whell conectors for butons are difrent from new one its not posible to fit them just like plug and play and i cant see the the plug for the air bags on new dual stage airbag but the stering whell is the same as in your picture show or any one cnow how this ting to vire pls send some answers