When I originally bought my car I didn’t bother looking for the horn. I just assumed that it would be there and that it would work. Then one day while sitting in my friend's driveway I tried to honk at him (the whole 'haha, funny. I just honked at you' kinda thing) and I noticed that my horn didn’t work. I pulled the dust cover on the steering wheel to find an empty cavity. There was no mechanism for the horn in there.

Enter my 82 RX-7 that is awaiting its engine swap. It has an aftermarket wheel (fairly nondescript leather wrapped three spoke wheel) complete with a working horn button. I unbolted it from the 7 with no problems at all. I then wandered over to my Fiero, pulled the dust cover off, and unbolted the bolt that I thought held the wheel on. I gave it a tug to pull it off and it didn’t move at all. I gave it a yank and it still didn’t move. While I was doing all this from the outside of the car and not sitting in the driver's seat (where I could probably exert more force on the wheel from) I did manage to exert a pretty good amount of force on the wheel.

Did I miss something else that holds it on? Is there some trick to getting it off? Should I just go out there and pull harder?

you better not have tilt wheel...
Pulling that hard on the wheel is going to totally screw up a 20 year old GM steering column.

you need a steering wheel puller to get it off.

you probably need a new column or a rebuild very soon

The center spline should have a "C" clip and a big nut, the steering wheel is a force fit on the splined shaft, generally requiring a puller to get it off.

Not recommended, but if you sit in the, grab the wheel with one hand, and lightly tap the spline with a hammer, alternating pull around the wheel, it may come off. You have to use due care in doing this not to deform the colaspable column.

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0 to 75 Audio http://www.cartsys.com/fiero/cal-engine.wav

[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 07-18-2004).]

You definitely need a steering wheel puller. They only cost about $10 and it's worth it. Seldom does a steering wheel come off by pulling on it, and as pointed out you can damage it by pulling too hard. Never hit it with a hammer, the energy absorbing feature will be destroyed.

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1988 GT (Firebird Interior),1988 Coupe (Daily Driver), 1985 SE (Project Car), 1985 Coupe (parts car), Firebird Interior Installation Website

It is very easy to remove a steering wheel, but does require a puller ($15 at Auto Zone). I've also done it without a puller, but that requires a BFH and is not the easiest (put upward pressure on the wheel with your knees while you band the bolt with a 'big f-ing hammer' until the wheel pops off) - and it doesn't always work without damage, but...

Fear not, I didn't pull that hard on the wheel and what force I did apply I applied in very short little bursts

quote you probably need a new column or a rebuild very soon

I dont think I will be needing a new colum any time soon as it was replaced about a half year or so ago by the previous owner.

Thanks for the help, +'s for all

If you hit the center shaft of the column you're likely to shear the plastic rivets that hold the shaft together inside the column. The shaft is actually a rod in a tube arrancement, with the rod held to the tube with plastic shear keys, or rivets.

Regarding the puller, less than $10 at AutoZone or equivalent::

JazzMan

Cheaper to use the 10 buck puller, then to replace yer front teeth...from pullin' too hard...

You CAN get it off other ways, but the puller does the job so easily...

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[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 07-20-2004).]

You can rent one for FREE from AutoZone. Go get the puller and do the job right.

I just used a generic all-around wheel puller. I think it was actually meant for the the harmonic balancer .... but it worked just the same.

^ same here

I didn’t post a follow up, but I borrowed a puller and got the wheel off yesterday. The only thing I don’t like is how the grant wheel that came out of my rx7 mounts. You have to bolt a disk to the steering column that accepts three bolts. On top of that disk, you have to bolt down a "gt adaptor" if you have a five bolt wheel (mine is five). The only thing is that the gt adaptor is about 4" long, which makes the wheel stick out really far.

I will get around to custom fabing my own gt adaptor later this week. My current thought is to use a ¼” thick disk of metal that can bolt to the piece that bolts to the steering column using the three holes the old gt adaptor used. I will then tap the outer five holes so that I will be able to bolt the wheel down to that.

really crappy mockup of what I plan to make

It would be a lot easier to just drill five holes in the three hole thing that came with the wheel, but the 5 bolt pattern has a 4" or so diameter while the 3 bolt thing has a 2.5-3" diameter. Oh well.

If anyone is interested in my idea, I will post pictures along with a more accurate design once I finish mine.

holly busted beepers Batman!!! You are changing your whole steering wheel for a horn??? dude it was just missing the black plastic clip with the the conductor inside it!!! You just needed to get like a 75cent part from autozone and no pulling the wheels needed!!

quote Originally posted by fierodog: holly busted beepers Batman!!! You are changing your whole steering wheel for a horn???

I pulled my wheel because it started pooping out the seam, plus I like the look of the Firebird wheel

[This message has been edited by Panama Jack (edited 07-20-2004).]

oh ok why not change the whole column to the firebird and rewire the switches to work?
not trying to pee you off but it looks 1000x better with the whole deal and its not that hard to wire. I put a grand am column in my everything is wired to work perfect!

quote Originally posted by fierodog: holly busted beepers Batman!!! You are changing your whole steering wheel for a horn??? dude it was just missing the black plastic clip with the the conductor inside it!!! You just needed to get like a 75cent part from autozone and no pulling the wheels needed!!

The horn was the final blow. I never really liked the stock wheel, nor the wheel cover I had over it because the stock wheel had been chewed up by a combo of use and the sun.

Be careful with that wheel.......it has an airbag in there and you can actually set off if you mess with that yellow wire. Good luck.

Phil

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86 GT TTops, 3.4 Auto.....bought from Doug of Fiero Warehouse

GM auto tech for 27 years. Specializing in electrical and computer problems. I will never be able to return as an auto tech again. I get EXTREME satisfaction helping others and will go to Extreme levels to help you if you need help. I have LOTS of free time on my hands. This forum and the help I give, allow me to have a purposeful life. Bring on the problems......LOL.

Just a heads up, if you switch to a Grant steering wheel or similar aftermarket, make sure you put the adapter on the right way. On a fiero it is almost always position B, but check it anyway. If you put it on wrong, you get to buy another tool. A gear puller, because Grant is F#@%ing retarded, and they don't put standard steering wheel puller holes in their adapter.

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quote Originally posted by Azriel: Just a heads up, if you switch to a Grant steering wheel or similar aftermarket, make sure you put the adapter on the right way. On a fiero it is almost always position B, but check it anyway. If you put it on wrong, you get to buy another tool. A gear puller, because Grant is F#@%ing retarded, and they don't put standard steering wheel puller holes in their adapter.

It's on fine right now and should stay for the duration. I wont have to pull it when I install my funky little adaptor. The only problem is that I don’t know where to get the metal plate I need to work with. It doesn’t have to be that thick - a 1/4" thick steel plate would probably be over kill. It just needs to not twist/flex that much. I was thinking about cutting it out of an old (dull) circular saw blade as that should be thick enough to allow me to tap it for the five bolts.

Anyone have any thoughts/comments as to that idea?

quote Originally posted by fierodog: oh ok why not change the whole column to the firebird and rewire the switches to work? not trying to pee you off but it looks 1000x better with the whole deal and its not that hard to

Actually you only have to replace the upper shaft to get the switches to work on the firebird steering wheel. And there is little chance of voltage getting to the yellow wire by mistake. The firebird column is visually about the same as the Fiero if you could get it to work. It's about a foot too long, so I don't think it's worth the trouble.

[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 07-21-2004).]

Grant makes the best steering wheels. Period.

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'85 GT
'85 SE
Call me "Mac"

quote Originally posted by FieroMac: Grant makes the best steering wheels. Period.

Never held a MOMO huh?

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