ScoobyDuck

iTrader: (1)

that looks SOOOOOOO I am not jelous .. not really !

Dyney

Ted Ed,
The car is a MY97 UK
The wheels will swop from any Scoob but the wiring for the airbag is the hard bit as the different styles had different plugs!!!
I worked out the horn, but don't fancy playing with the airbag myself

I (along with a few others) got the wheels off cars being converted for rallying
It was cnsiderably less that £400 +VAT

Paul_M

I got one too, and it's a great wheel even compared to the MY98> Momo one (which is still too skinny and the spokes are too low to rest your thumbs on comfortably).

It fits fine physically and apparently you can buy an adaptor for the airbag from any dealer for about £25 - don't quote me cos I haven't checked, just what I was told.

Paul_M

BTW Connectors have gold-plated pins and double-locking mechanisms cos they are far more likely to be a failure point than any other part of the wiring (and that includes soldered joint if it's done properly by someone who knows what they're doing).

The airbag test circuit is very sensitive, when I had my wheel off and back on later the airbag light stayed on - reason was that the double-lock mechanism on the airbag connector wasn't pushed home even though the connector itself was perfectly snugly seated on the terminals. If there is a small change in resistance the test system will illuminate the light; that's not to say soldered joints will do this cos properly done they have a negligable resistance.

Ted Ed

Anybody know of a secondhand sti wheel thats been taken off a car thats being converted for rallying ???

Stuart Page

iTrader: (4)

Just a word of warning from someone with many years experience in this field:

DON'T fit a +MY01 airbag wheel to a pre MY01 car, as the airbag module itself will not be the same. Each airbag is tuned specifically to the car it was designed for, and Subaru would have had a different performance requirement for the 2001+ cars compared to the 'classics' due to all the chassis / floorpan / structural changes that a new model undergoes. The 2001 cars were the first specifically designed for US NCAP (5 star!) so the classic models would behave rather differently. Apart from the obvious differences in FMVSS v's EC Directives, you would be running a big risk by swapping the two over.

ScoobyDuck

iTrader: (1)

can kinda see how the physical deployment might be different, i.e higher, lower, more spread out etc between the two versions, but the actual air bag is surely just that - a bag that inflates ?
all the control is done in the control unit, which ISNT changed, therefore, chassis forces for deployment are still the same ?? ??

goes without saying that making sure the connections are 100% correct is a problem point.

Stuart Page

iTrader: (4)

The bags are not the same as the vent holes are not the same. The 01MY cars are a lot heavier, (Kinetic Engergy = 0.5mV² , meaning mass has a direct relationship to energy...) so therefore more energy is required to be absorbed into the airbag during a crash. Having to perform more, means the airbag could be a higher 'power' than classic cars to cope with this extra energy. Putting a higher power airbag into a car not designed for it could cause more injury than a standard one 'tuned' to that car. Manufacturers tune airbags so occupants get the best level of protection for that specific car ONLY.

Airbags work in combination with a seatbelt to absorb energy, and the deflation of the airbag through vent holes at the rear of the bag enable the tuning of airbag devices. The gas has to go somewhere!
If vent hole sizes are changed, the potential of energy absorbtion is changed, therefore amounts of energy absorbion WILL change. Your safety could be compromised from the manufacturers' extensive simulations, crash tests and product validations that allow the car to be equipped with airbags in a safe and tried manner. The difference of 10-20mm² on a vent could mean the difference between walking away from an accident or ending up in a wooden box.

If people want to remove airbags totally, its their choice, but don't put another one off a different vehicle just cos the styling looks more cool. Your car insurance (and life insurance?) cover could be null and void. You have been warned.

ScoobyDuck

iTrader: (1)

excelent info Stuart!
any way we can get the info on the different types of airbags made for subaru cars ? to see how different they are?
whats your thoughts on 'Any airbag is better than NONE' ??

Steve
(still on the ugly, huge bus of a classic wheel)
p.s. how about the MOMO wheel -that was designed for a classic !?
(can you tell how much i hate the steering wheel! )

Stuart Page

iTrader: (4)

Scoobyduck, been trying to find out that one too!! Not had any luck with Subaru as all their development stuff is in Japan, and they've managed to escape the scrutineering eyes of EuroNCAP so far!

Just for my personal opinion, I took my driver one out though still kept it in case I come to sell my car (PL issues... blah blah..) as I'm using the car on track stuff mainly. Don't want to be wearing a helmet and one of these going off in the unfortunate instance i stack it. Again my opinion only, if I was using the car daily I would want the airbag there just in case of an accident. Looking at the statistics you're more likely to be less injured with them.

Another interesting one is the speed issue. Airbags/seatbelts don't help too much when your speeds are more than 70mph or so, as at that speed if you were to hit something pretty solid, your outside bits would seem ok, but the internal organs would be soup! Government/OEM study peeps did a load of crash testing with corpses, (i kid you not!) then got some top pathologists to have a gander at what happens if you crash at this speed or that speed etc. Quite an interesting read (for the slightly wierd people like me )

Scott.T

iTrader: (2)

Anyone sorted this yet for swapping an STI 8 onto a MY00.
It seems that these airbags have a 3.3 ohm resistance, so you can bypass them by ftting a 3.3 ohm resistor into the connector.

When 12V is applied to a 3.3 ohm resistance a large amount of current is produced, probably enough to set of the airbag charge.

I'd still want mine working if possible

scoobylav

I did a steering wheel change on an MY97 last year. I fitted a non airbag Momo F1 style wheel. I also have a 4 point harness so hopefully in a crash I shouldn't impact on the wheel. I agree with an earlier comment maybe no airbag is safer than the wrong airbag ??

Stuart Page

iTrader: (4)

Scott T, read the earlier posts on fitting incorrect airbags to your car. I would not go down this route.
If you want to change the wheel, I would get a non-airbag type and a 4pt-harness, the legal/insurance issues if you encounter problems will not make it worth your while. Please be careful!