I imagine this is a common question but I can't really find an answer yet. I have a 91 bird and want to swap to an 88 and earlier steering wheel. What adapter is it that I need? And is that all I need to do it?

 

well, is the steering wheel a 3 or a 5 bolt? and is your car originally a 3 or a 5 bolt?

grant steering wheels company makes adapters, i got a polished aluminum adapter at autozone for like 35$

 

I'm not sure. I haven't taken it apart yet. It's the original that is in a 91 firebird. It has the airbag wheel. What is the adapter that I need?

 

like are you wanting the older style steering wheel on the newer 91 steering column. if so then yes i did this. no modifications.

 

but i used the 91 steering column and put it in my 86 but used the 86 steering wheel . no clue what you are talking about 3 bolt or 5 bolt.

 

You need a grant wheel adapter kit.

http://www.jegs.com/grant/grant_install_guide.html

I believe this one will work

http://www.jegs.com/i/Grant/470/3196/10002/-1

This has a flawed but useful reference chart that links you to the adapter kit you need.

As for the airbag, remove the SRS or SIR fuse from the fuse panel, with either an allen key or torx key, it's torx IIRC, remove the four airbag screws from the back of the airbag. Carefully pull the airbag unit from the wheel, here you will find wiring connecting the horn and a thick yellow wire, you need to cut this yellow wire, make sure to cut it close to the steering column so it's not in the way when you install the new wheel. After that remove the horn connection, remove the little black plastic tube from the hole in the wheel where it grounds the horn wire, your adapter kit will include a new smaller one, do not lose the spring though, you will need to reuse this I think.

Remove the old wheel with a standard wheel puller kit, you can rent it from auto zone for a 20 dollar deposit which is given back when you return the kit.

Once the old wheel is removed it is pretty straight forward, make sure you connect the spring and "Tab tube", if you will, that powers the horn wire, then when putting the new wheel on be sure to #1 locate the wheel in the proper location ( I had to remove it because it was off a few degrees). and #2 to route the horn wires through the center of the wheel.

Now you might run into a problem with the hub adapter, which is a dome looking piece that is designed to separate the wheel from the column, the problem with mine was that once you tightened the new wheel down correctly it forced the adapter hub too tightly against the steering column, so I had to cut about 1/4 of an inch off of the end of the hub that contacts the steering column.

After that just make sure you put everything on, don't half *** the proper connecting of the horn wires otherwise you will end up with a horn that doesn't work (obviously).

Hope this helps.

**oh and disconnect your battery, and straighten your wheels before you begin.**

Good luck

 

yeah, theres also a kit the adapts a 3 bolt pattern so thats you can bolt on a 5 bolt steering wheel

 

So you're saying the older style wheel bolts right in to a 91 steering column? I thought you needed an adapter? If not then that's awesome, makes it even easier!

 

I am pretty sure that you can swap the 88 wheel in your 91 without any modification, but just to clarify, on the Firebird wheels, the hub is attached to the wheel. If you remove the wheel from one car, it should bolt in (hub and all) to whatever steering column. You DO NOT need a hub from Grant. I've seen people bolt in 4th gen steering wheels aswell. The only issue I foresee is the airbag. Federally, its illegal to remove the airbag from an airbag equipped car, but then again, so are catalytic converters, so if you can get away with it (no inspections) you should be fine...

*edit, you will need a steering wheel puller to remove the wheels...

 

So a 4th gen air bag steering wheel will go right in place of a 3rd gen air bag steering wheel? And both can be replaced with a standard wheel?

 

i would think so, but i am not sure, my car doesnt have air bags, or the original steering wheel

 

yes. Although the steering columns are different, the spindles where the wheel actually bolts up to, is the same size for pretty much all GM vehicles. The difference is wiring and airbags and color and wheel diameter and etc etc. But physically and mechanically, GM wheels are interchangeable...

To put an aftermarket wheel on, you buy the [Grant] hub and bolt the hub to the spindle then you bolt the aftermarket wheel to the hub...

 

Kinda what i thought. because it was odd when i did mine no mods. just pulled the steering wheel off and changed it over.

 

Cool, I knew about swapping around the older stuff, but I've never replaced the air bag wheels with something different.

 

yeah, they'll swap. The only danger/risk is the airbag. If its not the correct wiring, you run the risk of airbag deploying at random moment. If the wiring was totally different (I don't know, I've never messed with airbag cars) I would just leave the bag unhooked...