Probably because the original rule was written many years before airbags
were invented, and it was common to swap out that old mundane plastic wheel
with something sexy from the aftermarket supplier -- woodrim, or "Monza
design" or whatever. And nobody sold "Triumph replacement" or "Fiat
Replacement," etc, but "buy the Wizbang, or the Outtasite," or whatever
other design caught your eye and it comes with a universal hub. Kinda like
road wheels -- what design do you fancy, and we'll drill the holes to match
your bolt pattern.
Airbags, of course, changed all that. Now steering wheels are a system
instead of a lever.
The rulemakers way back then just wanted to be sure someone did not get some
great leverage advantage (I have an illegal-for-stock steering wheel in my
street '64 Spitfire -- stock came with a 16" wheel, the replacement is 13".
The one in the Prepared-class race car is 12").
--Rocky
----- Original Message -----
From: "Burns, James B." <James.Burns@jhuapl.edu>
To: "Team.Net" <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 1:07 PM
Subject: RE: Stock class steering wheels
> Thanks for the replies. That's pretty much how I remembered it. Anyone
> know why it is written that way? Why are the non-airbag cars allowed to
> swap but the airbag cars cannot install a different airbag steering wheel?
>
> Brad
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: William Loring [mailto:bloring@tirerack.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 2:02 PM
> > To: Burns, James B.; Team.Net
> > Subject: Re: Stock class steering wheels
> >
> >
> > Brad,
> >
> > Here's the rule:
> >
> > >Alternate steering wheels are allowed, provided the outside
> > >diameter is not changed by more than one inch from the standard
> > >size. Steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be changed.
> >
> > So no, you can't change any airbag steering wheel.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > William Loring
> >
> >
> >
> > on 9/24/02 12:50 PM, Burns, James B. at James.Burns@jhuapl.edu wrote:
> >
> > > Can someone please send me the rule book words regarding stock class
> > > steering wheels? (I lost my rulebook in a recent move.)
> > If I remember
> > > correctly, you can replace a non-airbag steering wheel with
> > a different one
> > > that is within 1" of the stock diameter, but you can't
> > replace a non-airbag
> > > steering wheel. What I'm wondering is whether I can
> > replace a steering
> > > wheel/airbag with a different steering wheel/airbag. i.e.,
> > can you legally
> > > put a '94 MR2 steering wheel/airbag in a '91 MR2? It seems
> > like this should
> > > meet the intent of the rule since the non-airbag cars get
> > to swap out their
> > > steering wheels.
> > >
> > > Brad B.
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