Installing Flat Bottom Steering Wheel

[Peter P18]

I've recently fitted an aftermarket flat bottom steering wheel to my 2008 Lexus IS-F. This is a guide on the steps involved in removing your OEM wheel, and swapping over the controls to your new one, before re-installing it on your car. The process takes around an hour, but should take as long as you need to do it comfortably. Don't worry about the clock, just make sure you follow the steps carefully to avoid damage.

The photos are a mixture of my car, and Vervish from The Club Lexus forum. Hopefully he won't object to me using them to help other owners install their steering wheels. If he does, I'll do my own when I have time.

Tools needed:

- 10mm spanner or socket

- 19mm deep socket

- small flat head screwdriver

- medium Phillips screwdriver

- T30 torque socket/star drive

- trim removal tools

- needle nose pliers

- electrical tape

- selection of ratchets and extension bars

Before we start, make sure your steering wheel is central, and your steering wheel lock isn't engaged!! This is crucial as it will make sure it's centered when you fit the new one.

Step one:

Dis-connect the Battery by loosening the negative terminal of your Battery. This will be a 10mm nut on the near side as you lean into the engine bay. Lift the connector off the Battery post and anchor it somewhere safe. You need to be sure it can't move back and make contact with the Battery post while your working in the car. Next up you need to sit in the cabin and fully depress the beaker pedal for 90 seconds. This will help ensure all charge has been released from the airbag system.

Step two:

Remove the two plastic covers located behind the steering wheel that hide the T30 bolts that hold the airbag in place. The covers are on each side of the wheel, and need to be prised off carefully with a trim removal tool or small flat head screwdriver. If your using the screwdriver, wrap the tip in some electrical tape to prevent it from damaging the soft plastic covers. This is the cover on the drivers side with the cruise control stalk sticking out of it:

Stick the trim tool or screwdriver in like this:

And gently pry the cover off to reveal the T30 star drive bolts underneath:

Now undo the T30's using a ratchet.

Step three:

Grasp the airbag either side and gently pull it towards you. If it won't budge, try un-doing the T30's a bit more. Once it does release, you need to turn it slightly so you can see the wires on the back.

There are 3 wires to dis-connect. The two shown in the photo above are removed by prying the tabs upwards with the small flat head screwdriver. The third wire is a black earthing wire at the bottom. You can pry this off carefully with the flat headed screwdriver as well.

With the 3 connections un-done, you can move the airbag to somewhere safe like the passenger footwell.

Step four:

Before un-doing the main 19mm nut that holds the steering wheel in place, carefully untuck the wires from the retaining clips. Make a mental note or take a photo on your phone/camera to help get the wires tucked back in the same positions later. Now unplug the 3 connectors shown below with the small flat headed screwdriver:

With the wiring all dis-connected and freed from the retaining clips, un-do the main 19mm nut. Don't remove the nut fully, as we need to release the wheel from its splines. You do this by pulling the wheel towards you evenly from the top, bottom, and sides. Short, sharp pulls will do the trick. Once the wheel is loose, you can fully un-do the 19mm nut and remove it along with the steering wheel.

You will need to carefully feed the wiring through the wheel to remove it. Be really careful to do this without disturbing the spiral cables location. The spiral cable needs to stay as close to the position it's in when you remove the wheel as possible. Reason being it is wound to allow the wires to move when you turn the wheel. If you alter the distance by spinning the spiral cable, you rusk snapping the wires when using full lock. If you're worried about knocking it, use some electrical tape to hold it in place. I'll add a photo of the spiral cable shortly.

Step five:

With the old wheel now off, move indoors to somewhere clean and clear. I used the dining room table with a blanket on it. The only tools you now need are the Phillips screwdriver, and the needle nose pliers.

First controls to remove are the stereo/phone controls. These are held on with a single cross headed screw and 2 plunger tabs. Undo the screw and gently pry the controls off towards you.

You won't be able to take them off completely yet, let them hang freely and flip the wheel over so you can access the back.

Gently squeeze the white clip shown with the needle nose pliers. Push it through the hole and flip it back to the face.

Now we can un-do the white clip that connects the stereo/phone controls in place:

Next up is the cruise control stalk. This is held on with just two Phillips head screws (one being pointed at plus the one directly above it):

Next are the paddle shifters. You need to flip the wheel over so you can access the back. You need to keep the screws from each component separate from each other. This will help ensure everything goes back together properly. The paddle shifter screws are also coated with a green anti-seize. These MUST go back where they came from when re-installing on your new wheel.

The controls have a handy 'R' and 'L' embossed on them so you can't get mixed up when re-installing!

With the paddles removed, flip the wheel over to the front and un-do the dampener by removing these two screws:

Next up is the 2 screws that hold the plastic surround in place. These are a different type to all the other screws. You need to make sure these go back in the same place on the new wheel. Last up is un-clipping the bottom of the surround plastic by pressing the tabs:

Top screws:

Bottom tabs:

Step six:

Re-installation is the reverse of the above. The order will be:

- install plastic surround

- install dampener

- install paddle shifters

- install cruise control

- install stereo/phone controls

Now you should have your new steering wheel with all the controls installed.

Line up the new steering wheel so it's centred, and the wires can feed back through the dampener. Tuck the wires back in as they were on the original wheel. Use your photo if you can't remember the order.

The steering wheel shaft itself will only allow you to push the wheel on in certain positions. Make sure it's centered properly before pushing it on. Tighten up the 19mm nut as tight as you can comfortably. If you want to torque it down accurately, the setting is 50Nm, but tight as I can without busting a blood vessel works just as well!

Re-connect the connectors at the top and make sure all the wires are running/tucked where they should be.

Connect the airbag wires up (connections and wire tips are colour coded). Hold the wires in place and push the clips down. Connect the earth wire and place the airbag against the steering wheel.

Tighten up the 2 T30's either side of the steering wheel. Re-fit the 2 plastic covers which will click into place.

Re-connect the negative Battery terminal and tighten down with the 10mm spanner.

Start up and test drive! :)

You'll need to re-programme your electric windows and set the clock as well.

Any issues, post here or PM me.

Thanks.

Peter :)

[North west beast]

Brill mate , whose wheel was that off with the sport button on it , wasn't your car surely .

[Peter P18]

Brill mate , whose wheel was that off with the sport button on it , wasn't your car surely .

No David, photos are from Vervish. He's a guy from NJ with the newer 2010 onwards model.

Did say I used his photos and mine at the beginning of the post. ;)

[North west beast]

Brill mate , whose wheel was that off with the sport button on it , wasn't your car surely .

No David, photos are from Vervish. He's a guy from NJ with the newer 2010 onwards model.

Did say I used his photos and mine at the beginning of the post. ;)

Oh lol I never read that bit ha silly me .

[North west beast]

It's a shame the new wheel doesn't have the f logo on it , I like that bit on the oem one .

Plus I defo wouldn't have taken the new style wheel off to replace with the flat bottom one .

The blue looks great plus shows the car has LSD . But everyone to there own .

[Peter P18]

It's a shame the new wheel doesn't have the f logo on it , I like that bit on the oem one .

Plus I defo wouldn't have taken the new style wheel off to replace with the flat bottom one .

The blue looks great plus shows the car has LSD . But everyone to there own .

You can always fit the newer style wheel on yours though mate. ;)

Wouldn't have the mechanical LSD though!

The US guys are the same about the F logo delete. Saying that, we gained an extra logo on our carbon knobs! ;)

Really liking the chunkier feel and sportier look of the flat bottom though.

Each to their own though David as you said. :)

[Peter P18]

Here's a photo of the spiral cable I mentioned in my install thread:

The steering dampener will square this up when you re-install the new wheel. The trick is to keep this as close to the position it's in when you remove the old one.

As long as you don't rotate it, it'll go back together fine. :)

More than happy to help if anyone wants to get one, and bring it to my house in Kent?

Cheers guys.

Peter :)

[Stuno1]

Top work Pete. Well done.

[Peter P18]

Top work Pete. Well done.

Thanks Stu. :)

[North west beast]

Were you wearing furry gloves when you done the wheel mate or are you a wear wolf .hairyest hands I've ever seen lol

[Peter P18]

Were you wearing furry gloves when you done the wheel mate or are you a wear wolf .hairyest hands I've ever seen lol

Not my hands mate. ;)

Those photos are from the chap in New Jersey. :)

Mine are pretty normal unless it's a full moon! ;)

[North west beast]

Were you wearing furry gloves when you done the wheel mate or are you a wear wolf .hairyest hands I've ever seen lol

Not my hands mate. ;)

Those photos are from the chap in New Jersey. :)

Mine are pretty normal unless it's a full moon! ;)

Phew I can sleep easy . I thought there was a werewolf in the uk lol