Another Momo Hub on Airbag Equipped Car Thread

[E turd]

After poking around here and reading quite a few threads on the matter, I set forth to install my Momo wheel and hub in place of the nasty OE airbag wheel I got with the car. I was able to hunt down the non airbag spacer at the junk yard (I got three to be safe) and put one before the hub as well as one after the hub and it feels nice and solid, but the hub doesn't cancel the signals and the horn doesn't work. Before I got the spacers, I had some washers stacked up in their place and the turn signal cancel and horn worked fine, but the wheel was way too close to the stalks and the wheel felt kind of wobbly.


Now the wheel feels nice and solid, but I have the non functioning horn and turn signal cancel. As it is currently installed, there is a gap of about 6mm between the back edge of the hub and the plastic column trip pieces where the stock wheel used to sit against. Is this normal? Also, when I push the steering wheel in (as you would push the hub on to the splines), there seems to be a little bit of give, though everything seems to be on nice and tight. I know there is a spring back there, but just want to make sure it's supposed to be this way. Is this normal too?



Thanks in advance.

[constructor]

I believe you only need one spacer. Check RealOEM for the proper order of installation. I have a MOMO on my airbag car and both the signal cancel and horn work.

[cramer]

I use washers and a momo spacer to solve the close stalk issue:

[bmws50b30]

mine works fine with just one spacer. can't remember the orientation oft he install though.

[BraveUlysses]

You need two spacers. One comes on the car, and you get an additional one to properly install it.

Stackup should be:

Spacer | Hub | Spacer | Washer | Nut

Are you making sure the steering column isn't locked while you slide the spacers, hub and washer, and then re-engage it when you torque the wheel.

Not sure why your signals won't cancel.

[E turd]

You need two spacers. One comes on the car, and you get an additional one to properly install it.

Stackup should be:

Spacer | Hub | Spacer | Washer | Nut

Are you making sure the steering column isn't locked while you slide the spacers, hub and washer, and then re-engage it when you torque the wheel.

Not sure why your signals won't cancel.

This is the exact configuration I have now. During install I had the key in the ignition to allow removal of the hub so I'm not sure what else I need to do. I tried taking it all apart and putting it back together a second time and still had no luck. BTW, the spacer that goes on after the hub shouldn't effect turn signals canceling or horn operation if I understand correctly. Right?


Any other suggestions or ideas about where I effed up? Thanks for the help so far.

[E turd]

Update: I'm not sure if there are subtle differences between airbag, non airbag and transition year cars, but here is what I had to do to make it work.


1. Non Airbag Spacer. I tried putting one on before the hub and one after. The result was a gap between the back of the hub and the front of the plastic column trim pieces, no working horn, and turn signals not canceling. The solution for my car ended up being to use only one spacer after the hub.

2. Washer: I made the mistake of trying to install the spacer after the washer, which could have been disastrous if I hadn't read another thread where a guy used brute force to tighten the nut and sheared all of the spline teeth off the column. It's hard to see what's happening when the hub is on, but with the hub off you can see that the end of the steering column changes diameter (gets fatter) once the threaded area ends. The inside diameter of the spacer is perfect to slide over the fatter part of the column, but the washer's hole is too small. Thus, if you try putting the washer on before the spacer, once you get to the fatter part of the column you won't be able to get past is and the hub won't be as far back as it should be.

3. Hub Spacer: I ended up using the Sparco one sold on ebay through LTB. I think it looks and fits great, and the distance for my T-rex arms feels perfect.


In summary, here is the order for install on my car that worked:

1. Momo hub #2006
2. Non airbag model steering wheel spacer PN: 32311120260
3. Washer
4. Nut
5. Hub spacer
6. Horn contact ring (comes with the hub)
7. Steering wheel
8. Horn


Hope this helps someone in the future. Don't forget the key must be in the acc position to release the steering wheel lock pin before the factory wheel can be removed and the new hub can be installed!!!

[bmwsone01]

very helpful!!! thank you...i will post pics when i get mine on my 1991 318i (airbagged).

i did PM you a question...

[johnwoo]

very helpful!!! thank you...i will post pics when i get mine on my 1991 318i (airbagged).

i did PM you a question...

have pics? im about to do mine. just need to go pick up that spacer

[johnwoo]

hey op which washer are you talking about is it?
is the washer number 3 in the pic. just trying to figure out if i need to go snag it from the jy or if i could just pick one up at the hardware store.

[E turd]

I believe it's number 4 in that picture. It's a stepped washer. I made the mistake of ordering two from the stealership thinking it would be hard to get the steering wheel off a car at the yard. Then, while I was waiting for them to arrive, I was walking around the yard without any tools and found 3. Two of them were on the floor where they had been tossed by whoever removed the wheel. The third one was still on the column. I believe I found the third one on an old 5 series so you can look there too. Just walk around and look for any bimmers with the steering wheel already removed.

[Systema]

Hey, one quick question for anyone out there who's done this successfully: I just tried to install my Mtech I wheel in my airbag car, and I notice that when I turn the wheel, it feels and sounds like the plastic tab on the back of the wheel that cancels the turn signal is bumping against something every 1/4 turn or so.

My setup goes like this: Spacer>wheel>spacer>washer>nut, but I've tried a bunch of other ways with the same result each time. Right now I've got it set up like spacer>spacer>wheel>washer>nut just so that I can drive it, but the turn signals don't cancel. Has anyone else had the same problem and solved it?

EDIT: I figured out the problem. For anyone else installing an MTech I wheel in a '91 318i with an airbag wheel, the white plastic tab towards the top of the steering column (this http://imgur.com/0iUhN.jpg) rubs against a couple of screws inside the wheel hub (the ones that secure the plastic tab that cancels the turn signals). From what I can tell, that tab is only there to perform some function with the airbag wheel, and has no purpose otherwise. My solution was to just take a pair of wire cutters and cut it off short enough to where it wasn't causing a problem. Hope that helps someone later on.

[ypresman]

Update: I'm not sure if there are subtle differences between airbag, non airbag and transition year cars, but here is what I had to do to make it work.


1. Non Airbag Spacer. I tried putting one on before the hub and one after. The result was a gap between the back of the hub and the front of the plastic column trim pieces, no working horn, and turn signals not canceling. The solution for my car ended up being to use only one spacer after the hub.

2. Washer: I made the mistake of trying to install the spacer after the washer, which could have been disastrous if I hadn't read another thread where a guy used brute force to tighten the nut and sheared all of the spline teeth off the column. It's hard to see what's happening when the hub is on, but with the hub off you can see that the end of the steering column changes diameter (gets fatter) once the threaded area ends. The inside diameter of the spacer is perfect to slide over the fatter part of the column, but the washer's hole is too small. Thus, if you try putting the washer on before the spacer, once you get to the fatter part of the column you won't be able to get past is and the hub won't be as far back as it should be.

3. Hub Spacer: I ended up using the Sparco one sold on ebay through LTB. I think it looks and fits great, and the distance for my T-rex arms feels perfect.


In summary, here is the order for install on my car that worked:

1. Momo hub #2006
2. Non airbag model steering wheel spacer PN: 32311120260
3. Washer
4. Nut
5. Hub spacer
6. Horn contact ring (comes with the hub)
7. Steering wheel
8. Horn


Hope this helps someone in the future. Don't forget the key must be in the acc position to release the steering wheel lock pin before the factory wheel can be removed and the new hub can be installed!!!

I know this is an old thread... but I'm gonna be doing this work soon... why did you use a hub spacer for after tightening the nut? To move the wheel further away from the turn stalk? Also did you need to remove any "air bag" wheel spacer off the shaft before sliding the new wheel on?


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