After Market Steering Wheels legal? (89-90)

[Sil1580]

Hey wassup people. I got a '89 and i was wondering if a aftermarket steering wheel is illegal on my car since it is a '89. Isn't there some kind of law that steering wheels must have air bags depending on what year the vehicle is?

[uiuc240]

you don't have air bags. do whatever you want. just make sure it has a working horn button.

Eric

[nissan slut]

i'm 92% sure it's ok on your car, since it probably does not have an airbag being an 89-90. it's the ones with airbags that is illegal to take off, but it might be legal to replace it with another airbag wheel. btw, illegal except for offroad and show use.

EDIT: damn my slow computer and slow fingers

[kurissuS13]

isn't it still legal, tho, if the airbag had already blown? i remember reading somewhur that putting a steering wheel w/o airbags or an aftermarket steering wheel in a car originally equipped with airbags is okay as long as the airbag had previously been deployed.

correct me if i'm wrong, tho.

[Sil1580]

wait does my 89 have airbags? haha :p

[kurissuS13]

Originally posted by Sil1580
wait does my 89 have airbags? haha :p

iirc, S13's never came equipped with airbags, which is the reason why they came equipped, in the US, with automatic seatbelts.

[uiuc240]

Originally posted by kurissuS13
isn't it still legal, tho, if the airbag had already blown? i remember reading somewhur that putting a steering wheel w/o airbags or an aftermarket steering wheel in a car originally equipped with airbags is okay as long as the airbag had previously been deployed.

correct me if i'm wrong, tho.

you're right. and unlike catalytic converters, you can actually disable airbags if you want. you just have to tell your insurance company that you're doing so. there were enough lawsuits about people being injured due to airbags, that they added a clause about removing/disabling them. this might not apply to all states, though. check locally. if you are curious, call the police :)

Eric

[DoriftoSlut]

Only S13's with Airbags were in Japan (94+ 180sx, iirc. Maybe it was 96+... anyway...)

There ws a US law stating that if a vehicle was not equipped with Airbags, it had to be equipped with auto-seatbelts so that people "had" to wear their belt. Yuck... stupid legislators of the 80's... like that really KEPT people safe...:rolleyes:

Anyway, how about the legality of switching the S13's auto-belts to S14 manual ones...? :)

[AKADriver]

The reason for that - early airbags weren't designed to be just supplemental restraints, they made overpowered to restain unbelted drivers. Of course this led to lawsuits later since the overpowered bags were bad for small people that wore their belts.

Even though I understand the reasoning for the laws (the idea being reducing insurance claims) it just feels like the government trying to protect us from ourselves.

[96SEChick]

I wouldn't think it would be legal to disable the airbags on a car that came equipped with them. I could very possibly be wrong, though. I just think that if they're there, they're there for a reason, and that's why there's a law requiring airbags in ALL cars built after a certain year (was it '96?).

[CoasTek240]

Originally posted by Dorifto180sx
Anyway, how about the legality of switching the S13's auto-belts to S14 manual ones...? :)
does anyone know if its aiigth to do. i took my auot seatbelts out, b/c one of my motors is gone. so b4 i can drive my car i need some s14 seatbelts.. does anyone know if it's ok?. its not liek the inspection station will even notice. i took the track off and everything.

[DoriftoSlut]

Thats what i want to know. The inpectors will never know, but if you wreck [and possibly get hurt] your insurance company may void your coverage. If not because you installed non-auto seat belts, but because you didn't tell them about it. I would call you ins. company and see what they say. If they would still cover you, go for it. If they say hell no, be like "well I was just WONDERING.."
Also, try telling them they are a safety improvement b/c they dont have moving parts that often stop working properly.:)

[Dousan_PG]

seatbelts have lifetime warrantys by dealers
if it breaks they should fix it, for free. its safety. dont quote me on ths but i've had my old car's seatbelt get all saggy and wouldnt retract. so i took it in and they fixed it for free (3 years ago on my accord)

no changing your belts is NOT going to get covered by insurance if they find out. you are removing safety equipment. the dealer can remove and replace but since they are "trained" and such its different.

at least that's what ive heard/my .02 cents

[AKADriver]

Whether it's legal to drive with non-auto belts depends on the wording of the law in your state. Either way you're not likely to get ticketed for it.

In many states that would fail the safety inspection. I think it might pass in New York, definite fail in Maryland though.

Your insurance company has the right to not pay for your injuries if you're involved in an accident. Though with a good lawyer if the accident's not your fault you should be able to get it out of the other guy.

Nissan does have a lifetime seatbelt warranty.

Technically a lot of the mods we make are similar under the law... brake swaps, headlight mods, chassis bracing... It's just one of the risks you accept to own a modified car.

[boro240]

back to the topic at hand, yes you can change your S13 wheel.