Talking about steering wheels
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Hey that's me. I always wanted a Jim Knowles raid wheel setup.
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I was hoping either no one noticed the Jim Knowles hub adapter or did not want to bid based on auction structure. It was not real smart of Slava81 to break up the wheel/hub, airbag, and clock spring squib connector. Total for all 3, almost the new price with no guarantee of getting all the pieces. Airbags from the auction way to rich for my blood.
Since I have a car again I research Lotus parts and supply chain to death these days in a effort to get my car back on the road ASAP on time and under budget. I found that the airbag and perhaps the wheel itself was made by Petri AG of Germany, steering wheel makers since 1899. Most car people know Petri was bought by Takata Japan's big air bag company a while back in 2000. So I started my search looking for just the airbag. Found one real cheap new on clearance as Raid Freeway airbag. When it was delivered the airbag was attached to a 360 mm carbon fiber/leather Freeway wheel. I removed the air bag and it does also fit the 340 mm Daytona I got from the auction. So I have a choice of 2 types to install. I'm thinking the 360 mm carbon fiber as it is brand new and it will allow a better sight of the instruments that some have mentioned the 340 mm blocked 1-2 of the gauges. I think the original GM wheel was 375 or 380 mm. Plus the Daytona is silver. I think the wheel is similar to the Elise wheel in that they both look better with the newer V8 pod than the older instrument pod against the silver of the wheel. All I need now is to wait for the weather to warm up so I can cruise the junk yard and get a squib connector off an early Passat/Audi A4/ Benz E420 or something like that. Unless Jim has an extra connector laying around his garage I could get off him. Oh forgot the CF 360 mm has way larger horn buttons with a better tactile switch like feel than the Daytona. The hand grip area is not as thick as the Daytona and fits my hand better. I will chemical dye the hub so it blends a bit better in the interior.
Slava81 might have problems moving the airbag and clock spring as I have learned one thing in this process. When a airbag deploys in a Raid wheel the integrity and structure is compromised that the wheel must be discarded. The squib will damage the wheel (some mentioned enclosure cracking) to the point that insurance and collision shop will just get a new wheel w/bag. So the market for just the bag is almost nil. Especially an old bag from 2005 like he has as the ones with good Raid wheels want to replace an 15 y/o+ aging bag just to be safe. The clock spring will certainly vex an unsuspecting buyer if he attempts to connected it to a GM wheel with the Raid connector.
It all worked out OK as I have admired the Jim Knowles setup but always spent my money on tires, suspension, or other items rather than optional items. Only other thing I wanted was the adjustable suspension. I was mortified when Travis mentioned what they were LOL. But as they approached what I could have made them for so I had to let them go.
Since I have a car again I research Lotus parts and supply chain to death these days in a effort to get my car back on the road ASAP on time and under budget. I found that the airbag and perhaps the wheel itself was made by Petri AG of Germany, steering wheel makers since 1899. Most car people know Petri was bought by Takata Japan's big air bag company a while back in 2000. So I started my search looking for just the airbag. Found one real cheap new on clearance as Raid Freeway airbag. When it was delivered the airbag was attached to a 360 mm carbon fiber/leather Freeway wheel. I removed the air bag and it does also fit the 340 mm Daytona I got from the auction. So I have a choice of 2 types to install. I'm thinking the 360 mm carbon fiber as it is brand new and it will allow a better sight of the instruments that some have mentioned the 340 mm blocked 1-2 of the gauges. I think the original GM wheel was 375 or 380 mm. Plus the Daytona is silver. I think the wheel is similar to the Elise wheel in that they both look better with the newer V8 pod than the older instrument pod against the silver of the wheel. All I need now is to wait for the weather to warm up so I can cruise the junk yard and get a squib connector off an early Passat/Audi A4/ Benz E420 or something like that. Unless Jim has an extra connector laying around his garage I could get off him. Oh forgot the CF 360 mm has way larger horn buttons with a better tactile switch like feel than the Daytona. The hand grip area is not as thick as the Daytona and fits my hand better. I will chemical dye the hub so it blends a bit better in the interior.
Slava81 might have problems moving the airbag and clock spring as I have learned one thing in this process. When a airbag deploys in a Raid wheel the integrity and structure is compromised that the wheel must be discarded. The squib will damage the wheel (some mentioned enclosure cracking) to the point that insurance and collision shop will just get a new wheel w/bag. So the market for just the bag is almost nil. Especially an old bag from 2005 like he has as the ones with good Raid wheels want to replace an 15 y/o+ aging bag just to be safe. The clock spring will certainly vex an unsuspecting buyer if he attempts to connected it to a GM wheel with the Raid connector.
It all worked out OK as I have admired the Jim Knowles setup but always spent my money on tires, suspension, or other items rather than optional items. Only other thing I wanted was the adjustable suspension. I was mortified when Travis mentioned what they were LOL. But as they approached what I could have made them for so I had to let them go.
Hey Cal,
I do have some airbag connectors but they are the newer style. They may very well work on the older Raid airbags but I'm not certain. You are welcome to try one if you like. If not, I know where you can possibly get an older style if needed.
Jim
I do have some airbag connectors but they are the newer style. They may very well work on the older Raid airbags but I'm not certain. You are welcome to try one if you like. If not, I know where you can possibly get an older style if needed.
Jim
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Jim,
Thanks OK this is the type of connector on the rear of the bag. If this is the connector you have please send me one and I will pay you for it. If not it seems pretty common and the type used in many German cars around the time era you did the group buys. It shows in my AMP connector catalog under squib connector and also used a lot by VW/Audi/Benz single stage SRS.
FYI these are the 2 wheels I ended up with. The Silver Daytona is what I got in the auction and slightly larger CF Freeway w/ the airbag
After all these years I finally got your steering wheel setup. If it was just me I probably would have gotten a quick release removable Momo race wheel like Keen had. But the airbag seemed to give my wife a little peace of mind knowing how we drive the cars. So I kept driving with the ugly GM wheel. But when I saw this hub (pic below) on ebay I knew it had to be one of yours and the price for the whole package was right even though bits and pieces had to come from different sources. But the only way I would have ended up with the package is because the way Slava81 listed the parts separately which prevented others from assembling the kit in an cost effective manner.
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Hey Jim is the airbag I got the older or newer style of connector?
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PM sent
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Here is a VERY nice RAID wheel for sale.. he also has in another listing the adapter..
RAID Atiwe Daytona Black Silver 340mm Airbag Steering Wheel | eBay
RAID Atiwe Daytona Black Silver 340mm Airbag Steering Wheel | eBay
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I know I don't get it. I would just buy a new one. Well no one has bought it and I suppose anyone can ask for any price. I paid like $250 for one of your used adapter from the S4s sale but it came with a Daytona wheel.
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