C5 Corvette Steering Wheel Removal and Aftermarket Install 

It will! Just make sure you get the NRG SRK-177H hub (C6) instead of the NRG SRK-170H hub (C5).

I couldn't get any of the resistors to work so I just don't worry about it, it doesn't bother me. I have to pull apart my dash to retrofit a color HUD so when I do that then I'll just take out the bulb from the cluster.

Yup, there are codes if you do the special code bank check using the DIC but not check engine codes.

Loose? It’s lose.

I got the Shark Bar.

Pretty sick right? I painted it anodized aluminum red but I found it on ebay. Just search "corvette horn button" on ebay and you should be able to find it.

JDMricist man that takes it over the top. I see some on there but I'm not sure which one fits. And red anodized? That's clear red right?

It should be universal. Yeah, anodized aluminum paint is a translucent paint usually painted over an unpainted metallic or silver metallic (like brushed aluminum) surface giving the effect that it was actually anodized aluminum which is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish.

I just found the horn button. I thought it was ebay but it was actually Amazon. www.amazon.com/Corvette-Steering-Button-Chevrolet-General/dp/B008QH23YA/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1520878744&sr=1-1&keywords=corvette+logo+horn+button There is also a C5 logo version. I got the C6 logo because I replaced all the other badges to C6 batches in honor of my wrecked C6. And because I prefer the look.

JDMricist I can't thank you enough. Some guys don't like to share their secrets. I appreciate it. I already ordered the steering wheel. I went with a MOMO but I'm definitely ordering the horn button today. That just adds that personal touch to it. I'm going to be in touch with you too about what seats for in the C5. Thanks again man.

I appreciate it bro! It is pretty much the ultimate interior setup. Well you don't need the spacer but the steering wheel won't be straight because the hub doesn't have a bolt hole at dead center top and bottom but the quick release adapter does so the steering wheel would be rotated either 10* left or 10* right and that is something that NRG wouldn't know unless they have personally tried to install their hub on a Corvette. I even had an alignment right before I did this install so unless they messed up the alignment by a whole perfect 10* then you will need the spacer if you want your steering wheel aligned properly. I will be getting a racing 4 corner balance and alignment within a week or two so I'll comment back here and let you know if you need the spacer for a straight steering wheel or not. If I don't by October 10th then DM me cause I will definitely get it done by then. As far as the 300mm wheel, I wouldn't do it because that would be REALLY small for comfortable daily driving. It would be really hard to drive straight in your lane because narrowing the wheel diameter effectively quickens the steering ratio a lot especially if you have super wide tires and are already tramlining a lot so the tiniest movements with your hands will translate that much more to the front wheels making the car super darty/twitchy on bumpy roads especially on bumpy or unleveled highways. Hope that helps!

JDMricist much appreciated brother. Makes sense to go for the 330mm wheel. Can't wait for u to post a vid when u take it on the track. Later

Got the wheel on. Looks awesome. Thanks for making for the help

No problem, glad I could help!

I don't remember seeing that question. It's a good question but unfortunately not one I know the answer to since I don't have the OEM steering wheel anymore to compare and it's been a looooong time since I did the swap. If you want the steering wheel a lot closer to you then you want a deep dish steering wheel. Like this one: www.amazon.com/Innovations-Reinforced-RST-033BK-S-Racing-Steering/dp/B07HDH7K4S/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1539469151&sr=1-5&keywords=deep+dish+steering+wheel+330mm Don't forget the quick release hub too, that will also bring the steering wheel closer to you rather than just bolting it right on the adapter hub. I do remember that the difference with the adapter hub, quick release hub, and spacer wasn't too much different than stock so if you get a deep dish steering wheel then it should definitely bring the wheel closer to you and give you the seat position you're looking for but if it brings it too close to you then get rid of the spacer or the quick release adapter. Unrelated to the positioning but the smaller diameter (330mm) of the steering wheel REALLY helps quicken the turn-in as well which was my favorite benefit. Makes the car feel so much more nimble in tight turns on the twisties and autocrossing.

The wires for the airbag and horn won't let you do that. I hated the spacer at first but since I don't have my deep Nardi anymore the 1/2" spacer helps bring the wheel a bit closer to me which is good. At my optimal seating position I'm able to put my wrists on the top of the steering wheel so it's perfect.

Mine is a C5 2003 Z06. For a Z06, I wouldn't spend more than $18k for a clean mid to low mileage car. For just a normal C5 non Z06 around $12-$14k

There are splines on each side but they aren't cut all the way though.

Yup! It does and I did.

I forgot what I said about keeping it clean in the video but it's not really that hard actually once you adapt and by adapt I mean washing your hands more regularly like every time before you drive. If you do that then it's not much harder to keep clean than a regular leather steering wheel although even washing your hands everytime before you drive you do still need to clean the steering wheel with cleaner probably twice as often as you would a regular leather steering wheel. Also you will want to use suede cleaner to clean it. I use those suede cleaners for shoes with the brush looking tip so you could gently massage the cleaner into the fibers to get all the oil and dirt out but try not using too much cleaner or it will make the nice fuzzy texture the suede has a lot more rough but if that happens, just rinse with water and dry off. All that is definitely more involving than a leather steering wheel but I think it's totally worth the luxurious/sporty feel you get from the suede. I just recently installed a suede C6 shift knob and boot and finished up part 3 of the double din radio trim install so that video will be up soon. Bringing those suede elements from the racing seats, steering wheel, and shifter which is everything you touch totally changes the way people feel about the "cheap" interior people complain about. Also I don't remember if I mentioned this but the smaller wheel TOTALLY fixes the sloppy turn in Corvettes seem to have and makes driving SO much more fun! I can't stress that enough so weather you choose a leather or suede steering wheel, get one as small as you can stand. I personally wouldn't go smaller than 330mm though unless your vette is specifically or at least primarily a track car because with the turn in and response you gain you lose that much more accuracy from finer movements like keeping the car straight on the highway as well as having less diameter which means less leverage. Don't worry about leverage though because although it is noticeably harder to turn the steering wheel at first, after driving with your new smaller steering wheel for about a week you build the muscle right away and get used to it. If it still feels to tight or hard to turn then go with some thinner power steering fluid. Sorry for writing a freaking novel on this stuff but I hope the info helps. Thanks for watching!

JDMricist Thank you for all that. Yes, I feel like suede gives a luxurious look and feel to vehicles. Can’t wait to get a new wheel. Thanks again.

If you don't unplug those wires the airbag could go off in your face when you try to remove it because of residual electric current in the system. Even if you unplug the battery there are capacitors in the system that stay charged for a long time so you want to disconnect the airbag from not only the battery but from the system too which is why you remove those two yellow plugs.

Awesome! Thank you. Did you just close that wire off and hide it in the assembly?

This one: www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/jaw-attachment-puller/oem-jaw-attachment-puller/2044_0?_requestid=4428394 Don't forget that you could rent it although it's not that expensive if you just wanted to buy it.

Woa, that's so crazy! I see what you mean, but at 10:04 right before I say "Toyo" You could just barely see the TOYO on the top right of the sidewall. But yeah, you could barely see any markings on it in the video, that's really weird. Probably cause of the movement and low light.

JDMricist can you help me find the right pulley? Buying parts this week

Yeah duders, right here: www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/jaw-attachment-puller/oem-jaw-attachment-puller/2044_0?_requestid=4428394 lmk if you have any questions.

Thanks for the input, I've also been wanting to do that as well and since this is finals week I'll finally have plenty of time to get back to the list of projects that I've been wanting to finish so I'll start with the airbag light eliminator resistor as soon as I find the right resistors. Do you know which kind and rating of resistors your friend sent you so I could order some?

JDMricist what year is yours and i'll get right back

Thanks! '03

From a person that has owned both, I could definitely give you some info to help you decide! Unless you really like the looks of a C6 better then you should definitely get a C5Z! I traded my C6 in my avatar for the C5Z and am so glad I did. Here's why. The C6 (non-Z06) is noticeably heavier than the C5Z or C5 FRC by about 280lbs and you really feel it. The worse part about the C6 that I just couldn't stand is that everything feels so laggy... The rev-hang was atrocious, TCS and AH kicks in when it's too late, and the steering just doesn't feel as responsive (which might be because of the extra weight). Last thing is the way it builds power up top compared to the completely flat rpm band of the C6. It just feels way more fun the way the LS6 puts the power down compared to the LS2 or LS3. Those were the reasons why I wasn't happy with my C6 so I test drove a C5Z and fell in love. You should definitely test drive both before making a decision (I wish I did before I bought my C6) then go from there. If you don't plan on driving your Vette at it's limits and really prefer the looks of the C6 like my Dad then you should go with that. But if you plan on autocrossing or just hoon around a lot like me then I think you would be happier with a C5Z. It's not like I hated my C6, it's just that I found the C5Z to perform better as well as prefered the beefier look better too although I can understand why people like the looks of the C6 better. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you are going to get a C6 you should go all the way with a C6Z and if not then get a C5Z. These cars are BEASTS for the money so I'm sure you will be happy with whichever one you get. Last thing to note, the prices of C5Z's are going up and the prices of C6's and even C6Z's are going down. Hope any of that helps Mr. "I split lanes like a boss". What was that, a BMW C1? That looked sick. I'd kill myself if I got a bike.

Just buy base C5 and dump 10K in to the mods like cam, heads,long tube headers, exhaust, intake and coilovers. It will become Z06+. You dont have to invest all that money at the same time and car will slowly become better and better.

It is the Sparco one, they include a Sparco badge that you put on horn button, I just chose to not put it on because I was waiting for the one with the Corvette logo that I ordered that you see when I show the finished results at 16:10

JDMricist ok cool thanks I guess I missed that part.

JDMricist where did you get the corvette horn button?

Dewey Goodman www.amazon.com/Corvette-Steering-Button-Chevrolet-General/dp/B008QH23YA/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1520878744&sr=1-1&keywords=corvette+logo+horn+button

It's called ISC Racerstape. It's an industrial strength cloth tape. Perfect for the application.

JDMricist did you get any codes or air bag light on dash because you removed airbag

Yup, but a 2.2k ohm 1 watt resistor should take care of that. I'm just looking for a place locally that sells them since Radio Shack went out of business.

Thanks! It's my latest revision of the project that almost looks perfect now. I'm working on a part 3 video right now that will show you exactly what paint to get and what sanding process used to get a pretty much perfectly matched surface.