Steering wheel hub swaparoo!

[MacDrizzle]

Here is a project i did today. A customer wanted to use a steering wheel from one car for another. So I had to cut the existing hub from the OEM Mercury wheel and retrofit it to the Mazda wheel.

Tools used: gloves, saftey glasses (safety first), ear plugs,welding helmet, grinder/cutting, wheel, drill press, 1" drillbit, plasma cutter, and welder. Total time involved: aproximately 45 minutes.

Here are the two wheels before swap
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=241
Here I removed both hub centers from each wheel.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=242
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=243
Here is the original hole with hub removed.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=244
I then drilled it with a 1" drillbit so i could insert the hubcenter making it easy to trace an exactly centered large hole for the entire hub.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=245
I then used a plasma cutter to cut the large hole for the entire hub. *note:be sure to cut inside the line, so you can grind it to a perfect fit.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=246
I inserted the new hub and tacked it in place. Then I fitted to the car so it fit properly.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=248
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=247
I then welded the hub in and did some metal finishing to the front side.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=249
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=251
Painted 'er flat black to prevent rust and called it a day.
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=253
http://www.garage208.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=252

[baardoon]

heres a picture from eckzavier's camera
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/therockoutkid06/100_1151.jpg
the horn still works too. i'll get some old pics to compare old to new.

[Excessfc]

That is a pretty good looking bead.

[baardoon]

before: stock ugliness
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/therockoutkid06/100_0385.jpg
after: mx3 steering wheel
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/therockoutkid06/100_1155.jpg

[Money]

Nice upgrade - nice work too.

[MacDrizzle]

Thanks for the work BO! If any of you guys need custom fab work done lemme know.