Steering Wheel Removal, SIR System Damage

90cadillac02

NO.: 90-I-39
DATE: Feb. 1990
GROUP: 9 CORP. NO.: 019002
SUBJECT: STEERING WHEEL REMOVAL - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT (SIR)


When removing the steering wheel from an automobile equipped with a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) system, the two wheel-puller bolts from J-1859-03 may penetrate the SIR coil assembly if they are inserted too far into the steering wheel hub. This may result in SIR system damage and unnecessary repair.

The steering wheel hub design has been changed to permit penetration of only four to six threads of the wheel-puller bolts into the steering wheel hub holes of SIR equipped automobiles. This will aid in preventing the wheel-puller bolts from hitting the coil assembly, however, you must be careful not to apply excessive torque to these bolts. On vehicles built before this change was implemented you must be careful to insert the wheel-puller bolts only four to six threads deep to prevent the bolts from going all the way through the hub.

Tool J-38720 (steering wheel puller bolt) is designed with only enough threads to give adequate retention and avoid unnecessary damage as listed above. Check your local Kent-Moore distributor for availability.