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2014 - Tutorial: 2015 STI, WRX steering wheel into SJ

('14-'18) 
134K views 183 replies 73 participants last post by  544721 
#1 · (Edited)
So here's a quick tutorial on how to do this, it's pretty easy, should take only 30mins or so if you're used to wrenching on your car. Maybe 45mins to 1 hour if you're not. I take my time to not make mistakes so I take a full hour :)

Tools needed:

Smaller flat head screwdriver
Philips screw driver
17mm socket and breaker bar
torque wrench
10mm wrench

Precautions:

Do this at your OWN risk, when modifying the steering wheel or removing air bag modules, you risk damaging the air bag, deploying it or some other crazy thing. If you don't torque the wheel nut back correctly, your wheel can come off during driving and cause a deadly accident. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

1.

Use 10mm socket and remove the negative battery terminal, then press on the brake a few times. Wait about 10-15mins then come back and press on brake again to make sure there's no residual electrical current in the systems. THIS IS CRUCIAL otherwise you risk deploying the airbag when unplugging it.

2.

There are 3 holes behind/side of the wheel. You need to use a small flathead to push against this spring loaded metal clip thing to release the airbag. If you're having trouble understanding how it works, look at your STI/WRX wheel and play with the clip and you'll see how it works.



3.

After the 3 clip things, the air bag will pop out, there will be 3 connections to remove, a grey ground wire and 2 SRS wires, one black and one red connector. The wires for SRS are always yellow. It should look like this after you removed the airbag.



4.

Look your steering column if you haven't done it yet. I didn't do that because I had to rotate the wheel to access the 3 holes with better angles.

Now remove the 2 connectors that control the cruise/radio and MFD, they are near the top of the wheel, white connectors.



5.

You are ready to remove the wheel! Get a 17mm socket and a breaker bar and remove the nut. Use a quick forceful jab to remove it. The Forester seems easier to break the nut than my STI.

Make a mark on the stud in some relation to the wheel and take a picture so you know where to align it back later.

6.

Thread back the nut on a few turns so the wheel won't fly off when you pull it. You have to pull on it hard different directions to get the off. Once is off, slowly pull the wheel out and DO NOT LET THE CLOCKSPRING rotate too much. If you do, you have to reset the clockspring via some procedure. :censored:




The old wheel with the STI one ready for transplant :D



7.

Flip the wheel over and remove 4 bolts with the philips and 2 connectors for the paddle shifters (if applicable) and this one brown clip.



8.

Flip the wheel back to front and remove the connector that was with the brown clip.



Also remove the MFD controls screw shown here:




9.

Now you can just pull on the cover to flip it back to reveal the 3 hidden screws for the 2 side controls (radio, cruise ) and the bottom silver bezel thing.

Unscrew those 3 screws then pull on the 2 steering controls to remove them, they are not that tight but don't worry too much about breaking it.


Should look like this now.




2 wheels side by side naked :D The STI/WRX one is slightly smaller. Didn't measure but I estimate about 1" in diameter or so.




10.

Now you can transfer the wiring, controls, MFD control into the new back cover. I hope you took some pictures along the way so you know how it goes LOL. Or just check my past pictures here.



11. Optional

If you're anal, you can trim the back cover so it doesn't bulge out like this or trim the silver bezel. I just left it as it doesn't interfere with anything.




11B. Trimming

This is the part you should trim or just get a scissors or some cutter to cut these 2 plastic tabs off. The wheel cover was made for the STI air bag which is shorter and the STI bezel piece which is bigger. So we have to trim this crap off.





12.

Now reverse the steps and put back the pieces to the new wheel staring with the Steering controls and the bezel, then the connectors and that brown clip and remember to also screw in everything. I almost missed the MFD screw.

Lastly put back the 2 paddle shifters.



Done!

13.

Time to put the wheel back into the car! Align it back however you marked and make sure it's correct. Again don't move the clockspring too much.
Reconnect the 2 connectors for the cruise/radio/mfd stuff at the top.



14.

Torque the 17mm nut to about 28-30 ft-lbs

Once that's done, reconnect the airbag connectors and ground wire, then just pop the airbag back into the wheel, it should just click in.

15.

Completion, put back the negative battery terminal and start up the car to ON only to make sure no SRS lights light up.



Make sure when starting up the car, there's no SRS light on as well, otherwise you did something wrong.
 
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#9 ·
Yes that's correct, just make sure you get the wrx back cover, NOT the sti, otherwise you won't have the gaps for the paddles. Unless you're doing this on 6MT, then get the STI one :)



Awesome, thanks FlashEngineer for your informative writing up.
I have some question like Writetap_MD, please help to confirm the part that is fit to FXT AT with paddle_shift:
WRX back cover: 34317VA010 (AT version with paddle_shift)
STI steering wheel: 34312va020vh

Thanks,
Tommy
 
#7 ·
Awesome, thanks FlashEngineer for your informative writing up.
I have some question like Writetap_MD, please help to confirm the part that is fit to FXT AT with paddle_shift:
WRX back cover: 34317VA010 (AT version with paddle_shift)
STI steering wheel: 34312va020vh

Thanks,
Tommy
 
#10 ·
Note: Because the bezel piece on the bottom and airbag isn't really for this wheel, you'll see a small gap on certain angles. If that bothers you, you can shell out another grand to get the airbag and the STI bezel for perfect swap! Hell go all out and get the darker WRX paddles and the radio/cruise pieces too LOL
 
#13 ·
Hey it's one of cheaper mods, the damn sport grill cost more... and less functional than this. Yeah I can take a pic, it's near the bezel at certain angles you can see some gap. The same would happen in the WRX wheel...

You really need to get the airbag + correct bezel for 100% fitment lol... knowing me and my OCD, I would eventually do it.

Awesome write up. I'm getting a damd installed soon this should help!
Ya DAMD should be easier man, don't need to swap out the controls
 
#21 ·
Not that all wheels may be manufactured the exact same, but curious if the splines for the wheel lined up the same as your FXT wheel? Is your wheel centered the same as it was with the stock wheel? I just had an alignment re-done and it's perfect now. I'd hate to have to go back again if the new wheel is off at all, but I will heheheeeee. I should be doing this next week and have the parts now. Thank you again for all the great info.
 
#29 ·
The "lower cover" pn's I posted are actually the rear section cover (as you probably already know.)

What I'd like to do is try and retain my OE rear (lower, as termed by Subaru) cover. I don't have the 3 section info button array like you all do. If I order a new WRX rear cover, that will leave a gaping hole. Not what I want..

So I may just order the Sti wheel and see what I can do to get my OE rear cover to fit. It's certainly worth a shot..
 
#31 ·
The OE cover will fit but at the bottom spoke, it won't be long enough and there will be a gap about 1" from the plastic piece to the bottom of the wheel.
Well I guess that answers that question... Damn! Oh well, I'll have to come up with some way to cover the new "gaping side hole" of the WRX rear cover.

Thanks man, great tutorial BTW. :smile:
 
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