hueyduey

Pictures might not show all the fine details, but it looks like you scored on some excellent condition used parts. I might do the same, but keep my stock airbag with the STi wheel.

Once you complete the interior conversion it's going to be like driving a whole different car.

k3nj11

Thread Starter

I'm not going to lie, there are some fine details that aren't shown in the pictures, there are some flaws in both parts BUT for the price paid it can't be beat. If I wanted perfect, I would've just ordered it from the factory/stealership and paid the "brand new" price of it all.....but I'm a cheap b@stard and try to get all my stuff as thriftily as possible .

All in all, I'm quite happy with both items and can't wait to pickup the next pieces of the puzzle.

I'm not entirely sure you can maintain use of the stock airbag in the STi steering wheel or not but I do know you can wire in the 2-stage airbag to our cars and it work just fine so that's the plan of attack I'm going with. I think you're right though about completing the interior conversion, it'll feel like and entirely different car when I'm finished.

havocsoftener

Do want that steering wheel! here's that deck i mentioned earlier-http://www.ocarusa.com/

k3nj11

Thread Starter

Finders Keepers! heheh.....

That's a fairly neat HU, too bad it's only applicable for the the iPhone 3, 3G, and 4 though plus it isn't double din which is what I want to keep. Even so, very cool idea.

havocsoftener

Ya i like it, only thing I do not like about it is you have to actually turn off the radio app before you can play your ipod

k3nj11

Thread Starter

Yeah, I think I might just go for one if my two options I listed earlier. Keeps it OEM looking but would still allow me to use my iPod or iPhone to play music or whatever AND is cheaper.

fraktal

why can't you swap airbag charges? that's all i had to do when i put a 06 sti wheel into my 04 recently.

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2004 FXT Stg2 6MT DCCDPro R180 5x114.3

pigboat_2

Do a writeup on the airbag if I haven't mentioned it already!

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k3nj11

Thread Starter

Actually, I was just drawing from memory about a thread I read a while back and saved. All the info I'm going to use is found here:
05 STI steering wheel with cruise swap into an 04 XT.
How To - Swap a 2004 USDM STi Steering Wheel into a 2002 WRX - NASIOC

Haha, will do man. Once I get all my parts gathered up I'll be doing a nice write-up of what I did and how I did it, complete with pictures and all.

fraktal

first link is good info if you plan to wire up the newer 05+ style cruise stalks, which your jdm wheel does not have :P

from the second link i would assume you are going to attempt to swap your forester cruise stalk over to the jdm wheel? does the new wheel even have a hole on the side of it for a cruise stalk to pass through, or any of the moldings inside for it to screw into?

still, i would just swap the airbag charge from your original wheel into the jdm wheel. it's four 8mm nuts iirc and then will plug right back into the clockspring like normal. same if you think you can swap the cruise stalk on, no wiring needed as it will just plug right back into your original wiring again.

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2004 FXT Stg2 6MT DCCDPro R180 5x114.3

k3nj11

Thread Starter

I'm at work right now so I'll have to check on this after I get home later today.

From what I recall though (and I'll have to re-read them), both those links together talk about swapping out the stock steering wheel for an updated one. They also talk about swapping the OEM cruise control stalk or wiring the newer version too. I think it also talked about how to wire in the newer style airbag or it might have been how to fit the OEM one inside the new steering wheel (can't remember).

fraktal

yeah dude, no worries no rush. but more chitchat!

so basically behind the steering wheel is the clockspring, which has an electrical ribbon in it to allow the steering wheel to turn, but still pass electrical connections through it right? the airbag/cruise/horn all come through this connection (duh).

you have a good, working airbag charge already on your original forester wheel. this is also already plugged in and wired correctly to the clockspring. so what i'm saying is just swap that airbag charge into the jdm wheel. it should (will) work/fit just fine and is also, therefore, already wired correctly for the clockspring.

the same also applies for the horn. though this is just a simple single wire with a blade connection so all you need to do is plug it into the jdm wheel at its spot.

the cruise may or may not be a different story. the reason i bring it up is because you bought a jdm steering wheel, that does not have cruise control whatsoever. so i'm curious if the wheel is even setup for it, meaning if there's even the right molding inside for you to do the cruise stalk "swap" that the nasioc thread entails. and i also believe there is no side exit hole for the cruise stalk to even pass through? so there may be some physical modification in that area.

however if you can successfully swap over your cruise stalk then the wiring will be simple, as in no wiring involved. all you need to do is plug the cruise stalk back into your forester clockspring wiring as, again, it's already setup for it.

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2004 FXT Stg2 6MT DCCDPro R180 5x114.3

k3nj11

Thread Starter

Hmm.....interesting.....I'll have a closer look-see at my new(to me) steering wheel once I get home from work here in a few hours and see what's up. I'll also root through my toolbox and see if I have the correct bits to take the wheel apart fully or not.

Thanks for the heads up though dude! I can't wait for my new carpet to get here and I still need to order new window gussets. Once those items get here ill be ready to tear into my interior to scrub and swap it all out. Only thing left at that point will be to pull the seat heaters outta my stock seats and put them in the new seats!

Sleeper in Seattle

Just read through all of this again...

Did I tell you how awesome your car is?!?!? :)

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04 Silver XT Limited 4eat, 06 STi AW

pigboat_2

Huh? I thought you had 07 STi limited seats (b@stard), which are heated...

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