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The late wheels with 2 holes in the rear will fit both early & late vehicles. The early wheels with only 1 hole will not fit late vehicles with the contact spiral.
This wheel is the late style with 2 holes so it will fit all years of the W124. I have some photos showing the difference, I need to post them on my website.
However, this wheel on eBay is the standard type, not the Sportline wheel with "triangle" shaped airbag that was used on all 500E's from mid-1992.
Ok, thanks. I think I'm going to buy it. The leather on mine is very worn and I have always liked those wood/leather wheels.
I think this one has new leather because the color of the ring is lighty different from the airbag's. My car has the standard wheel.
Yes. This affects all 124's. The reason is, the contact spiral used from 1994-up requires two holes in rear of the steering wheel. The older wheels won't have the two required holes. However, the newer wheels are backwards-compatible, if you use the 1992-1993 contact ring with 4 mounting screws. The 1986-1991 wheels use yet another contact ring with 5 mounting screws. The 4- and 5-screw rings are not interchangeable.
I had a really nice 1992 steering wheel that I wanted to put in my 1995 E420, but it wouldn't fit for the reason described above.
Aki said:
I have try to found early model new steering wheel for this reason.
All my work is useless? Just buy late model like w202 or w210 steering wheel?
Yup! Just be careful to make sure you get the right color, and that you can get the proper airbag. Some newer wheels use funky airbags that can be difficult to locate, and/or can be quite expensive. I had a W202 C36 AMG wheel in my 124 diesels for a while, and also had a W210 wheel in my one diesel as well. I just had to use the proper contact ring for the year of the car.
I should add that you can take a early wheel (92-93) and use it on a 94+ vehicle. BUT...you need to add the additional hole on the rear of the hub. Not a major issue, but it would require you to drill out a pilot hole and then grind a bit till it reachs the proper size. I have done this a few times, but its not a common modification. Takes about 20-30 minutes.
So just for reference. If you have a 86-91 model Mercedes, you can install a steering wheel/airbag from a 92-93 without issue (direct bolt on assuming you have the contact ring also) and if you elect to install a steering wheel from a 94-99 model, you would need to use the horn contact ring from a 92-93 steering wheel (on the 94-99 wheel). Now if you own a 92-93 model car, you can install the 94-99 wheel, but you need to take your horn contact ring off of your old steering wheel and use it on your 94-99 wheel.
Hope that helps. You can also visit www.2phast.com/500e under the interior section you can see how I installed a 99 E55 wheel in my car.
The smallest diamater wheel I have found that fits correctly and has a functional airbag is the C43/E55 wheel/airbag setup (380mm). If you want something smaller, the Raid is a good choice, its about 360mm. Its not factory of course, but it does have a functional airbag.
The smallest diamater wheel I have found that fits correctly and has a functional airbag is the C43/E55 wheel/airbag setup (380mm). If you want something smaller, the Raid is a good choice, its about 360mm. Its not factory of course, but it does have a functional airbag.
Yes, it is thicker than a Sportline wheel and has more ergonomic gripping points. The top section of the wheel is perferated leather and the rest is solid. These were available in solid black or two tone grey/black.
This is a direct bolt on for the 94 E500. For the 92-93, you would need to remove your existing contact ring and install onto the E55 wheel. Then it will bolt right on.
If you visit http://www.2phast.com/500e under the INTERIOR section, there is a section on what you need to do to install this wheel on a 500e.
Just for further clarification. The picture shows the C43/E55 wheel but the airbag is not a AMG airbag, its from a R129. Only different between the airbags is the presence of the AMG logo. I actually have another E55 wheel and AMG airbag on my car now.
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