LCD in steering wheel?

n1ce_hat · 11-24-2006, 03:29 AM

Has anyone done this? I would rather hack apart a steering wheel from a junker than attempting to fabricate anything for my car, and it would make the screen a little easier to take out if need be. The touchscreen would be nice and your hands are already on the wheel..

Anyone know of any conflicts?

you get the idea..

Sorry if there is an existing thread somewhere but I searched!

DarquePervert · 11-24-2006, 06:31 AM

I can't see this being safe at all, although it might be a cool bit of "bling" for a show car.

2k1Toaster · 11-24-2006, 06:35 AM

airbag is supposed to be there. newer cars will probably complain about no airbag, so you will have to fool them that there is one there or else it will think it has deployed.

n1ce_hat · 11-24-2006, 01:55 PM

Nah my car is a 1991, has no airbag in it.. i'd be buying a steering wheel from a newer GM car that HAS an airbag, then hacking it out. I was thinking about one like this one :

http://cgi.ebay.ca/88-PONTIAC-FIREBI...QQcmdZViewItem

garto · 11-24-2006, 03:28 PM

Unless you relocated the controller board and usb board so it was just a screen and then mold it into the leather thats wrapped there anyways so the airbag would deploy and push the screen aside. I'm under the impression that most airbags tear away the leather of the steering wheel at a certain spot in the middle, well why not precut the leather around the screen on 3 sides so that becomes the new tearing point. Then you could keep your airbag and your screen, you would just need to make the steering wheel about a centimeter thicker to accomadate the touch screen.

shotgunefx · 11-24-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by garto

Unless you relocated the controller board and usb board so it was just a screen and then mold it into the leather thats wrapped there anyways so the airbag would deploy and push the screen aside. I'm under the impression that most airbags tear away the leather of the steering wheel at a certain spot in the middle, well why not precut the leather around the screen on 3 sides so that becomes the new tearing point. Then you could keep your airbag and your screen, you would just need to make the steering wheel about a centimeter thicker to accomadate the touch screen.

The screen would explode into your face. They can crack dashes and windshields. You can't count on the lcd going anywhere in a predictable manner.

As an aside, the garage for "Pimp my Ride" got fine for 10,000 for disabling airbags and replacing them with LCDs.

Though he doesn't have an airbag, so go nuts.

BarryWoods · 11-24-2006, 03:56 PM

Even without an airbag, do you really want to smash your face into a lcd if you get into an accident? Just sounds like a bad idea.

Gladier · 11-24-2006, 04:29 PM

although it does have a tempting hole to fit a screen

Kalt · 11-24-2006, 04:45 PM

The hardest part will be running the wires through the clock spring.

n1ce_hat · 11-24-2006, 05:24 PM

Well, if the wheel did have a bag in it I would be hollowing it completely out and obviously not connecting the exploding aspect of it.. In an accident, it's not like my face is going to plant right dead center in the middle of the wheel, and who mods something so that it works well in an accident?

My car has no air bag, and no air bag sensors, and no air bags lights or anything. I'm bagless all around.

What would be so hard about running the wires through the clock spring.. would that be like, really really hard or just medium hard?

turbocad6 · 11-24-2006, 05:27 PM

a composite screen in the steering wheel is easy... a vga touchscreen in the wheel is a HUGE job... you'll have to build your own clockspring to accomidate like 18 wires.... now nothing is impossible, & if you really wanted to do it it's possible, but I can garrentee YOU won't be able to do it, that's how hard it is

now part of me is hoping you prove mre wrong, but I don't think you'll be able to pull it off unless you put a lot of resources into a project like this... way more than the average guy would consider really...

n1ce_hat · 11-24-2006, 05:40 PM

Well is there a resource link somewhere.. sounds like i might need a walkthru or something.. this sounds tougher than i thought. i pretty much have to put a touchscreen in there, thats the idea

edit: hey this guy did it (looks like he just did composite tho):
http://www.blazinlow.com/forum/showt...ighlight=wheel

turbocad6 · 11-24-2006, 05:57 PM

...you'll need to build a ring with contacts... it'll have to be precise on all planes & perfectly hub centric..meaning investing in either lazer cutting or cnc work, it will not be the kind of thing you can just rig up yourself if you want it to really work... at a minimum you can maybe do something like this with a lathe... if you have a lot of patience...

there will be no guide or how too's cause I doubt it's ever been done... if you don't know what to do then forget about doing it really... to do the kind of stuff your talking about takes a combination of skills & imagination, & the right resources..... not everyone will be able to do something like this, no matter how bad they want to... I'd bet the majority of even enthusiastic craftmen who might attempt this will give up without realizing a really sucessful install.... on a difficulty scale of 1-10 this is going to be like an 8 1/2, where the average pc install is like a 4 or 5.... & I'm talking a nice install... just my advice... I'd say forget it, unless your gung ho enough & extremely determined that is

GoHybrid · 11-24-2006, 06:03 PM

maybe you should google video clips of the GM Hywire. That's got a screen in the middle of the steering wheel, but if you can catch a glimpse of the movement of the steering portion, it might inspire you to create a different sort of solution for your car.

here's one i found: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...92&q=gm+hywire

It may be a longshot to make that kind of a modification to a mechanical steering linkage, but something that might be of interest nevertheless.

n1ce_hat · 11-24-2006, 06:08 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by turbocad6

...you'll need to build a ring with contacts... it'll have to be precise on all planes & perfectly hub centric..meaning investing in either lazer cutting or cnc work, it will not be the kind of thing you can just rig up yourself if you want it to really work... at a minimum you can maybe do something like this with a lathe... if you have a lot of patience...

Wow. When I originally thought this up, I thought it would be like.. A day of running wires.. lolz..

Maybe I'll just do a flip-down for now

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