Well, I'd been contemplating this mod for awhile, since I didn't know if you could get wheel adapter to put nice steering wheels on airbag-equipped cars like my 'tour. I originally wanted a quick release wheel though, so I could use my laptop computer to check my email, and surf comfortably while I wait the 1/2 hour everyday for my wife to get off work (we carpool to our jobs since we both work close to each other). So to accomplish my goal, I do some research. I found out that Focus uses the same (almost same hub) as Contour. And Focuses are popular to racers in Europe so aftermarket hub production is plentyful for those cars. So I got me a Sparco/ Ford Focus hub from here:
http://www.9secondracing.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?partnum=10579 and guess what? The hub DID fit (with a couple mods so the steering column shrouds would fit back on, and mod to make the turn signal cancellers so they would be able to work like OEM).
I used the special quick release hub adapter from here:
http://camp1320.com/parts/interior.html and I did the whole project similarly based off this 3 page forum string (has pics of quick release hub) seen here:
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=749748
This hub only accepts the MOMO 6 bolt steering wheel or the Sparco 6 bolt steering wheel, but WOULD NOT accept the GRANT 5 bolt steering wheel, so I made an adapter so the wheel that I REALLY wanted would fit my setup (had perfect style and colors matched perfectly). The adapter I made is only a 3/8" thick spacer that I machined on a lathe and it has 6 countersunk allen bolts in it to bolt to the quick release coupler, and it has 5 threaded bolt holes it the spacer so the Grant wheel can bolt right to it.
And to get the Focus hub to work I had to chaulk it up on the lathe an turn the hub's outside diameter down so it would fit under the stock plastic shrouds that go around the steering column. Then I had to hand Dremmel out a 1/4 deep groove around 80% of the circumference of the hub (at the base right where the finger from the turn sig switch lines up to it), leaving a 1 inch section of the circumference uncut (centered at 9 o'clock position) so the turn signal cancelling finger had a catch to cancel it out when the signal is on, and you return the wheel back to center.
Anyways, all this went so nicely, that I thought I'd post pics in case anybody else wanted to try it.
This new wheel totally rocks though! (not literally- The quick release hub is very tight and has no slop in it at all). That was one of my initial concerns with addng a quick release hub was how tight it would be at the coupler, but it does fit nice and tight. And the new wheel gives the car a WHOLE NEW FEEL to it. The smaller diameter increases steering effort by a noticeable amount so as to give the car more of a performance feel when cornering around hard. Definitely more road feel now. Also, the wheel is molded to fit your hands much better, and I feel I have way better control of the vehicle now, which will help avoid wrecks, so this justifies the removal of the airbag, since I believe more vehicle control will result in a safer vehicle, reducing the chance for collision.
Anyways, on to the pics:
