Is Replacing the Steering Wheel Considered a Major Overhaul?
3 Answers
Replacing the steering gear is not considered a major overhaul. A major overhaul refers to the repair of the three major components of a car: the engine, chassis, and transmission. If the steering gear is damaged, it can cause the car to have difficulty steering. Below is an introduction to the steering wheel: 1. Introduction: The steering wheel is a wheel-shaped device used to control the direction of cars, ships, airplanes, etc. The function of the steering wheel is to convert the force applied by the driver to the edge of the steering wheel into torque, which is then transmitted to the steering shaft. 2. Structure: It mainly consists of the frame, foam, and the corresponding installation clips or screw holes for the driver's airbag (DAB). 3. Origin: More than 120 years ago, the steering wheel initially installed on steam cars by the inventor of the automobile was mounted on a vertical steering column. Its drawbacks were that it was not conducive to the driver's control and obstructed the view.
Changing a steering wheel doesn't count as a major overhaul - I've seen it done countless times at repair shops. To put it simply, you carefully remove the airbag module, unscrew the mounting bolts, pull out the entire wheel, align the new steering wheel with the slots, give it a push, and tighten the screws. The whole process doesn't even take an hour of wrench time. A major overhaul involves disassembling the engine and transmission, often requiring three to five days of labor. But remember, after replacement, you must perform a steering angle sensor calibration, otherwise the vehicle stability system will go haywire and trigger warnings. Also, for those luxury steering wheels with heating or paddle shifters, make sure to align the pins correctly during wiring. I've seen cases where people opted for cheap aftermarket parts, resulting in cruise control failure.
As a veteran driver with 15 years of experience, I've changed my steering wheel three times. The first time was because the original leather wore out, the second time I upgraded to a genuine carbon fiber sports wheel, and the third time I switched to one with heating functionality. Honestly, this operation is simpler than changing tires and doesn't affect the car's condition at all. A real major overhaul would involve dismantling the engine, and the labor cost for that could buy ten steering wheels. But it's important to note that the steering wheel is a safety component, so it must be tightened according to the manufacturer's torque specifications, and the airbag wiring harness must be securely fastened with cable ties. My neighbor skipped the calibration to save time, and as a result, the lane departure assist system completely failed while driving on the highway.
