LX450 OEM Steering Wheel Swap - Airbag Info?

[rickashay]

Hey guys, I'm starting to do some research on a steering wheel swap for my LX450. My OEM wheel is in rough shape and being 6'6" tall makes me wish I had a smaller steering wheel for a little more leg room. I'd like to keep with a Toyota steering wheel and have a functional Airbag. Worst case scenario I'll just have to settle with a re-covered LX450 wheel, but I'll cross that bridge when/if I get there...

I know that SC300/400, MKIII/MKIV Supra, GS 300/400, and MR2 guys do Steering wheel swaps with OEM Toyota Wheels all the time. A common swap is the Is200/300 Lexus steering wheel or those from the Toyota Matrix/Corolla (01-05). There is even an OEM wiring adaptor that seems to fit most of these Lexus applications so there is no messing with splicing wires in your SRS airbag harness to get them to work (something I DONT want to do). However it looks like our LX450 airbag needs to be a single stage bag or else you need to swap a bunch of other stuff and the swaps become more difficult. From what I've read, single stage airbags have a single yellow harness for the airbag and another yellow harness for the Cruise Control.

Does anyone know if the LX450 Airbags are single stage? Or has anyone had the steering wheel off one and recall what the wiring looked like on the reverse side?

I'd really like to pull this off but having a functional Airbag is important. The black steering wheel doesnt bother me really, especially as my next step is to try swapping in IS300 leather seats. Any input from those with experience here is welcomed.

Thanks

 

[cruiserjunktion]

The lx 450 and the land cruiser share an identical bag. The only difference is the the L. I swapped a land cruiser bag in my 97 lx and the plug is identical.


Pic of the lx bag

 

[rickashay]

The lx 450 and the land cruiser share an identical bag. The only difference is the the L. I swapped a land cruiser bag in my 97 lx and the plug is identical.


Pic of the lx bag

That's great thanks for the picture! You wouldnt happen to have any better shots of that connector coming off the bag would you? Or what color the two wires are? Might be a long shot....

 

[cruiserjunktion]

Pictures

 

[rickashay]

Pictures

^^Excellent, thank you once again!!

 

[scottryana]

This weekend I was told an LS400 steering wheel is a direct replacement. The 98, 99 2000 LS400 had the wood steering wheel. I can not verify this but it does make sense to me that the LS and LX would use the same wheel. Maybe if one can be found in a junkyard someone can verify.

 

[Kernal]

Subscribed, need to do this myself. Seems like someone posted about a year ago that they did this swap.

 

[corn man]

LS will bolt direct, but your airbag will not mount to the LS steering wheel...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/592164-2005-lx470-steering-wheel-into-my-97-fzj80.html

I bought a '98-2000 LS wheel and tried to install and the airbag just will not bolt to it. I am thinking it may work for '98-2000 100's?

 

[scottryana]

That thread says the LS will fit and the airbag will work just like i said? It says that the LX will not work?

 

[corn man]

Sorry for confusion. I wanted to retain my LX airbag as other threads discussed the possible issues of using an airbag that is not designed for your specific vehicle. The LS wheel itself bolts right on to the shaft, but if you then try to use the LX airbag, it will not mount to the LS wheel without some modification. See post #12 in the thread I noted--that is what I ran into with the LS wheel. I didn't want to have a push button horn nor modify the mounts, so alas I have a near new 98-2000 LS brown wooden wheel I paid too much for sitting in my garage...

 

[scottryana]

Ok just to clarify

Post 12 of that thread is talking about putting a 2005 LX470 wheel into an 80 series. I wouldn't think that would work because the 100 series switched to a 2 stage air bag. In post 12 it also says he would just wait for an LS400 wheel instead of doing any modifications.

But you are saying you definitely have a 98-2000 LS400 wheel and it is a no go? I know that was a redesign year and the later models have an upgraded interior maybe they just switched the late models over to the 2 stage bag but the earlier LS400's without the wood would bolt right in.

 

[86tuning]

I would imagine that using the bag designed to fit the steering wheel will be fine, as long as its single stage like the original one. I'd feel comfortable bolting the LS400 steering wheel with airbag up to my column.

 

[corn man]

scottryana: Yes I have a 98-2000 wheel (or at least that is what it was advertised on ebay and that is what the part number on the box pulls) and my '97 LX airbag is not plug and play with it. I will try to post pics of what I have...

 

[corn man]

Here is the label on box...

 

[corn man]

Here is the wheel itself...

 

[86tuning]

scottryana: Yes I have a 98-2000 wheel (or at least that is what it was advertised on ebay and that is what the part number on the box pulls) and my '97 LX airbag is not plug and play with it. I will try to post pics of what I have...

You'll want the matching airbag for the steering wheel. Then plug it all together.

Not surprised that the LX450 squib won't fit the LS400 steering wheel.

 

[Bella1992]

I too would like to upgrade my steering wheel. the leather is a bit worn at 1 o clock

 

[rickashay]

Some more great info in here. I was just coming back to have a second look at the photos and found the LS400 wheel as another option. I would definitely use the LS400's native airbag and wheel as a whole, and just bolt it in. I don't think it would be a problem considering they are both a 1 stage airbag (LX vs. LS).

I'm still on the hunt for the IS wheel and airbag from an 00-02. Although now that I know the LS wheel fits and if I can find one close, that's another option. I'll post up my trial once I pull the trigger on one of them.

 

[Aids10]

Some more great info in here. I was just coming back to have a second look at the photos and found the LS400 wheel as another option. I would definitely use the LS400's native airbag and wheel as a whole, and just bolt it in. I don't think it would be a problem considering they are both a 1 stage airbag (LX vs. LS).

I'm still on the hunt for the IS wheel and airbag from an 00-02. Although now that I know the LS wheel fits and if I can find one close, that's another option. I'll post up my trial once I pull the trigger on one of them.

Horn & Cruise Control??

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=8823518&postcount=34

 

[PDoyle]

Horn & Cruise Control??

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=8823518&postcount=34

How do you remove the steering wheel? Is there anything special to do?
If you replace it with another steering wheel of the same type do you need to use the cruise control included with the new steering wheel?