360 steering wheel project

That looks really nice. Excellent work! Just curious, do you know if the 360 wheel with the factory airbag installed will mate up with the electronics on the 355? I really want to do this mod too, and thought maybe you'd already dug up the compatibility knowledge... Had a close call this past weekend, so kinda want the airbag.

Thanks for sharing!! Again, great work. Looks like stock!

 

The electronics work fine. I did this mod a couple of years ago with a CS wheel and have had no problems. IMO, the BEST mod I've ever done to my car.
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I switched to a 360 steering wheel a few months ago and it is definitely one of my favorite upgrades... other upgrades that I'm glad I did were Dave Helms's gold connector kit, cross drilled rotors, red brake calipers, factory stereo upgrade and rear challenge grill.
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airbags have a 10 year life. I wonder if those old 355 airbags still even work? bags are a supplemental restraint system. To me that means ferrari did not spend time or money making this a robust system. They are such high quality...

 

You got to bang them really hard to deploy. But, they do work. I have seen 95 bags deployed but also seen damaged cars and no deployed bags. Its a matter of where the impact point was. I guess it has to be straight frontal impact. Not from the corner, teh side or the rear.

 

Thanks for your input....i guess....i need to start looking for a 360 steering wheel for the winter project.

Anyone has a spare ?

pm me.
thanks

 

Hi guys. Great subject. Thought I'd post a picture of my recent addition to my 355.
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Anything else fit the 355 besides a 360? Possibly another brand? I would like to keep an airbag in the car with my driving records LOL


The stock wheel reminds me of the old 450 SL wheels

 

Cool thanks. Really liking this

What resister did you use? Just measure the airbag resistance and pop it in?

Thanks again

 

We used to take them out of totaled cars and pop them. Was really hard to do, we ended up charging a capacitor to pop them. Was fun watching them launch

 

?? Or simply apply 12 volts DC across the terminals.

 

You will require a 3.3 ohm 1/2 watt resistor to fool the circuit. Momo actually supply these mounted in a mini fuse casing with flying leads now, they do sometimes appear on EBay.

 

Any pics of that resistor ?

How does it connect ?

Any ECU reset needed ?

Does the airbag cover (leather piece and yellow emblem) clip on or does it need the airbag ?

Thanks

 

If you could make that center piece pop on and off the steering wheel, the cavity where the airbag was is probably bigger than the "glove box".

I find this a very interesting upgrade....

 

Where did you get this done?

 

Nice! haven't thought about it... Now I want it...

 

This wheel looks great. Did you go with the thick style wheel? I am doing the same thing this winter.

 

Www.bimmian.com.

Price is very reasonable. I am doing it this winter. They are local to me.

 

If you hold one of them in you hand you are sold.

 

Agreed.

I believe it was your post on a different thread that sold me on that wheel. I can tell you that the car feels so much better while gripping that wheel. I can't explain it but if you have one you know what mean!!

 

Yeah,

You really have to hold one in your hands, and if you do, you are sold.

The wheels are reasonably priced compared to other suppliers out there.

Reason being that the supplier here is sent probably 10 or 15 BMW wheels at the same time. So instead of shipping one 1 or 2 wheels, the shipping is split over a larger number of wheels.

What I can say is I took the wheel I have, up to a car trim shop shop that does a lot of high end Ferrari's. I asked him about the quality of materials, especially the alcantra, and he said the stuff they are using is really good. Reason I asked is I had a Mini Cooper JCW alcantra wheel and within a year it was gray and fluffy. But the trim guy said the better stuff should not wear so quickly. So it all looks good new. The real test is the test of time.

I have a thick wheel with red stitching. But I want to also get a regular wheel done the same, and then compare.

R

 

Erick, very clever about the airbag replacement - looks great!

I put in a 360 CS wheel five years ago and still love it. I ended up getting a real airbag so it was more expensive than I would have liked, but worth it. Best 355 mod in my opinion.
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