I just recieved my leather wrapped SS Cobalt steering wheel last nite


I like the smaller diameter. I lined up the bottom edge of each wheel & took this pic:

I wrapped a tape measure around each wheel & the 'Balt wheel is approx 2.5" smaller O.D. (28-stock, 26.5" 'balt).
I wanted the smaller OD mostly (& the leather) but the radio controls will be a welcome addition

I bought it off eBay for $104. total (free ship). I wanted black leather & they had two listed. A 2006 model & a 2008 model. The pictures they gave were generic so I didn't know what they looked like or if they came with all buttons etc. I chose the 2008 model but I think I got the '06 wheel because the buttons are lower profile than my '07:

But the wheel is fresh looking. Hardly a scratch on it. The leather is in excellent condition:

I didn't have the guts to try the install last night. I'll probably tackle the job this weekend so I have time to work it out. I'll post up install pics when I'm finished. Wish me luck!

 

Good luck with this. I've been wanting to do the same thing to mine. Let up know how it turns out

 

OK so I'm in the mood to do this install. I get the horn/airbag off easy. Piece of cake. Now I need to remove the plugs from the back of the airbag.

Bam They are on there good. Does anybody know how to remove these little clips (so I dont bust them all up with my fat fingers)
I see little tabs on the sides of each clip. They have a slight texture to them. As if I need to compress them in or something

But I pull & twist & they aren't budging. Can somebody please tell me how to take these plugs off? Thank you

 

If i remember correctly, i just pried up the little yellow clips with a small flat head screw driver, and the grey wire terminals just popped right out. It's been a while since i changed mine out, so i'm not 100% sure, but that might get you going in the right direction. Just look at it for a while and see if you can figure out how it comes apart. I did mess up one of my yellow fasteners a bit, so just take your time with em. Good luck.

 

OK, I figured out how to detach the plugs from the back of the air bag. The yellow clips pull straight up & out. I used my fingernails to pry upward:

Then I used needle-nose pliers to compress the little tabs on either side of the plug & pull upwards to remove it.

I pulled the steering wheel off by tugging on it a bit. I also used a little WD-40 as suggested by a fellow HHR.net'r (thank you). It finally came off & I now had only one more plug to remove to get the darn wheel off . The blue plug was another one for the pita list. Luckily my new wheel had a plug to look at. You need to clear this little hook:

I used a thin flat blade screwdriver.
With that, the steering wheel was off!
Check the side by side:

The cobalt wheel is smaller but beefier!
Here's a close-up shot of the buttons to show the difference in height. Also note the grainy texture of the stock plastic wheel compared to the buttery smooth leather:

Amother shot of me buttons:

OK On to the installation. I went to plug in the blue plug (for the new wheel) & I notice that all the wires are a different color than the stock HHR wheel. Great! What do I do now? Will my new buttons even work? Oh man, will this project ever get completed?
I'll just have to hook it all up & pray!
Installation was pretty quick. My new wheel came with all buttons & wiring intact. Hey, that's plug - n play
Overall the install should've been easier. Messing with the plugs slowed the entire project down for me. I took a test drive & everything works perfect! Oh Man! The leather. It's like buttah! The smaller diameter feels great. I can still read all gauges normally. The button lights are a slightly different color (yellow instead of blue. cool!). Messin' with my radio buttons now. Oh Man, I can highly recommend this install.
Here are some of the installed pics:



Check the fatness of that 'balt wheel:

 

Well done, great mod. Isn't that the same as the HHR SS though (i.e you could use Cobalt or HHR SS)?

 

You probably could use an SS wheel but a Cobalt wheel is bound to be cheaper $$.

 

nice job and well detailled thanks for sharing

 

Re: Outer Diameter (O.D.). Earlier I mentioned the size of the wheel: "...28-stock, 26 1/2" 'balt". This is incorrect. I found my notes. It should be (approx): 48 1/4" stock & 46" Cobalt. Sorry. Drive on through

 

I just got the same wheel from the same ebay seller for 80.00 best offer. The install took about 10 min. and looks great. Thanks for the write up.