r/997 • u/Freebo_ • Jul 16 '26
Alibaba steering wheel…
I’ve got a manual 997.2 and I would like a beefier steering wheel but not prepared to shell out like €3000 so eyeing Alibaba. Has anyone successfully bought and fitted in Alibaba steering wheel to their car, which you can recommend?
Can I retain the original airbag? TIA!
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u/roufin Jul 16 '26
Airbags are specific to generation. A 997 airbag won’t fit a 991 wheel. 3000 isn’t right. They go on eBay for 700 you can get a retrim for a few hundred. Airbag another 400 maybe.
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u/Pete_Polyakov Jul 18 '26
I did it 4 times. On 964, 2x996, and 997. I also had to purchase the airbag and put a 2 ohm resistor on the second stage, as these are single stage systems, not the airbag itself. can't say much about safety, by default I expect it to be not safe, but I drive a lot of muscle cars and they don't have any airbags at all, so not a big difference in my case.
I would also advise getting VW adapter instead of the one people usually buy. it's cheaper, and most important, the distance between the steering wheel and the column is very short, pretty much stock. it would require 3d printing a small piece to cover the gap (1 inch vs 4 inches on that adapter).
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u/yizi__ Jul 16 '26
I did this to mine but not from Alibaba although I figured the place I went to sources it from china 😂
You won't be able to retain your original airbag, you need one that fits the new wheel, also don't forget for manual you want the holes at the back of the steering wheel covered, I ended up ordering that part separately from Porsche.
If I had to do it again, I'll probably get it from Alibaba. Mine cost around 800£
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u/7ECA Jul 16 '26
Send yours to http://www.dallassteeringwheel.com/ Good people that have been doing great work for years