Is there any difference between amg steering wheel and non amg steering wheel except paddles? Are thickness of grip and type of leather on the wheel same?
Dan,
Is there any problem putting non-amg r171 steering wheel to slk55?
Hi, may I know what you want to put a non-AMG steering wheel to an AMG car?
Eventually I want to have AMG paddles in my 55. I can get '07 non-AMG steering wheel with small black paddles at very descent price. I plan to replace the paddles with AMG ones and then install the steering wheel to my 55.
I see but if i may ask why don't you simply fit paddles onto your current wheel?
My 55 is MY05, so it has long switch instead of paddle. To fit paddle I need to take off wheel and fabricate because mounting area has long and big hole for paddle. So it will take time and I cannot use my 55 during installation. So I decided to get new wheel and work on new wheel (even during that time still I can drive my 55! ) Everything done on new wheel, then simply replace wheel without hassle~
Guess i just fabricate enough stuff at the shop i think of it as easy i would just sit the 2 parts on top of each other mark up the button holder then gut it and cut the line, install the paddle then install the cover that came from the button and all you would see would be a line where they meet.
Thanks for all your information on this - you are a great help.
I have an SLK350 ('05) with the buttons and would like to install the paddles. I have seen a black paddle steering wheel on eBay for about £160, but from what you are saying, I should just be able to install the paddles directly.
Can you tell me where I can get the aluminium AMG style paddles from? I have looked, but can only find the entire steering wheel.
You would need to custom fabricate the mounting to make it fit properly.
If you don't fancy doing that then your best bet is replace the whole wheel, with the AMG wheel i'm not sure how that would work because the wiring is different.
For anybody that is interested I bought myslef a set of the MB alumminium paddles (normally fitted to the AMG), and have just fitted them to 2005 350. And, before anybody asks, yes they do work.
They are not a straight replacement, they are a bit fatter than the switches, so you have to do some careful removal of unwaned material that will stop your paddels from seating corectly(as noted by DSB). And, you have to drill a hole to hold them in place. But appart from that no problem.
They do look the biz and I can see myself using the paddles much more than the switched, as the switched are just not nautural to me, and thats coming from somebody who has had a paddle shift and button shift (boxster).
So thanks to everybody on this chain who helped give me the info I needed to take the chance.
Cool glad they work for you, i think we should make it clear we are talking about a car with pre-existing buttons here not a car without any form of wheel shift fitted.
I'm just curious about where you drilled the holes in the wheel, you know you have an airbag in it right.
OK - enough of the fooling around. Yes, I know there is an airbag. I had to take it out to be able to do the work. I used the thread that you and aquascape created on how to remove a steering wheel. So the whole wheel came off and sat on the kitchen table.
I had to drill the wholes in the area under where the existing switches were, as the paddles need to be held in by srews. So the screw heads are on the inside of the steering wheel.
So let me lay out the steps for anybody that wants to give it a try,
1 Remove wheel as per thread between DansSLK and aquascape. (Excellent detail in this by the way).
2 With wheel removed from car you will need to remove some of the existing material around the existing switch recesses, as the paddles are a little fatter. As far as length is concernd the paddles are a fraction smaller so if you look real close you can just see the corners of the hole at one end of the paddle - but I kept this to the wheel end as opposed to away fromt he wheel and I dont thinnk you will ever notice.
3 Drill hole to be able to secure new switch. With the old switch you did not need to screw it because you were just pressing on it (force was inwards). The paddles creates leverage aginst the fitting (I assume), hence the need to have the fitting securely connected to the wheel. Wouldnt want the paddle coming off in a moment of madness when you pulled too hard on the paddle.
4 Replace wiring - all same connectors. Replace wheel.
Job done.
Of course I in no way suggest anybody else should try this as I have no idea how safe what I have done is.
BTW - if you just dont like the fact that the swithces can be both up and down on one button, I am pretty sure you could just rewire the switches so that the left one only did down (regardless of wether you pressed the top or bottom) and the right only did up. In fact at least two mercedes dealerships that I visited thought that is how the switches worked.
I will post anythig if I have problems in the future with the setup.
Last edited by RISEN; 02-08-2008 at 12:05 PM.
Reason: Bad spelling
r171 steering wheel 
So it will take time and I cannot use my 55 during installation. So I decided to get new wheel and work on new wheel (even during that time still I can drive my 55! 
) Everything done on new wheel, then simply replace wheel without hassle~ 
