Editing Steering wheel

{{Short description|Type of steering control in land vehicles}}
{{About|steering wheels in land vehicles|the use in vessels|Ship's wheel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

[[File:Steering wheels from different periods.jpg|thumb|right|Passenger car steering wheels from different periods]]
[[File:Gråtass dashbord.JPG|thumb|right|Steering wheel and front wheels of a farm [[tractor]] ]]
[[File:Leo2 driver's post.jpg|thumb|Steering wheel in a [[tank]] ]]
[[File:VDL Bova Magiq MHD 148-460 - cockpit.jpg|thumb|right|Steering wheel in a [[VDL Bova]] bus]]

A '''steering wheel''' (also called a '''driving wheel''', a '''hand wheel''', or simply '''wheel''') is a type of [[steering]] control in [[vehicle]]s.

Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production [[automobile]]s, buses, light and heavy trucks, as well as [[tractor]]s and [[tank]]s. The steering wheel is the part of the [[steering]] system that the driver manipulates; the rest of the steering system responds to such driver inputs. This can be through direct mechanical contact as in [[recirculating ball]] or [[rack and pinion]] steering gears, without or with the assistance of [[hydraulic power steering]], HPS, or as in some modern production cars with the help of computer-controlled motors, known as [[Power steering#Electric systems|electric power steering]].

==History==
[[File:1913 Ford Model T Speedster dashboard.JPG|thumb|right|1913 Ford Model T Speedster with rigid steering column and four-spoke wooden steering wheel]]

Near the start of the 18th century, many sea vessels appeared using the [[ship's wheel]] design. However, historians are unclear when that approach to steering was first used.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/hobbies/ship-steering-wheel-history.html |title=Ship Steering Wheel History |first=George |last=Roy |date=3 December 2023 |website=Articlesfactory.com |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> The first automobiles were steered with a [[Tiller (automobile)|tiller]], but in 1894, [[Alfred Vacheron]] took part in the [[Paris–Rouen (motor race)|Paris–Rouen]] race with a [[Panhard]] 4&nbsp;hp model which he had fitted with a steering wheel.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.infochachkie.com/wheel/ |first=John |last=Greathouse |title=Reinvent The Wheel – a Nonstandard Look at Standards |publisher=infoChachkie |date=25 November 2008 |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> That is believed to be one of the earliest employments of the principle.<ref>{{cite book|title=The World on Wheels - Volume I |first=H.O. |last=Duncan |location=Paris |year=1927 |pages=456–457, picture of the Vacheron-Car on p. 457 }}</ref>

From 1898, the [[Panhard]] et Levassor cars were equipped as standard with steering wheels. [[Charles Rolls]] introduced the first car in Britain fitted with a steering wheel when he imported a 6&nbsp;hp Panhard from France in 1898.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10318524&wwwflag=2&imagepos=13 |title= C S Rolls sitting in the first car in Britain fitted with wheel steering, 1898 |work=Science & Society Picture Library |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> [[Arthur Constantin Krebs]] replaced the tiller with an inclined steering wheel for the Panhard car he designed for the [[1898 Paris–Amsterdam–Paris]] race which ran 7–13 July 1898.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://rbmn.free.fr/Album_Course_07.html |title=Albums photos de Krebs: Voitures de course: N° 7 - 8 CV 4 cylindres, Paris - Amsterdam, 1898 |website=Rbmn.free.fr |date=10 March 2000 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130520202500/http://rbmn.free.fr/Album_Course_07.html |archive-date=20 May 2013 |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref>

In 1898, [[Thomas B. Jeffery]] and his son, Charles T. Jeffery, developed two advanced experimental cars featuring a front-mounted engine and a steering wheel mounted on the left-hand side.<ref name="wards">{{cite magazine |last=Binder |first=Al |title=Rear View Mirror |magazine=Ward's AutoWorld |date=1 December 2003 |url= http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_rear_view_mirror_16/index.html |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120728095000/http://wardsauto.com/news-amp-analysis/rear-view-mirror-11 |archive-date=28 July 2012}}</ref> However, the early automaker adopted a more "conventional" rear-engine and tiller-steering layout for its first mass-produced [[Rambler (automobile)|Ramblers]] in 1902.<ref name="wards"/> The following year, the Rambler Model E was largely unchanged, except that it came equipped with a tiller early in the year that was changed to a steering wheel by the end of 1903.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hyde |first=Charles K. |title=Storied Independent Automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors |publisher=Wayne State University Press |year=2009 |page=12 |isbn=978-0-8143-3446-1 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PerGbKxOPZYC&pg=PA12}}</ref> By 1904, all Ramblers featured steering wheels.<ref>{{cite magazine|year=1904 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AYbNAAAAMAAJ |magazine=The World's Work |volume=8 |pages=5218–9 |title=The Swift Rambler Family |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> Within a decade, the steering wheel had entirely replaced the tiller in automobiles.

At the insistence of Thomas B. Jeffery, the driver's position was also moved to the left-hand side of the car during the 1903 Rambler production.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gottlieb |first=Robert J. |title=Nash 600 coupe |magazine=Motor Trend |year=1977 |volume=29 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJI9AQAAIAAJ |page=109 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> Most other car makers began offering cars with left-hand drive in 1910.<ref>{{cite book|last=Madden |first=W. C. |title=Haynes-Apperson and America's first practical automobile: a history |year=2002 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-1397-3 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=L3ooSQxwGwUC&pg=PA56 |page=56 |via=Google Books |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> Soon after, most cars in the US converted to left-hand drive.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Oldham |first1=Scott |last2=Lamm |first2=Michael |title=Happy 100th! |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=May 1996 |volume=173 |issue=5 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MWUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49 |page=49 |via=Google Books |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref>

==Passenger cars==
[[File:1974 Citroen D-Special dashboard.jpg|thumb|right|1974 [[Citroën DS]] single spoke safety steering wheel]]
[[File:1958 Plymouth Savoy 4-door i.jpg|thumb|right|1958 Plymouth Savoy showing two-spoke steering wheel with horn ring, and aftermarket [[brodie knob]], or steering wheel spinner]]
[[File:2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2 MY11) Limited 4WD wagon (2011-03-31).jpg|thumb|right|A [[Right- and left-hand traffic|RHD-mounted]] three-spoke wheel with [[airbag]], as well as [[Vehicle audio|audio]] and [[cruise control]] buttons]]

Steering wheels for passenger automobiles are generally circular. They are mounted to the [[steering column]] by a hub connected to the outer ring of the steering wheel by one or more [[spoke]]s (single spoke wheels being a relatively rare exception). Other types of vehicles may use a modified circular design, a butterfly shape, or some other shape, such as a yoke.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/11/13/tesla-model-s-steering-wheel-yoke-toyota-bz-4-x/6195652001/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p |title=Does the steering wheel need to be round? Tesla's Elon Musk introduces new yoke-shaped wheel |date=13 November 2021 |first=Nathan |last=Bomey |work=USA Today |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> On some Tesla models, the steering control is through a yoke rectangle shaped with rounded edges and two pistol grips.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2022-tesla-model-s-plaid-steering-yoke-wheel-review/ |title=2022 Tesla Model S Plaid Steering Yoke Review: The Pros and Cons |date=29 June 2021 |first=Christian |last=Seabaugh |work=Motor Trend |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> The C8 Corvette includes a square-type steering wheel with rounded corners, described as a 'squircle'.<ref name="Rastogi"/> The objective of the flat bottom is to ease diver egress while the flattened top enhances the line of sight when driving.<ref name="Rastogi">{{cite web|url= https://www.hotcars.com/chevrolet-c8-corvette-stingrays-biggest-flaw/ |title=Why The Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray's Biggest Flaw Is Also Its Biggest Advantage |first=Simran |last=Rastogi |date=29 June 2023 |website=hotcars.com |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> General Motors applied for a US patent for a modular steering control that can be updated with components or changed in shape ranging from a traditional circle to a yoke.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://carbuzz.com/news/customizable-gm-steering-wheel-can-change-from-a-circle-to-a-yoke-and-everything-in-between/ |title=Customizable GM Steering Wheel Can Change From A Circle To A Yoke, And Everything In Between |first=Sebastian |last=Cenizo |date=1 March 2024 |website=carbuzz.com |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref>

In [[Left- and right-hand traffic|countries where cars must drive on the left side of the road]], the steering wheel is typically on the right side of the car (right-hand drive or RHD); the converse applies in countries where cars drive on the right side of the road (left-hand drive or LHD).

In addition to its use in steering, the steering wheel is the usual location for a button to activate the car's [[vehicle horn|horn]]. Modern automobiles may have other controls, such as [[cruise control]], audio system, and telephone controls, as well as [[Manumatic|paddle-shifters]], built into the steering wheel to minimize the extent to which the driver must take their hands off the wheel.

The steering wheels were rigid and mounted on non-collapsible [[steering column]]s. This arrangement increased the risk of [[Impalement|impaling]] the driver in case of a severe crash. The first collapsible steering column was invented in 1934 but was never successfully marketed.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aCgDAAAAMBAJ&dq=steering+wheel+folds+in+crash&pg=PA32 |page=32 |title=Steering Wheel Folds in Crash |magazine=Popular Science |date=November 1934 |volume=125 |issue=5 |via=Google Books |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> By 1956, Ford came out with a safety steering wheel that was set high above the post with spokes that would flex,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1956%20Ford/1956_Ford_Fairlane_Brochure/1956%20Ford%20Fairlane-06.html |title=1956 Ford Fairlane brochure |page=6 |website=Oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121129110706/http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1956%20Ford/1956_Ford_Fairlane_Brochure/1956%20Ford%20Fairlane-06.html |archive-date=29 November 2012}}</ref> but the column was still rigid. In 1968, United States regulations ([[FMVSS]] Standard No. 204) were implemented concerning the acceptable rearward movement of the steering wheel in case of a crash.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/#SN204 |title=Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations |website=Nhtsa.dot.gov |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140529033515/http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/#SN204 |archive-date=29 May 2014}}</ref> Collapsible steering columns were required to meet that standard.  Before this invention, the [[Citroën DS]] incorporated a curved and off-center single-spoke steering wheel designed to deflect the driver from the steering column in case of a crash.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Torchinsky |first1=Jason |title=These Are The Reasons Why Citroën Used That Weird One-Spoke Steering Wheel |url= https://jalopnik.com/these-are-the-reasons-why-citroen-used-that-weird-one-s-1848304219 |access-date=6 January 2022 |work=Jalopnik |date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

[[Power steering]] affords the driver reduced effort to steer the car. Modern power steering has almost universally relied on a hydraulic system, although [[Electric Power Steering|electrical systems]] are steadily replacing this technology. Mechanical power steering systems were introduced, such as on 1953 [[Studebaker]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Griswold |first=Wesley S. |title=Engine Helps Steer '53 Studebaker |magazine=Popular Science |date=February 1953 |volume=162 |issue=2 |pages=114–117, 244 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2C0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA114}}</ref> However, hydraulically assisted systems have prevailed.

While other methods of steering passenger cars have resulted from experiments, for example, the "wrist-twist" steering of the 1965 [[Mercury Park Lane]] concept car was controlled by two {{convert|5|in|mm|0|adj=on}} rings,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Markovich |first=Alex|title=Look, Ma-No Wheel! |magazine=Popular Mechanics |volume=123 |issue=4 |pages=91–93 |date=April 1965 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=A-MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91}}</ref> none have yet been deployed as successfully as the conventional large steering wheel.

Passenger automobile regulations implemented by the [[U.S. Department of Transportation]] required the locking of steering wheel rotation (or transmission locked in "park") to hinder [[motor vehicle theft]]; in most vehicles, this is accomplished when the ignition [[key (lock)|key]] is removed from the [[ignition system|ignition]] lock. See [[steering lock]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=571.114 |title=Standard No. 114; Theft protection and rollaway prevention |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation |date=30 March 2010 |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130522045046/http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=571.114 |archive-date=22 May 2013}}</ref>

===Other designs===
[[File:Vochol17MAP.jpg|thumb|right|Cheerful steering wheel cover on a two-spoke [[Volkswagen Beetle]] steering wheel]]

The driver's seat and steering wheel are centrally located on certain high-performance sports cars, such as the [[McLaren F1]], and most single-seat racing cars.

As drivers may continuously have their hands on the steering wheel for many hours, these are designed with [[ergonomics]] in mind. However, the most crucial concern is that the driver can effectively convey torque to the steering system, especially in vehicles without power steering or in the rare event of a loss of steering assist. A typical design for circular steering wheels is a steel or [[magnesium]] rim with a plastic or rubberized grip molded over and around it. Some drivers purchase vinyl or textile steering wheel covers to enhance grip and comfort or simply as decoration. Another device used to make steering easier is the [[brodie knob]].

A similar device in aircraft is the [[yoke (aircraft)|yoke]]. Water vessels not steered from a stern-mounted [[tiller]] are directed with the [[ship's wheel]], which may have inspired the concept of the steering wheel. The steering wheel is better than other user interfaces and has persisted because driving requires precise feedback that is provided by a large interface.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gitlin |first=Jonathan M. |title=Why you'll never drive your car with a joystick |url= https://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/06/why-youll-never-drive-your-car-with-a-joystick/ |website=Ars Technica |date=25 June 2014 |access-date=7 November 2020 |url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140626042753/http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/06/why-youll-never-drive-your-car-with-a-joystick/ |archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref>

Early Formula One cars used steering wheels taken directly from road cars. They were normally made from wood. Without interior cabin packaging constraints, they tended to be made as large a diameter as possible to reduce the effort needed to turn. As cars grew progressively lower and driver's areas more compact throughout the 1960s and 1970s, steering wheels became smaller to fit into the interior space.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Formula 1 |url= http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/understanding_the_sport/5287.html |title=Steering wheel |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110629025148/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/understanding_the_sport/5287.html |archive-date=29 June 2011}}</ref>

===Spokes in steering wheel===
[[File:DKW Monza von innen.jpg|thumb|right|Banjo steering wheel in 1956 [[DKW Monza]] ]]

The number of spokes in the steering wheel has continuously changed. Most early cars had four-spoke steering wheels.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Porázik|first1=Juraj |first2=Ján |last2=Oravec|title=Old time classic cars, 1885-1940 |year=1985 |publisher=Arco Publishing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qWI0V6q6SwwC |page=16 |isbn=9780668063074 |access-date=27 November 2012}}</ref>

A Banjo steering wheel was an option in early automobiles.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Breitenstein |first1=Jeff |title=Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies |date=2004 |publisher=MotorBooks International |isbn=9781610592352 |page=19 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OtKWmLLiuTgC&dq=Banjo+steering+wheel&pg=PA19 |access-date=8 November 2020}}</ref> They predate power steering. The wire spokes were a buffer or absorber between the driver's hands and the vibration transmitted from the road surfaces. Most were three- or four-spokes made of four or five wires in each spoke, hence the name "Banjo".

==Adjustable steering wheels==
[[File:Honda EV-STER twin-lever steering 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.jpg|thumb|right|2012 Honda EV-STER "Twin Lever Steering"]]

===Tilt wheel===
[[File:1976 AMC Matador coupe cocoa fl-sw.jpg|thumb|right|Adjustable three-spoke steering wheel on a collapsible column in an [[AMC Matador]] from the 1970s]]

Edward James Lobdell developed the original tilt wheel in the early 1900s.<ref name="automotivemileposts">{{cite web |url=http://automotivemileposts.com/autobrevity/tiltwheel.html |title=Tilt Steering Wheel |website=automotivemileposts.com |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20121127132257/http://automotivemileposts.com/autobrevity/tiltwheel.html |archive-date=27 November 2012}}</ref> A 7-position tilt wheel was introduced by the Saginaw Division of General Motors in 1963 for all passenger car divisions except Chevrolet which received the tilt wheel in 1964.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uaugkWcuACUC&pg=PA10 |page=10 |title=American Cars of the 1960s: A Decade of Diversity |first=John |last=Gunnell |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2005 |isbn=9780896891319 |access-date=27 November 2012 }}</ref> This tilt wheel was also supplied to the other US automakers (except Ford).<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1yUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |first=Jim |last=Whipple |magazine=Popular Science |date=October 1964 |title=Detroit Report |page=58 |volume=185 |issue=4 |access-date=27 November 2012}}</ref> Originally a luxury option on cars, the tilt function helps to adjust the steering wheel by moving the wheel through an arc in an up and down motion. Tilt Steering Wheels rely upon a ratchet joint located in the steering column just below the steering wheel. The wheel can be adjusted upward or downward by disengaging the ratchet lock while the steering column remains stationary below the joint. Some designs place the pivot slightly forward along the column, allowing for a fair amount of vertical movement of the steering wheel with slight actual tilt. In contrast, other designs place the pivot almost inside the steering wheel, allowing adjustment of the angle of the steering wheel with nearly no change in its height.

===Adjustable steering column===
An adjustable steering column allows the steering wheel height to be adjusted with only a small, useful change in tilt. Most of these systems work with compression locks or electric motors instead of ratchet mechanisms; the latter may be capable of moving to a memorized position when a given driver uses the car or automatically moving up and forward to ease egress.

===Telescope wheel===
Many pre-war British cars offered telescoping steering wheels that required loosening a locknut before adjustment, many using the Douglas ASW (Adjustable Steering Wheel).<ref name="automotivemileposts"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mg-tabc.org/library/mg_steering_wheels.htm |title=T-Series Steering wheels G TA, TB and TC ... {{sic|or|ginality|nolink=y}} |first=Ben |last=Cordsen |website=mg-tabc.org |access-date=23 June 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531004150/http://www.mg-tabc.org/library/mg_steering_wheels.htm |archive-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> In 1949, the [[Jaguar XK120]] introduced a new steering wheel supplied by Bluemel that was driver-adjustable by loosening a sleeve around the column by hand.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/bro1949/jag_48_12_l.jpg |title=Specifications |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> The 1955-1957 [[Ford Thunderbird]] had a similar design with {{convert|3|in|mm|0}} of total travel.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford_Thunderbird/1955_Ford_Thunderbird/1955_Ford_Thunderbird_Folder/1955%20Ford%20Thunderbird%20Folder-02-03-04.html |title=1955 Ford Thunderbird folder |website=Oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121229183639/http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford_Thunderbird/1955_Ford_Thunderbird/1955_Ford_Thunderbird_Folder/1955%20Ford%20Thunderbird%20Folder-02-03-04.html |archive-date=29 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford_Thunderbird/1956_Ford_Thunderbird/1956_Ford_Thunderbird_Brochure/1956%20Ford%20Thunderbird-12-13.html |title=1956 Ford Thunderbird brochure |website=Oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121229152959/http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford_Thunderbird/1956_Ford_Thunderbird/1956_Ford_Thunderbird_Brochure/1956%20Ford%20Thunderbird-12-13.html |archive-date=29 December 2012}}</ref> In 1956, the travel was restricted to {{convert|2|in|mm|0}}. A patent was filed regarding a telescoping steering wheel in July 1942 by Bernard Maurer of the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of [[General Motors]] (now [[Nexteer Automotive]]). Nevertheless, GM would not offer a telescoping wheel of their own until the debut of the optional telescopic wheel on the 1965 [[Chevrolet_Corvette_(C2)#1965|Corvette]] and [[Chevrolet_Corvair#Second_generation_(1965–1969)|Corvair]], and the optional tilt/telescope wheel on 1965 [[Cadillacs]]. The GM column was released by twisting a locking ring surrounding the center hub and offered a {{convert|3|in|mm|0|adj=on}} range of adjustment.

===Swing-away steering wheel===
[[File:Ford Thunderbird (1964-66) (18743387216).jpg|thumb|right|[[Ford Thunderbird]] steering column "swung" to right]]

A swing-away steering column was introduced in the 1961 [[Ford Thunderbird]] and made available on other Ford products during the 1960s. The swing-away steering wheel allowed the steering wheel to move {{convert|9|in|mm|0}} to the right when the transmission selector was in the "park" position to make the driver's exit and entry easier.<ref name="automotivemileposts"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1961swingaway.html |title=History of Ford Swing-Away, Tilt-Away, and Tilt Steering Wheels |website=automotivemileposts.com |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20170314080113/http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1961swingaway.html |archive-date=14 March 2017}}</ref>

===Tilt-away steering wheel===
A tilt-away wheel was introduced by [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] in 1967 after updates to [[Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards]] requirements. Though it was an update to the swing-away steering wheel, which did not meet updated safety standards, it offers limited movement but added convenience due to the automatic pop-over function over its predecessor.<ref>{{cite web|last1=King |first1=Matthew |title=Types of Adjustable Steering Wheels |url= https://fssteeringwheels.com/blogs/news/types-of-adjustable-steering-wheels |website=Forever Sharp Steering Wheels |date=6 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180505150227/https://fssteeringwheels.com/blogs/news/types-of-adjustable-steering-wheels |archive-date=5 May 2018}}</ref>

===Quick release hub steering wheel===
[[File:1974 AMC Matador grand national int.jpg|thumb|right|Quick release hub and the detached steering wheel on the floor, used mainly in race cars]]

Some steering wheels can be mounted on a detachable or a quick-release hub. The steering wheel can be removed without using tools by pressing a button. The system is often found in narrow-spaced racing cars to facilitate the driver getting in and out, as well as in other cars as an anti-theft device.<ref>[https://www.raptorsteering.com/blog Quick release hub steering wheel | Raptor Steering Wheels]</ref> The quick-release connector is often brand-specific, with some makes being interchangeable. The most common mounting pattern is 6×70&nbsp;mm,<ref name="nlmotoring">[https://nlmotoring.com/how-tos/steering-wheel-bolt-patterns-explained/ Steering Wheel Bolt Patterns Explained]</ref> which denotes a [[bolt circle]] pattern with six bolts placed along a circle 70&nbsp;mm in diameter.<ref>[https://blog.demon-tweeks.com/motorsport/demon-tweeks-steering-wheel-guide/ Demon Tweeks Steering Wheel Guide | Demon Tweeks Blog]</ref> Other examples of common bolt patterns are 3×{{cvt|1.75|in|mm|sigfig=4}}, 5×{{cvt|2.75|in|mm|sigfig=4}}, 6×74&nbsp;mm and 6×{{cvt|2.75|in|mm|sigfig=4}}.<ref name="nlmotoring"/> The quick release itself is often proprietary.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==Usage==
The steering wheel should be used with strategic movements of the hand and wrist in spinning motions. Caution and care should be used to ensure the safety of the extremities. The constant motions used must be performed with caution. "Proper posture of the hand-arm system while using hand tools is essential. As a rule, the wrist should not be bent, but must be kept straight to avoid overexertion of tissues like tendons and tendon sheaths and compression of nerves and blood vessels."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kroemer |first1=Karl |last2=Kroemer |first2=Henrike |last3=Kroemer-Elbert |first3=Katrin |title = ErgonomicsHow to Design for Ease and Efficiency |publisher=Prentice Hall |year=2001 |isbn=0-13-752478-1 |edition=Second}}</ref>

Turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stationary is called [[dry steering]]. It is generally advised to avoid dry steering as it strains the steering mechanism and causes undue wear to the tires.

==Buttons and controls==
[[File:2012 Italian GP - Lotus wheel.jpg|thumb|A 2012 [[Formula One]] car's steering wheel, with buttons and knobs to control various functions as well as gauges and other essential items normally found on a [[dashboard]]]]<!-- "SWC" links here -->

The first button added to the steering wheel was a switch to activate the car's electric [[horn (acoustic)|horn]]. Traditionally located on the steering wheel hub or center pad, the horn switch was sometimes placed on the spokes or activated via a decorative horn ring, which obviated the necessity of moving a hand away from the rim. Electrical connections are made via a [[slip ring]]. A further development, the [[Rim Blow]] steering wheel, integrated the horn switch into the steering wheel rim.

In 1966, Ford offered the Highway Pilot Speed Control option with steering wheel pad-mounted rocker switches, on its [[Ford Thunderbird|Thunderbird]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1966highwaypilot.html |title=1966 Ford Thunderbird Highway Pilot Speed Control Option |website=automotivemileposts.com |access-date=5 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150906082022/http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1966highwaypilot.html |archive-date=6 September 2015}}</ref> Uniquely, the Thunderbird also lightly applied the brakes and illuminated the stop lamps when the Retard was continuously depressed with the cruise control on, but not engaged.

In 1974, Lincoln added two rocker switches on the steering wheel to activate various cruise control functions on the [[Lincoln Continental|Continental]] and Continental Mark IV.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Lincoln/1974_Lincoln/1974_Lincoln_Continental_Brochure/1974%20Lincoln-15.html |title=1974 Lincoln Continental Brochure |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref> In 1988, Pontiac offered a steering wheel with 12 buttons controlling various audio functions on the Trans-Am,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://image.hotrod.com/f/9987761+q80+re0+cr1+ar0/hppp_0809_06_z%2bsteeringwheel%2bfront_view.jpg |title=Image of steering wheel |access-date=23 June 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012180617/http://image.hotrod.com/f/9987761+q80+re0+cr1+ar0/hppp_0809_06_z%2bsteeringwheel%2bfront_view.jpg |archive-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> 6000 STE and [[Pontiac Bonneville|Bonneville]]. 
[[File:1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE Steering Wheel.jpg|right|thumb|1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE Steering Wheel]]

In the 1990s, a proliferation of new buttons began to appear on automobile steering wheels. Remote or alternate adjustments could include [[vehicle audio]], telephone, and [[voice control]] navigation. [[Scroll]] wheels or buttons are often used to set volume levels or page through menus and change radio stations or audio tracks. These [[car audio|controls]] can use universal interfaces,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://my350z.com/forum/body-interior-exterior-and-lighting-diy/77855-diy-for-steering-wheel-removal-and-steering-wheel-audio-control-unit-install-6.html |title=DIY for Steering Wheel Removal and Steering Wheel Audio Control Unit Install - Page 6 - |website=My350z.com |access-date=23 June 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090122043441/http://my350z.com/forum/body-interior-exterior-and-lighting-diy/77855-diy-for-steering-wheel-removal-and-steering-wheel-audio-control-unit-install-6.html |archive-date=22 January 2009}}</ref> wired or wirelessly.

==Other uses==
{{expand section|date=June 2024}}
<gallery>
File:Bike steering wheel 16th Av BP jeh.jpg|Bicycle steering wheel
File:Blanche Stuart Scott (cropped).jpg|Biplane steering wheel
</gallery>

==Arcade steering wheels==
{{Main|Sim racing wheel}}
[[File:Logitech-Driving-Force-PS3.jpg|thumb|right|A video game steering wheel for the [[PlayStation 2]] console]]

[[Game controller]]s are available for [[arcade cabinet]]s, personal computers, and [[console game]]s that are designed to look and feel like a steering wheel and intended for use in [[racing game]]s. An early example is the [[Coleco Telstar Arcade|Telstar Arcade]], which featured a wheel in 1977 for use in the Road Race game that came packaged with it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pong-Story: Coleco Telstar Arcade |url= https://www.pong-story.com/coleco_arcade.htm |access-date=23 June 2023 |website=pong-story.com}}</ref> Some modern video game steering wheels employ [[haptic technology]] to simulate the feedback a real driver feels from a steering wheel, as well as buttons to allow for more inputs.

==See also==
*[[List of auto parts]]
*[[Remote control]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Steering wheels}}
{{Authority control}}
{{CarDesign nav}}
{{Car-interior}}

[[Category:1898 introductions]]
[[Category:Auto parts]]
[[Category:Control devices]]
[[Category:Human–machine interaction]]