Choosing a Steering Wheel Upgrade for the 70 Series & Nissan Patrol
A steering wheel upgrade is one of the most rewarding changes you can make to a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series or Nissan Patrol. The factory wheels in these vehicles are large, thin-rimmed and built to a price, and a thicker, better-shaped wheel transforms how the truck feels on a long day. But it is also the one cabin upgrade most tangled up with safety hardware. The wheel houses the airbag, the horn, and on later trucks the cruise and audio buttons, and behind it sits the clockspring that keeps those circuits connected as the wheel turns. This guide walks through how to pick a wheel that fits your platform, keeps the safety systems you started with, and retains the controls you actually use.
Because a steering wheel and airbag are safety-related components, this is a compliance-aware decision, not just a styling one. Where we touch on airbags, clocksprings and certification, treat the ADR Compliance hub as the authority and confirm anything specific to your build with a licensed automotive engineer.
Why People Upgrade the Wheel
The 70 Series (76 Wagon, 78 Troop Carrier, 79 single and dual cab) and the Nissan Patrol, both the long-running Y61 (GU) and the later Y62, are vehicles people keep for a very long time and use hard. The factory wheel is the part your hands are on for every minute of every drive, and three things drive the upgrade:
- Grip and comfort. The original rims are thin and slippery. A thicker rim with a contoured grip, perforated leather or suede sections reduces fatigue on corrugations and long touring days.
- Feel and control. A flat-bottom or reshaped wheel can free up thigh room for taller drivers and give a more positive sense of where straight ahead is.
- Appearance. A wheel is the centrepiece of the cabin. Many owners match it to a head unit upgrade and trim changes as part of a wider interior refresh.
None of those reasons justify giving up the airbag, the horn, or the steering controls. The goal of a good upgrade is to gain the feel and look while keeping every function the vehicle left the factory with.
Airbag vs Non-Airbag Platforms
The single most important question before you buy anything is whether your vehicle has a driver's airbag in the wheel. This determines what you can fit and how the job has to be done.
Most modern 70 Series and Patrol variants sold in Australia have a driver's airbag, and that airbag is a piece of ADR-mandated safety equipment for the vehicle as built. Some older or base-spec trucks, and many pre-airbag classics, never had one. The two situations are not interchangeable, and the wrong wheel choice can either disable an airbag or leave you trying to wire one into a hub that was never designed for it.
| Consideration | Airbag-equipped vehicle | Non-airbag vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel type | Must use a wheel and hub designed to accept the original airbag module, or a vehicle-specific airbag-compatible replacement. | Can use a wider range of wheels, including classic-style hubs, provided the horn and any controls are wired. |
| Airbag module | The factory airbag is retained and refitted. It must never be discarded, defeated, or replaced with a blanking plate. | No airbag is present, so there is nothing to retain in the wheel itself. |
| Clockspring | Retained. It carries the airbag, horn and control circuits and must remain connected and centred. | A horn contact or simplified clockspring may be used depending on the hub. |
| Compliance risk | High if done badly. Removing or disabling an airbag is a safety-critical, potentially defectable modification. | Lower, but the horn must still function and any added controls must be wired safely. |
| Recommended approach | Vehicle-specific airbag-retaining wheel fitted by a competent installer with engineer sign-off where required. | Quality aftermarket wheel and boss kit suited to the hub, with the horn confirmed working. |
Retaining the Airbag and Clockspring
On an airbag-equipped vehicle, a proper steering wheel upgrade reuses your original airbag module and your original clockspring. The replacement wheel is engineered so the factory airbag bolts back into it, the horn contact lines up, and the clockspring connector plugs straight in.
The clockspring (also called a spiral cable or rotary coupler) is the flat ribbon-cable device behind the wheel that keeps the airbag, horn and steering-wheel-control circuits connected while still letting the wheel rotate lock to lock. It is direction-sensitive and has a limited number of turns. If it is removed and refitted off-centre, it can be torn internally the first time the wheel reaches full lock, which kills the airbag circuit and often the controls with it. For that reason the wheel must be removed and refitted with the steering centred and the clockspring kept in its centred position, and any airbag work should follow the correct disconnect and wait procedure for the vehicle.
This is exactly the kind of work where it pays to either use a vehicle-specific wheel and have it fitted by someone competent with airbag systems, or to have us advise on the parts and process for your truck before you start.
Keeping Cruise, Audio and Phone Controls
Later 70 Series and Patrol wheels carry buttons: cruise control, audio volume and track, phone, and sometimes voice or display controls. Losing these in an upgrade is a real downgrade in day-to-day use, and on long touring trips cruise control in particular is something you do not want to give up.
There are two ways the buttons survive an upgrade. The first is choosing a "with-controls" wheel that carries factory-style switchgear wired into the vehicle's existing circuits. The second, increasingly common with aftermarket head units, is a wireless steering wheel control module (a CAN or resistive-to-key adapter) that maps the wheel buttons to the head unit so audio, phone and voice functions keep working even when the wheel or stereo has changed. Cruise control is separate from the head unit and depends on the wheel's switchgear and the vehicle's cruise system staying intact.
| Function | How it is retained | What to check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise control | Requires a with-controls wheel whose cruise switches connect to the vehicle's factory cruise circuit, or retention of the original control stalk where fitted. | Confirm your truck has factory cruise and whether it is on the wheel or a stalk. A controls-delete wheel will lose wheel-mounted cruise. |
| Audio volume and track | Factory-style buttons wired through, or a wireless control module mapping the buttons to an aftermarket head unit. | If you are also changing the head unit, confirm the unit supports steering wheel control retention or that a control adapter is included. |
| Phone and voice | Same as audio: native wiring on a factory-spec wheel, or mapped through a head unit control module. | Hands-free and voice rely on the head unit's CarPlay or Android Auto plus a working control link. |
| Horn | Retained on every wheel via the clockspring or a horn contact ring; it is not optional. | After any wheel change, test the horn before driving. A horn is a roadworthy requirement. |
| Airbag warning light | Stays off only if the airbag and clockspring circuits remain intact and correctly connected. | An illuminated airbag light after fitment signals a wiring or clockspring fault that must be fixed. |
Materials, Grip and Shape
Once the platform and controls questions are settled, the choice becomes about how the wheel feels. The main variables are rim thickness, covering material, shape and any grip detailing.
- Leather. The default for durability and feel. Perforated leather on the side grips adds purchase and helps with sweaty hands on hot days, which matters in an outback cabin.
- Suede or Alcantara-style sections. Excellent grip and a premium feel, usually on the 3 and 9 o'clock grips. They show wear and dirt faster, so they suit a touring truck less than a weekend vehicle.
- Rim thickness. A thicker rim is more comfortable for most hands and reduces fatigue, but go too thick and it can feel vague. The 70 Series and Patrol suit a moderately chunky rim rather than an extreme one.
- Shape. A flat-bottom wheel frees thigh and knee room for taller drivers getting in and out, which is genuinely useful in a high-cab 4WD. A round wheel keeps the most uniform grip for off-road steering.
- Stitching and markers. A top centre stripe or marker helps you find straight ahead instantly, which is valuable when reversing a trailer or picking a line on a track.
Pick the covering for the life your truck leads. A daily-driven, dusty, working 70 Series is happiest on hard-wearing perforated leather; a garaged show build can carry suede grips.
Fitment and Variant Differences
Fitment is where 70 Series and Patrol upgrades go wrong most often, because the range spans decades and the wheel, hub spline, airbag connector and control wiring all changed over the years. Key things to nail down before you buy:
- Exact model and build year. A 79 Series dual cab, a 76 Wagon, a Y61 Patrol and a Y62 Patrol are not the same fitment. The build year decides airbag type, connector and control wiring.
- Airbag or not. Confirm physically, not by assumption. Look for the airbag marking on the wheel and the warning light at start-up.
- Controls present. Note exactly which buttons your current wheel has, and whether cruise is wheel-mounted or on a stalk.
- Hub and boss compatibility. A non-airbag classic may need a boss kit matched to the column spline; an airbag truck needs a wheel that accepts the factory module.
- Head unit interaction. If you are running or planning an aftermarket head unit, plan steering-control retention as part of the same job.
Because there is no single universal wheel for these trucks, the safest path is to confirm your exact variant against the parts before ordering. We can advise on the right wheel, hub and control retention for your specific 70 Series or Patrol, and on whether your installation needs engineer certification in your state. Contact PVS with your model, build year and a photo of your current wheel and we will spec the upgrade for you.
Compliance and Roadworthy
A steering wheel upgrade touches safety equipment, so it has a compliance dimension that a speaker or lighting change does not. Three principles cover almost every case:
- Keep the airbag if the vehicle had one. Disabling or removing a factory airbag is a safety-critical modification that can make the vehicle unroadworthy and is likely to be defectable.
- Keep the horn working. A functioning horn is a basic roadworthy requirement on every vehicle, regardless of airbag status.
- Get advice where the modification is significant. Whether a wheel change needs certification depends on the installation and on your state scheme. Confirm with a licensed automotive engineer if you are unsure.
For the underlying standards, the role of the clockspring, and how steering controls are handled without compromising the airbag system, treat the ADR Compliance hub as the reference. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of a legal or insurance outcome; confirm your specific situation with a licensed engineer and your insurer.
Related Guides
If you are refreshing the cabin more broadly, these resources pair naturally with a steering wheel upgrade:
- ADR Compliance hub — the authority on airbags, clocksprings and certification.
- Head units — plan steering wheel control retention alongside a new head unit.
- LandCruiser 70 Series head units — vehicle-specific units that keep the factory steering controls working.
Last updated: June 2026