Use this article if…
- You're taking the factory pad off a 300 Series, a 200 Series, an N80 Hilux or a facelift 70 Series.
- You've got a PVS 300-style wheel on the car already, whatever it's fitted to, and you need the pad off again.
- You've got the side covers off and you still can't see what's holding the pad on.
- You're fitting a steering wheel upgrade kit, a paddle shift kit or a wireless controls module.
Quick answer
Three release pins hold the airbag pad onto your wheel, and they sit behind the small trim covers on each side. Pop both covers off, shine a torch into the opening, and you'll see one pin on the right side up towards the top, and two on the left, one at the top and one at the bottom. Flick each one to release it and the pad lifts off. Disconnect the battery and wait out the SRS discharge time in your workshop manual before you start, because the airbag connectors sit behind that pad.
Problem
- Nothing on the face of your wheel tells you where the pad is fixed. There are no screws you can see, and the pins sit deep enough that you only find them with a torch.
- The factory wheels on the 300 Series, the 200 Series, the N80 Hilux and the facelift 70 Series all use the same three pins, and so does the 300-style wheel in every PVS upgrade kit. One method gets the pad off any of them.
Fix Step-by-step
- Disconnect the battery and wait: take the negative terminal off, then wait out the SRS discharge time in your workshop manual. The airbag connectors sit behind the pad you're about to lift.
- Park with the front wheels straight: leave them there for the whole job. That keeps the clock spring on its centre while the wheel is off.
- Pop the side covers off: there's one on each side of the wheel. Work a plastic trim tool in from the edge and they unclip.
- Find the pins with a torch: shine it into each opening. Right side, one pin up towards the top of the wheel. Left side, two pins, one at the top and one at the bottom. Three in total.
- Flick each pin to release it: a small flat blade or a hook tool moves them. Hold the pad with your other hand as the last pin lets go.
- Lift the pad off and photograph the plugs: the airbag connectors, the horn feed and your controls loom all sit behind it. Photograph every plug before you unclip anything, then release the yellow SRS connectors by their locking tabs.
- Set the airbag down face up: put it somewhere clear of the job with the trim cover pointing at the ceiling, never face down.
- Mark the hub, then undo the centre nut: paint-pen or tape the hub-to-shaft relationship first, so the new wheel goes back on the same spline.
Notes
- The factory wheels on the 80 Series, the 100/105, the 150 Prado and the N70 Hilux aren't held this way. Send us a photo of the back of the wheel and we'll tell you what holds your pad on. Once your PVS wheel is fitted, it's the three pins above.
- Clock spring care
- Torque and centre alignment
- Steering wheels hub
Still stuck? Send us these photos
Send us a photo of the plugs where they meet the clock spring, plus your vehicle, year and the kit you're fitting, and we'll tell you what goes where.
Watch the wheel come off
Filmed on a 200 Series LandCruiser during a paddle shift kit install.