Short answer: not necessary, but probably best. I have removed the airbag assembly a few times, and am still living.

 

Not sure why guys want to risk airbag deploy just so they don't have to disconnect the battery. Is it so hard to pull the cable? Or they just like seeing the inside of an ER from a gurney?

 

As long as you are not in drive doing this mod you will be fine with the battery connected.

 

wouldn't it be easier to just pull the fuses?

 

Let us know how this all ends.
Thanks

 

Note, if you are only swapping the controls, you dont need to disconnect the airbag at all, just pop it out and let it hang down.
If you are removing the wheel entirely, you do need to disconnect the wires. I just removed the plug from the harness. I dont see how this could set them off, its not like unplugging the bag will introduce any kind of activation signal, theres no motion sensor in the bag itself. It gets signal to deploy from the airbag controller which I think is mounted under the shifter console.

 

Will this wheel actually plug and play in a 2008 LT1 ??

Thanks

 

Yes it will

 

Thanks GTO, I may have to purchase this steering wheel.

 

Mine works now, wish it would go throught the stations rather than just the pre selected ones, it does change cd tracks too.