Felt I needed to post this for safety reasons. I installed a Flaming River steering wheel column and steering wheel popper that has two pins and by pulling the pins, allows you to take the steering wheel off the column. The wheel popper flange is made out of aluminum and has two holes drilled for the pins to slide into and keep the steering wheel locked and in place. Problem is the pin holes are drilled so close to the edge of the flange that there is very little strength left for the pins. I was just putting the 69 camaro on my trailer when 3/4 of the way loaded, the steering wheel came off in my lap. The very narrow clearence from the pin holes to the flange had broken. I have left a message with one of their engineers and am waiting for a call back.
Thank God, some one wasn't driving the car down a road !!

Update on the wheel popper issue. I just got off the phone with Flaming River concerning this issue and the bottom line is they basicly just blew it off. Anyone considering using one of these on their car, I am telling you IT IS NOT SAFE ! There is just not enough "meat" between the pin holes and bottom of flange to prevent an easy jerk of the wheel coming off the hub. Try going down the road with no steering wheel!!

Thats really wrong. What if you had an accident and someone got hurt or worse killed. I think they'd be liable if it was proven it was due to their product. DOT standards if for use on the public streets, says nothing about DOT or not.

this one?

http://www.flamingriver.com/cartimages/prd_sm_116.jpg

Without this turning into a vendor bashing thread can you fill us in on what "they basicly just blew it off" means? How far did you esclate this with them?

they probably said something like "our Chinese supllier told us they could save us $2 million a year if we used less metal there, so it must be safe. besides- aint it pretty?".
i've never really taken a good look at some of the Flaming River stuff- but their prices just seem "too good to be true", and that to me, is usually a sign of poor quality to me.
personally, if i was gonna get a "wheel popper" like that, i'd get one of the stock car setups Jegs sells in the circle track section of their catalog. they do sell one that bolts to a stock GM column- but it aint pretty bling bling billet, and a horn button would be up to you to figure out. but i bet it wouldn't fall apart..

I'm not trying to turn make this into a "vendor war". We were concerned somewhat about the wheel popper when we recieved it, thought it lacked strength in the area the pins (two pins on each side, you pull them out and the steering wheel comes off) are in. The steering wheel screws down onto a round piece that has a flange with two drilled holes on it that goes down into the hub and is locked in place by the two pins. The problem is that there is very little clearence between the bottom of the "pin" holes and the bottom of the flange. Remember, this material is aluminum not steel. It is an easy fix, just make the flange 1/4" or more longer and mill a groove into the hub to fit the extra length. That would strengthen the whole affair. I called them when I first recieved it, they told me they researched and tested all their stuff and left it at that. I called them withen 30 minutes of having the steering wheel fall in my lap and they said "we test all our stuff" so I said "you can have it back, It is an unsafe product in my view and told them how to do the fix. I also talked to an engineer and was told "you are the only person that has ever complained about it". Any way, I exchanged the wheel popper for a standard unit. I put a copy of my post in the return box. I called them back today to check and see why I hadn't been refunded and while on the phone told them how unsafe I felt it was and to please not blow it off. I was told "we test every thing we make" and we did look at the broken wheel popper.
I personally don't think they give a crap. Maybe if some one is killed ??

Everything sold in the United States for use on automobiles, must pass the proper D.O.T. regulations. I'm not sure what steps are taken to test products, but if you feel this is an inferior product and truly places peoples lives at risk, you should contact the Department of Transportation (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9fee1be6b2b2000bc22cf37490008a0c/) and talk with someone more "in the know". make sure you have all the pertinant information (manufacturer, distributor, part number, application, etc...) ready. They'll want this info.

Ed

Don't quote me but a lot of times, if the company uses the standard, "For Offroad Use Only" or "Not for Highway Use", I think they can bypass any DOT standards. If something happens while driving on the road, all they have to point to is their warning and they most likely will be off the hook. Not sure if this part was labeled this way but it might be their thinking and why they "blew you off".

Glad to hear no one or the car was hurt. Suck though, just the same.

Kdancy, which of their columns, steering wheel and popper did you use?

Do you have the part #s?

the stainless tilt column (floor shift) and the #FR20130-9OEPL wheel popper for 9 bolt gm column. The steering wheel is a Lacarra.

Everything sold in the United States for use on automobiles, must pass the proper D.O.T. regulations. I'm not sure what steps are taken to test products, but if you feel this is an inferior product and truly places peoples lives at risk, you should contact the Department of Transportation (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9fee1be6b2b2000bc22cf37490008a0c/) and talk with someone more "in the know". make sure you have all the pertinant information (manufacturer, distributor, part number, application, etc...) ready. They'll want this info.

Ed

Ed, the D.O.T. has no inspection/certification/testing requirements for any aftermarket parts - only marking requirements for tires, headlights, and some electrical components so they can be traced.

This sounds like a potentially serious safety issue, and the federal agency to contact on those issues is the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the D.O.T., www.nhtsa.gov) - they are the agency charged with responsibility for defect investigations on safety-related automotive parts and systems, and they are the ones who force recalls when it's been determined that a safety defect exists.
:beers:

As far as i know aftermarket columns like Flaming River and Ididit are NOT D.O.T approved. They will not collapse on impact like a GM column is designed to do.Its basically a spear headed for the driver on impact.I would not use one. :sad: BTW you can buy a rebuilt GM column from Ricks.