# No steering wheel, no licence? Hey, no problem! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640 "2024-04-23T02:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/1 "2024-04-23T02:35:33Z")
Well, maybe just a little problem, when the Mountie notices you’re using vice grips to steer your car. (When I saw the headline, I guessed vice grips would be involved. That, or duct tape. I know my Saskatchewan peeps. ) > **[DIY steering wheel leads to ticket for unlicensed Saskatchewan driver](https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/diy-steering-wheel-leads-to-ticket-for-unlicensed-saskatchewan-driver)** > > Saskatchewan RCMP say a recent traffic stop led to a ticket for the unlicensed driver of a vehicle with no steering wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/2 "2024-04-23T12:04:27Z")
Funny, I did that exact thing once back in college (except I was licensed). Had a problem with the turn signal stalk, so I pulled the steering wheel to work on it. I don’t remember why, but I had some reason to drive the car and didn’t want to put the steering wheel back on and have to pull it again, so I clamped a vise grip onto the splined stem just like in the article’s photo, and it worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/3 "2024-04-23T12:15:08Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > so I pulled the steering wheel to work on it Yikes! 😲 Pretty sure I read somewhere that you have to be super careful when removing steering wheels because, at least in most vehicles, they contain the driver’s-side airbag with the associated explosive! ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/4 "2024-04-23T12:17:33Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Yikes! 😲 Pretty sure I read somewhere that you have to be super careful when removing steering wheels because, at least in most vehicles, they contain the driver’s-side airbag with the associated explosive! Yeah, I’m not sure I’d want to work on an airbag-equipped steering wheel. But in my case, the car was built in 1982, so no worries. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/5 "2024-04-23T16:06:21Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > That, or duct tape. Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/6 "2024-04-23T16:14:18Z")
Will Queen Romana Didulo pardon him? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/7 "2024-04-23T19:10:27Z")
Who hasn’t done this?? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/8 "2024-04-23T19:11:54Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. Indubitably! ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/9 "2024-04-23T19:16:07Z")
Sounds like a future Florida resident. He’d fit right in, in Polk County. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/10 "2024-04-23T19:18:25Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > > That, or duct tape. > > Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. I am not only a handsome tri-coloured pup (brown, black, and white fur in a distinctive gorgeous pattern) but I also have my own roll of duct tape! I am a bitch magnet! 🐕 ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/11 "2024-04-23T19:41:13Z")
Just one? I have Duct, Gorilla (double-wide), T-Rex, Packing, White Duct, and Metal Foil. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/12 "2024-04-24T07:09:15Z")
I’ve only seen a vise grip steering wheel on one car. But the car was a nice 1st generation Corvette driven by a scientist at NASA (Doctorate degree). I only saw him drive that car a few times over several weeks I think but it was not repaired in that time period. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/13 "2024-04-24T07:18:50Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > White Duct That’s a thing? ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/14 "2024-04-24T10:47:46Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > That’s a thing? You can get it in a fairly wide variety of colours, and even patterned. I have seen tartan, repeated batman logos, stripes, etc. The intrinsic human need to bond with the duct tape of their choice is very strong. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/15 "2024-04-24T11:52:23Z")
Oh, sure. I had owl-printed tape for a while. I just thought plain-white might be a different kind. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/16 "2024-04-24T15:08:06Z")
I owned a lot of POSs\* in my extremely poor days and I’m not too proud to say that one of them was a Ford Pinto. The brake master cylinder failed and I had no brakes via the pedal. Didn’t stop me from driving with just the mechanical emergency brakes for a couple days till I could do the repair. Lots of downshifting and rear tires being locked up (it’s hard to stop with just your rear brakes). \*If you are unaware of that acronym, I refer you to this excellent reference piece. > **[Adam Sandler- Piece of Shit Car(song)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fw0OvKFKhw%2F)** > > We\`ve all had a few of these ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/17 "2024-04-24T15:13:08Z")
“Here, I’ll let you go with a ticket, and you better get that inspected, Drive safely!” Huh? That vehicle should have been impounded as a menace to other drivers and property. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-steering-wheel-no-licence-hey-no-problem/1000640/18 "2024-04-24T15:49:53Z")
A buddy in high school wanted a chain steering wheel for his car just like the cool guys in Southern California. He couldn’t afford to buy one so he made on in metal shop. The only chain he could find was some old tire chains. He used the center hub off an old Buick and spent a couple weeks welding it all together with an oxy-acetylene torch. He didn’t have a way to chrome the new steering wheel so he painted it silver. We went out at lunch one day and installed it on his 61 Chevy Biscayne sedan. A few days later he came to school with both hands bandaged. He had hit a curb in his car and the steering wheel was jerked between his hands. The rough old tire chains did a good job of ripping the skin off his palms. He ended up having skin grafts to repair the damage. We got donations from our classmates and bought him a proper factory made chrome chain steering wheel for his car.