Steering wheel with radio controls?

[oceanstateperf]

Anybody know what it would take to retrofit a steering wheel with the radio and heater controls into a truck that didn't come with it. I have a 2002 F550 XLT and would like to install one of these wheels.

Thanks, Pat

[F450 DRW]

The new style double din radio will work with the wheel if you add the signal wire. Cruise control has completely different resistance values and the ATC is a monster in it's own right. You will need to change the control head, heater box, blower motor resistor pack, blend door controller, vacuum controller and all the wiring between the 2 systems

[oceanstateperf]

Great info. Thanks for the response. Sounds like I'll just leave it alone based on what you're saying. Sounds like a lot more than I want to get involved in.

I do have one related question..........I had originally thought that the steering wheel controls option was something only available in '04 and newer trucks but then I saw an '02 Excursion with the option so that gave me some hope that it might be more straight forward. Do you know if all the required changes you are talking about are related to retrofitting a later model setup into an '02 truck or does it have more to do with parts differences between trucks with that option vs without regardless of model year? In other words would it be an easier conversion if I found all the required parts out of an '02 truck (assuming I could even find them) vs getting the parts from lets say an '05 or newer truck?

Thanks again, Pat

[Fantom]

Yeah, for some reason the excursions got options that the superduty didn't. My 04 Harley doesn't have the steering wheel controls either.

[oceanstateperf]

Originally Posted by F450 DRW

The new style double din radio will work with the wheel if you add the signal wire. Cruise control has completely different resistance values and the ATC is a monster in it's own right. You will need to change the control head, heater box, blower motor resistor pack, blend door controller, vacuum controller and all the wiring between the 2 systems

Another question.............if I didn't care about the heater controls is it possible to make the cruise control work by mixing and matching factory parts or not practical? Sounds like you're saying that the radio controls should'nt be a problem?

Thanks, Pat

Edit: Just looked at the other thread titled King Ranch Steering wheel...............looks like the info on differences in CC is there

[F450 DRW]

You can get the cruise control to work by changing the resistor values to match the old switch. Looks like the early excursion had slightly differnt values also but not as bad as the 05 and up trucks, it might be easier to change the resistors in the excursion switch if it is the older style that doesn't have a true circuit board in it.