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T Sportline 360 Yoke Replacement: review in ~2 weeks

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Hi All,

Took delivery of MS LR refresh ++ (but not +++) on 4/24/22. Very interesting and rather amazing automobile! I have almost become accustomed to regen braking, turn signals, and shifting. What is still frustrating me is the physical nature of the yoke and unlearning 40 years of driving muscle memory. All props to those who love it, but I'm gonna try out the T Sportline version. I chose this one because it looked high quality, had reasonable shipping timelines, was refundable, required minimal installation, and looked easily reversible. Possible downsides are the shape, and losing the heating element is a bummer.

Tesla Model S Yoke Replacement 360 Hand Upholstered Steering Wheel

I was pleasantly surprised when I left a message at their customer service yesterday, and the President of the Company, Ellie Rothstein, called me back a few minutes later to discuss the product and policies, and even took my order. I hope to receive the product in 1-2 weeks and will do a writeup then from the perspective of "Old dog struggles to learn new tricks." Thanks to all on this board for discussing this option with an open mind.

Chet
 
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Hi All,

Took delivery of MS LR refresh ++ (but not +++) on 4/24/22. Very interesting and rather amazing automobile! I have almost become accustomed to regen braking, turn signals, and shifting. What is still frustrating me is the physical nature of the yoke and unlearning 40 years of driving muscle memory. All props to those who love it, but I'm gonna try out the T Sportline version. I chose this one because it looked high quality, had reasonable shipping timelines, was refundable, required minimal installation, and looked easily reversible. Possible downsides are the shape, and losing the heating element is a bummer.

Tesla Model S Yoke Replacement 360 Hand Upholstered Steering Wheel

I was pleasantly surprised when I left a message at their customer service yesterday, and the President of the Company, Ellie Rothstein, called me back a few minutes later to discuss the product and policies, and even took my order. I hope to receive the product in 1-2 weeks and will do a writeup then from the perspective of "Old dog struggles to learn new tricks." Thanks to all on this board for discussing this option with an open mind.

Chet
Hi Chet, thanks for being a customer! We are here to walk you though the process and make sure you're pleased!
 
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Just a quick update; T-Sportline shipped my "360 yoke" yesterday and estimated arrival is Sat, Jun 4th. If it gets here by then, I'll install and test out for a beach week in Delmarva. If not, will report after I get back and have a chance to drive for a week. @Laddcruzer, any updated ETA on your Secret EV Steering Wheel?
Regarding the Secret EV wheel I was just informed that the core is ready now and the PU foam in about a month. So the wheel is probably still a couple of months out. I am anxious to try a round wheel but in the meantime the yoke has certainly been manageable. Keep us posted on your 360 Yoke. Should be an improvement but might not look as cool. 😎
 
I agree about the looks, round is better. Just saw on Fedex that my package has only bopped around LA metro for 48 hrs, and now wont get to me in NoVA till 6/7, and I'm away till 6/9. Hope to test the following weekend and report back.

Peace Out
 
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Hi @Chet S congrats on the car and you should not feel bad about not liking the yoke. The yoke is a joke IMO. I am glad the aftermarket has stepped in to fix it. In fact I made sure there were aftermarket options before I ordered my MX Plaid.

I went with the Hansshow wheel as it was the most circular yoke replacement that I found. I am very happy.
 
Just a quick update; T-Sportline shipped my "360 yoke" yesterday and estimated arrival is Sat, Jun 4th. If it gets here by then, I'll install and test out for a beach week in Delmarva. If not, will report after I get back and have a chance to drive for a week. @Laddcruzer, any updated ETA on your Secret EV Steering Wheel?
Update: 6/16/22

Got back to NoVA 6/9 and installed yoke with help of son.

Ordering:
As mentioned previously, when I called main customer service number, the co-founder, Ellie R answered all my questions and even took my order. he also kindly applied the upcoming 10% memorial day discount that was not yet active. At time of order, estimated time to ship was 2 weeks. Item did ship in exactly 2 weeks and then took ~5 business days to get to Nova via free ground shipping. Items was well packed and looked brand new.

Installation:
Needed to get a 3/8 drive torque wrench and a 6" extender to fit inside of steering wheel. I already had the 10mm Allen on a 3/8 drive, but that is needed as well. Removal of airbag center module was pretty straightforward, but detachment of powered clips for a) Air bag and b) steering wheel controls took a while. Maybe because i was worried about breaking the harnesses or having an airbag explode in my or son's face. Removal of center 10mm bolt was easy with 2 people, but would have been even easier if I had lowered wheel to lowest point BEFORE starting.

Use:
Overall I had hoped that the trapezoid wheel would fix most of my remaining issues with the yoke. I realize that this is only a partial solution, and that Turn Stalks, center horn, and gears/wipers/lights are all not addressed with this mod. So overall, I am only judging this on steering. Having said that, this is much better (for me), but not perfect. On the plus side, steering feels much more natural, particularly in acute turns, esses, and driving around town and parking. On the negative side, even with wheel at highest position and seat at lowest, a portion of the top of the "dashboard" display is blocked (for reference, I am 5'11" but somewhat long torso/short leg). The part that dashboard that is partially blocked is a) top of mini navigation (showing next turn), b) where stop lights show (if FSD visual displayed), and c) current speed limit in area. Lastly, the bottom of the wheel is still a wide "log" just like the yoke.

Overall:
I'm not sure. I think I still have a couple of weeks to think about it. Quality seems great, but it is an expensive fix, especially as I do not plan on returning core for a 500$ refund. If t sportline had a similar model that was a more traditional round and centered shape that did not block the top of the display (for me) then I would be 100% all in.

Hope that helps y'all in your journey!
 
Update: 6/16/22

Overall:
I'm not sure. I think I still have a couple of weeks to think about it. Quality seems great, but it is an expensive fix, especially as I do not plan on returning core for a 500$ refund. If t sportline had a similar model that was a more traditional round and centered shape that did not block the top of the display (for me) then I would be 100% all in.

Hope that helps y'all in your journey!
You hit on the reason why I didn't go Tsportline and chose the Hansshow instead. I wanted a predominantly round wheel. The Hansshow does a great job there. Feels a lot more natural to me. Still miss the stalks on my 3 but one of my biggest issues with my S has a solution.
 
Update: 6/16/22

Got back to NoVA 6/9 and installed yoke with help of son.

Ordering:
As mentioned previously, when I called main customer service number, the co-founder, Ellie R answered all my questions and even took my order. he also kindly applied the upcoming 10% memorial day discount that was not yet active. At time of order, estimated time to ship was 2 weeks. Item did ship in exactly 2 weeks and then took ~5 business days to get to Nova via free ground shipping. Items was well packed and looked brand new.

Installation:
Needed to get a 3/8 drive torque wrench and a 6" extender to fit inside of steering wheel. I already had the 10mm Allen on a 3/8 drive, but that is needed as well. Removal of airbag center module was pretty straightforward, but detachment of powered clips for a) Air bag and b) steering wheel controls took a while. Maybe because i was worried about breaking the harnesses or having an airbag explode in my or son's face. Removal of center 10mm bolt was easy with 2 people, but would have been even easier if I had lowered wheel to lowest point BEFORE starting.

Use:
Overall I had hoped that the trapezoid wheel would fix most of my remaining issues with the yoke. I realize that this is only a partial solution, and that Turn Stalks, center horn, and gears/wipers/lights are all not addressed with this mod. So overall, I am only judging this on steering. Having said that, this is much better (for me), but not perfect. On the plus side, steering feels much more natural, particularly in acute turns, esses, and driving around town and parking. On the negative side, even with wheel at highest position and seat at lowest, a portion of the top of the "dashboard" display is blocked (for reference, I am 5'11" but somewhat long torso/short leg). The part that dashboard that is partially blocked is a) top of mini navigation (showing next turn), b) where stop lights show (if FSD visual displayed), and c) current speed limit in area. Lastly, the bottom of the wheel is still a wide "log" just like the yoke.

Overall:
I'm not sure. I think I still have a couple of weeks to think about it. Quality seems great, but it is an expensive fix, especially as I do not plan on returning core for a 500$ refund. If t sportline had a similar model that was a more traditional round and centered shape that did not block the top of the display (for me) then I would be 100% all in.

Hope that helps y'all in your journey!
Chet, thanks for sharing your experience here!
 
The mod itself is fairly easy - it's more straightforward than the power frunk mod I did. And just like OP, I find the round steering wheel far more practical, even though I am used to the yoke. However, I don't think I will be doing this mod any time soon b/c:

1. it's WAY TOO expensive - and just like OP, I'd like to keep the yoke just, which would make it even more expensive.
2. it potentially ruins resale value.
3. it's a partial fix. The issue with stalks, wiper, lights, and ESPECIALLY the horn remain.
4. even with a round steering wheel, I think it will be off center, which makes turning a little bit weird and takes time to get used to.

IMO the best "fix" is returning it to a Model 3 style steering wheel and control. I know, someone already did the mod here at TMC, but it's not for sale and it's too involved technically for my liking (more things could go wrong).
 
The mod itself is fairly easy - it's more straightforward than the power frunk mod I did. And just like OP, I find the round steering wheel far more practical, even though I am used to the yoke. However, I don't think I will be doing this mod any time soon b/c:

1. it's WAY TOO expensive - and just like OP, I'd like to keep the yoke just, which would make it even more expensive.
2. it potentially ruins resale value.
3. it's a partial fix. The issue with stalks, wiper, lights, and ESPECIALLY the horn remain.
4. even with a round steering wheel, I think it will be off center, which makes turning a little bit weird and takes time to get used to.

IMO the best "fix" is returning it to a Model 3 style steering wheel and control. I know, someone already did the mod here at TMC, but it's not for sale and it's too involved technically for my liking (more things could go wrong).
I totally agree. Let alone it may void your new car warranty and if there is a crash, insurance may argue your mod is the cause of it and denies coverage.
 
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I totally agree. Let alone it may void your new car warranty and if there is a crash, insurance may argue your mod is the cause of it and denies coverage.
I can see that argument. In my experience however, I would argue the opposite that the yoke and lack of stalks (depending on the situation) actually contributed to the crash. There are some scenarios where the yoke is clearly inferior to a wheel in its current form. I've listed them elsewhere so won't bother here.
 
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The warranty issue would be a concern. Normally, in my experience, if one replaces a part of our car, only that part is taken out of warranty. I have an older Jeep GC. I bought it with a non-mileage limited warranty (not transferable and no longer offered). I added the "Old Man Emu" lift and suspension mod and was concerned as to how it might affect the warranty. I was told it would do so only for the replaced parts. And in fact, in the years since (I now have 170,000 miles on the Jeep and the warranty has saved my around $15,000!), it has not been an issue. Still, on a car as expensive as the Tesla S, I would not want to take any chances. I might be more comfortable getting a mod from Unplugged Performance given their relationship with Tesla (though I don't believe they offer a steering wheel currently).
 
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