RimThe outer ring of the wheel. It is a metal ring with a grip molded over it.
SpokesThey join the hub to the rim. This wheel has three; wheels have been made with one, two, three or four.
Airbag cover (horn pad)The driver's airbag is folded under it. On most cars, pressing it also sounds the horn.
Cruise control buttonsThey are on a spoke. That lets the driver press them without letting go of the wheel.
Audio controlsThey work the sound system from the wheel. Some cars have telephone buttons here too.
Turn signal leverIt is fixed to the column behind the wheel. On many cars the same lever works the headlights.
Wiper leverFixed to the column behind the wheel. It is on the other side from the turn signal lever.
Ignition switchIt is on the column below the wheel. On most cars it also locks the steering when the key is taken out.
Tilt leverPull or push it, then move the wheel up or down. Let go to lock it again when it suits you.
From the side, cut through 5
HubThe spokes run out from it. A nut holds it on the end of the steering shaft.
AirbagWith it is an inflator, the round part behind it. The inflator fills the bag in a crash.
ClockspringIt winds and unwinds as the wheel turns. That keeps the airbag, the horn and the buttons wired to the car.
Steering columnCarries the levers and the ignition switch. It is fixed under the dashboard and cut open here to show the shaft.
Steering shaftCarries the wheel's turning down through the column to the steering gear.
How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, Steering wheel, Steering column and Clockspring, text only (hub, spokes, rim, airbag in the wheel, horn switch on the hub or center pad, audio and cruise control buttons, turn signals and wipers on the column, tilt wheel, steering column, steering lock with the ignition switch, clockspring between the wheel and the column). (2) US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, 49 CFR 571.101, 571.204 and 571.208, read at https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/571.204 and the same address ending 571.101 and 571.208 (steering wheel rim, steering wheel hub, steering column as a housing that surrounds a steering shaft, steering shaft, horn control on the hub). (3) Three owner's manuals from three makers, names only: a 1998 sedan, https://archive.org/details/toyota-camry-1998-owners-manual (turn signal lever, wiper lever, ignition switch, cruise control switch, tilt steering lock release lever, airbag module in the steering wheel hub, column cover); a 2007 pickup, https://archive.org/details/manuals-plus-2007-honda-ridgeline-owners-manual-2362b88b (airbag cover at the steering wheel's center, horn pad, cruise button, remote audio controls, lever on the steering column for tilt, ignition switch); a 2007 sedan, https://archive.org/details/manualzz-id-1276297 (turn signal/multifunction lever, windshield wiper lever, cruise control buttons, audio steering wheel controls, steering wheel pad and horn, tilt wheel lever under the steering column, steering wheel hub, airbag covering). (4) Missouri Auto Mechanics Curriculum Guide, Module 5, Steering and Suspension, University of Missouri, 1990, https://archive.org/details/micro_IA41152929_0895 (steering column as the assembly that contains the steering shaft, steering shaft, steering wheel hub and nut, horn pad, column jacket). (5) A steering wheel maker's fitting instructions, names only, https://archive.org/details/manuals-plus-2005-2010-ford-mustang-airbag-steering-wheel-replacement-p-3a23401c (spoke, spoke-mounted cruise control switches, clockspring, horn switch, airbag module). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's wheel, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a steering wheel are a rim, spokes and a hub. Round them sit the things a driver works without letting go: the horn pad, the buttons on the spokes, and the levers on the column.
Read the full guide
From the driver's seat
You hold the rim. The spokes join it to the middle, where the pad is both the airbag cover and the horn. This wheel has cruise control buttons on one spoke and audio controls on the other. Behind it, on the column, are the turn signal lever, the wiper lever, the ignition switch and the tilt lever.
From the side
The hub fits on the end of the steering shaft, and the shaft runs down inside the steering column. The airbag is folded in front of the hub. The clockspring sits just behind it.
The column is the housing and the shaft is the rod inside it. Only the shaft turns.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a steering wheel?
The rim you hold, the spokes, and the hub in the middle, which fits on the steering shaft. On most cars a pad over the hub is both the airbag cover and the horn, and the spokes carry buttons.
What is a clockspring in a steering wheel?
A flat cable wound in a spiral, in a drum between the wheel and the column. It lets the wheel turn while the airbag, the horn and the buttons stay connected to the car's wiring.
What is the difference between the steering column and the steering shaft?
The steering shaft is the rod that carries the wheel's turning down to the steering gear. The steering column is the housing round the shaft, fixed under the dashboard.
What are the levers behind the steering wheel?
Usually a turn signal lever on one side and a wiper lever on the other. Many cars have a third lever under the column that unlocks it, so the wheel can be tilted.