‘Advanced Mode:’ Man’s Steering Wheel Comes Off. Then He Goes For a Drive

"Please tell me you’re on your way to buy a steering wheel."

Photo by: Facebook Reels

By: Chad Swiatecki

Jul 18, 2025 at 9:00pm ET

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It’s one thing to modify your car; it’s another to ditch the steering wheel altogether. In a clip circulating on Facebook, a driver is seen casually navigating traffic while using a metal wrench jammed into the steering column. No airbag. No controls. No fear.

In a viral Facebook Reel, you notice right away that something’s missing—namely, the entire steering wheel. In its place? A shiny wrench, hooked onto the exposed steering column like it belongs there.

The driver grips it with both hands: One hand is planted firmly where the wrench connects to the column, while the other guides the tool itself to turn the car. It’s not elegant, but it works. Somehow.

There’s no visible airbag, no horn, and definitely no backup plan. Yet the driver moves confidently at a moderate speed on what appears to be a public road. The car responds awkwardly, but obediently.

Can You Steer With a Wrench?

In simple terms, yes, if the car is old enough, and you’re bold (or reckless) enough.

In older vehicles, especially those without modern electronics or airbags, the steering wheel connects directly to a splined shaft or central bolt on the steering column. Remove the wheel, and you’re left with a bare metal shaft that still controls the front wheels, just without any of the convenience or safety.

That’s where the wrench comes in. If the bolt is exposed and the wrench fits snugly over it, it can act as a crude lever. Turn the wrench, and the shaft turns with it, steering the wheels. It’s essentially a homemade tiller—extremely limited in range and precision, but just functional enough to drive in a straight-ish line or take slow turns.

It’s not safe, it’s not smart, and it’s not street-legal. But mechanically, it works.

To be clear: Steering a car with a wrench isn’t just sketchy. It’s downright dangerous.

For starters, there’s no airbag, no horn, and likely no functioning controls for anything beyond basic steering input. If the car uses electronic power assist, there's a good chance that the system is also disabled or impaired. More importantly, the wrench offers almost no precision; fine-tuned control is rendered useless, especially at higher speeds or during emergency maneuvers.

And then there’s the tool itself. A wrench isn’t designed to steer a moving vehicle. It can slip off, jam suddenly, or even fly loose if the bolt shakes free, turning a bad idea into a catastrophe.

Legally, it’s no better. In most US states, operating a vehicle without its original steering components, especially one designed with an airbag, makes it unroadworthy under traffic safety laws. According to the NHTSA, any modification that compromises required safety equipment can violate federal motor vehicle standards. A wrench-as-wheel qualifies.

On private property? Maybe it’s just a bad decision. On public roads? It’s a violation waiting to happen, or worse.

Comment Comedians

Viewers of the clip commented with a mix of disbelief and applause. And plenty of humor.

“Jesus clearly took the wheel,” one of them joked.

Another wanted to up the stakes: “The skill is when you use a reversible ratchet wrench!”

What do you think?

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Comments

And one used the occasion to relive a specific episode of teenage rebellion, writing, “When I was a teen I got grounded and dad put the ‘club’ on the wheel of my olds. I removed the whole wheel with club and left it in the driveway and used vise grips like a joystick. When I got home he was scratching his head in the driveway looking at the wheel. I pulled up and he looked in the window seen my set up and said ‘well done’ then popped the hood removed the distributor cap and said ‘good luck.'”

Motor1 contacted the poster via phone call. We'll update this article if we hear back.