Why do they call it the clock spring?

[Bushbasher]

Just spent an hour or so changing the "clock spring" on the wagon and I have to wonder why it's called a clock spring in the first place. A clock spring is a spiral wound flat spring so I expected to see a flat tape type cluster of wires that spiraled round under the airbag somehow. What I found was nothing like that. It's 2 plastic disks pressed together with one fixed to the column and the other fitted over the steering wheel shaft so it rotates with the wheel. I assume there's the usual copper ring and brush type setup inside the discs to close the airbag circuit. None of this is remotely like a clock spring in any way that I can see so why the name.

On the plus side, once I'd borrowed the right torx bit to get the airbag off it was easy enough to change and only cost $65 to get a replacement part from the local wreckers.


Bushbasher