Steering Wheel Restoration

[Dan in Pasadena]

I decided to take on my 46's cracked and dog-chewed (yes, really) steering wheel this weekend. I had seen great reviews for using JB Stick Weld to repair the cracks, so I bought some to try. I "V-ed" out the cracks with a file and using the Stick Weld - which has different colored inner and outer components - you slice off a chunk and knead it by hand til it's one color. Then quickly jam it into the cracks because you only have about 2-3 minutes working time. It says it is water-based so I tried using a bit of water on my fingers to help smooth it out before the "scab" hardens. It didn't help much frankly.

I did this in a couple steps and used rat tail and flat bastard files to finalize the contours. Then I fully sanded the steering wheel with 150 grit, blew it clean and primed the whole thing with Rustoleum sandable primer.

Once it is primed the places you've missed or mis-shaped become very clear. I plan to now go back, fix the remainder and re-file, sand and prime. My final coat (or 3) will be gloss black and I may clear it too. I have no idea how it will wear but since the truck is not a daily driver I'm not all that worried about it.

Feel free to offer opinions. I probably would not have taken this on until I went to the Pomona Auto Swap meet and saw 40's era Chevy car steering wheels going for $400 to $1200

[Dan in Pasadena]

And now the present condition. I will post photos after I've final sprayed it later.
All in all, a worthwhile effort. It's labor intensive but simple, cheap and frankly it works.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

You did a great job.
Now grab a cold beer and go take a break at that table under the banana tree.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ha...ha! I'm sorry. It was probably cruel to post my backyard full of tropical plants and this weekend's 80 degree weather in California when the East just had HORRIBLE weather.

Thanks for the comments. It's not "great" but I'll stay on it to get it as close as possible. The chips around the hub make it hard to get right. It gets too thin & delicate. Both Carters and Chev's are back ordered on the horn button...which is plain as heck anyway. I'm trying to figure out what I can adapt that will look nice. Something with "Chevrolet" preferably or a bowtie.

[mr48chev]

Nice tech thread Dan, and one that a lot of us might be able to make use of. A good simple solution to a problem that one will usually have sooner or later with these trucks. I've a wheel hanging in the shed that I might just play with now just to see what I can do with it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Mr Chev.
I'm not sold that the JB StickWeld is the ultimate product for this purpose. The cure time is too fast. It doesn't allow you much time to work the product to near-final shape. It's probably best for the large repairs - like where my wheel was missing 2 or 3 of the fingers bumps on the backside - there you WANT a big lump to be able to do a bit of a sculpture project!

But for the small cracks and marks, I almost wonder if regular two part JB would be better. It's a bit too liquid but if you held the piece in the right postion, the product might not flow out.

Its the filing that is the time consuming and hand-tiring work on this process.

By the way, I tried waiting to when the product started to "go off" and then scrape the semi-hard goo off, but it pulls out of the repair area unless you're SUPER careful. You have to do it with a knife or it will ruin your files.

[southbounddee]

Great save,.. yes regular two part JB weld is great stuff, it gets thicker as it sits so being runny isn't a problem, don't be scared to smooth some spots with filler.that thing will look great when your done and your going to be very happy you didn't spend $400 - $1200 on another one.

[Goatnut]

Looking good Dan!

I've wanted to do this to a couple wheels myself. I talked to a guy at a car show once who had done it and he said he used gelcoat because it is so much more durable than paint. He mentioned that he had tried paint but it showed signs of wear quickly. I know nothing about gelcoat except that it is used on boat hulls.

Can anybody add anything to this? I have found quarts of black gelcoat for $20-30.00. I would like to try this. Does it take a special gun?

[special-K]

Gel coat sounds like a good way to go.I know gel coat fades and wouldn`t it also "build" a bit too much?It`sa layer of material,like resin with color.I believe it fades pretty bad.I know on fiberglass toppers they stopped gel-coating and started painting with urethane...Vette`s,too.But,I`d think coats of urethane would hold up well.I`d use single stage.Clearcoat seems to be not so durable and there`s always that chance for lifting.You know how the hand oils tend to melt things,too.I`d think Imron would hold up.I think on hairlines you could "V" them out,liquid JB to re-bond and smooth with filler.Using all stick weld is definitely the strongest bet,I would think.

[Sillyoldman]

Curious what paint you used on it? Looks good.

[rcrahn]

Good work Dan. Steering wheel is a focal point on any vehicle and those old wheels are getting harder and harder to come by.
FYI, there's a place called Pearlcraft in Australia that only restores wheels. I have no idea what they charge. Look at their gallery of wheels for some inspiration.
http://www.pearlcraft.com.au/

[Dan in Pasadena]

I hadn't come back to this thread in awhile...because frankly, I didn't finish restoring the wheel yet. I needed to move my truck so I stuck the wheel back on in primer. I need to go back and make a few more minor repairs and then re-prime and paint. I only drive my truck on weekends so I only planned to rattle can it. Yeah, I know it won't hold up to much use...I'll sand and spray again! I DO have a compressor and basic spray gun I've never used but I have no iea what paint/reducer I'd ask for if I decided to go that route. I also thought of just brushing oil based Rustoleum with a bit of Penetrol in it so it will self level. I THINK that would work if I apply it in two thin coats.

[Dan in Pasadena]

An update: The steering wheel repair with JB Stick Weld in the high stress areas is NOT holding up; it has begun to re-crack - DOH!
I know I prepped the wheel correctly: I V-ed out the cracks, blew them clean w/ pressurized air and applied per instructions. The problems are where the hub-to-spoke and the spoke-to-wheel intersections are. I've only driven the truck (other than in and out of the driveway) twice since I did this repair. A 15 mile trip and a 30 mile trip.

So I'm going to re-file the cracked areas and try again with regular 2 part JB Weld, or with the best plastic two part epoxy glue I can find at Home Cheapo or OSH. It turned out the repairs for the dents and dog bites I mentioned have held up fine. Its just the deep cracked areas that aren't up to snuff. Pictures later.

Opinions welcome.

[GruntMoanCough]

I would suggest using plastic repair. NAPA has a two part kit available in small tubes, maybe check them out.
BTW, get that compressor and gun going, gotta learn sometime.


rcrahn: Thanks for that link, cool stuff.........got me thinkin' now.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ron,
Yeah, I should try spraying using my little spray gun. Something like this is probably the right thing to give it a try. The gun is one of those you get with the compressor. It works as both a siphon or a pressure feed. I know to use it as siphon feed and I know to follow the paint manufacturer's thinning instructions. I also need a water eseparator for my air line but what paint would you suggest for a little project like this? I'd probably use Rustoleum out of a can, but there has to be better and more appropriate stuff for a plastic project than metal paint, doesn't there? Suggestions welcome.

[GruntMoanCough]

Single stage automotive paint would be good. The economy labels are reasonable, but you'll need activator and reducer.
For your air supply, if you got enough line, you could run the air line up to the rafters and back down, with a cheap air filter. Not ideal but, would work for what you're doing.
Also, I don't know how deep you filled the cracks. maybe grind down to the steel with a little disc on edge to go deeper, might help the cracking.

[ETsC10]

I used to do exterior signs and I can attest to the Rustolium not being a good choice...great stuff but UV damage will eventually create chalking. Go with an automotive paint, as mentioned above.

Nice thread...subscribed.

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by GruntMoanCough

I would suggest using plastic repair. NAPA has a two part kit available in small tubes, maybe check them out.
BTW, get that compressor and gun going, gotta learn sometime.


rcrahn: Thanks for that link, cool stuff.........got me thinkin' now.

No prob
BTW, I did inquire regarding pricing and here is what they said:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
G’day Richard

Greetings from “down under”



Our base cost for dual colours on a “tidy” wheel is $680 AUD, that equates to $635 USD on today’s exchange rate.

Single colour only is $550 AUD = $513 USD

We would require a colour sample to match to.





Shipping back via our international courier is $135 AUD = $ 126 USD for a parcel up to 5kg (11 lb) and 2-3 days in transit, totally trackable door to door.



Shipping from CA is on average, low to mid $50’s USD using USPS.



Time line would be aprox 3-4 weeks



Let me know if I can help you any further.

Warm regards

Lee Basinski

www.pearlcraft.com.au



Sapphire Coast NSW Australia.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the info, but waay too pricey for my budget. Beautiful work though.

[nickp51chevy]

Looks great! I know what I'm doing soon.

[midcal48]

good looking work. And good money saving technique.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks...but....as it turns out, the steering wheel is NOT correct for a '41-'46 truck - DOH! I have since found a correct one but have to do the same repair work all over again!

[K-TEN]

A bit late to the show here, sorry. There's an off-the-shelf product at Home depot that is an epoxy product that I used. (Can't remember the name at the moment) Frankly, I would not use any of the stuff most of the retailers recommend. The problem is not that the product is bad. It's great, super hard. great. The actual problem is that the steering wheel material isn't as hard as the stuff you fix it with. So to sand and file the repair material down is a royal PIA. Next time I'd be inclined to use something much softer to be able to reshape to the correct profiles. I did paint the wheel with some rattlecan rustoleum and have not had any cracking or fading. Mine is a daily driver in the summer with a lot of miles going on it.
As far as an appropriate softer material-I don't know. Heck I'd almost be willing to try drywall compound for small stuff. Crazy I know. But I would have had a much easier time getting everything smooth and lined up. Cracking could be the obvious problem with that however. My cracks weren't that big. And after sanding against the old original material, it about looked like brown drywall compound. Very powdery.
Overall I'm happy with my wheel. It sure beats what it looked like before. But it isn't perfect but I'll deal with it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Any chance I could see a picture of your results? The name of the product you used or barring that, where is it in the store? In the paint department? What is its supposed intended use? Maybe I can figure out what you used.

[LEEVON]

PC7 is what I use but I have to order it from Home Depot online.