Repairing a cracked steering wheel with a plastic welder?

[bobs409]

I was just looking thru an Eastwood catalog and saw the plastic welder they have. Anyone ever try something like this to fix cracks in a steering wheel?

I tried PC-7 and as soon as the weather changed, I got a hairline crack at each repair!

So who's gonna put out $229 to give this a try?

[LockDoc]

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I think they have one of those over at the salvage yard where I hang out. I'm sure they would let me try it. Lord knows I have plenty of cracked wheels for testing...

LockDoc

[bonnieclyde100]

i would probably fix the wheel with epoxy

[Andy4639]

I have a 67 SS wheel I'm working on right now. I sanded it down yesterday. I have the 2 part epoxy but was thinking maybe bondo also for the cracks are very small.

[68gmsee]

Heat and sun are the steering wheel's enemy. A good way to protect it after you fix the cracks is to cover it. Keep a white towel in the truck and throw over it when parked in the sun. The towel can serve as dust wipe, window dew remover or for accidental spills.

You can also cover the steering wheel with a wrap like I did mine (pic ) and use a windshield sunshade when you are leaving it parked for any length of time.

Mine has a few small cracks that were there when I got it 15 years ago. They haven't gotten any worse but I have been thinking of using the Eastwood restoration kit on it.

[Andy4639]

I filed the cracks today before work. Plan to do the body fill in the morning. Get some sleep and sand it the next day.

[bobs409]

Where I live it's not really the sun, it's the fact that temps change so much. Summers can be 95 and winters 10! (those would be the extremes here in PA)

The PC-7 is epoxy and was told it worked good when I researched it here a few years ago. I even beveled the cracks and drilled a few holes down into the material so it had something to bite to but still cracked again. Bondo would never last so I wouldn't bother with that.

I was thinking further on this plastic welder idea. I'd have to test it but the material these wheels are made of must melt if the correct amount of heat is put to them so maybe use just a soldering iron and some pieces of scrap plastic material from an old wheel to melt into the crack? Sounds good in my head anyway. If that would work, it would be very easy to file/sand it to shape. Gonna have to try it.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by bobs409

Where I live it's not really the sun, it's the fact that temps change so much. Summers can be 95 and winters 10! (those would be the extremes here in PA...............

I hear you about temperature extremes. I've lived in Texas most of my life where extremes range from low teens or single digits to over 100 on occasion. Plastic parts just won't hold together long with these changes in temp. I have never had my truck in a garage or storage and so far the steering wheel has held up fairly well. I suspect the cover has helped more than anything.

Take some pics of your progress and let us know how it goes.

[bobs409]

I finally got to try my idea and it works!!!

I used an old wood burner tool I inherited (just like an electric soldering iron) and after filing out a cracked area on my steering wheel (was about 3/16 of an inch when done), I simply melted in some small chunks of plastic from an old badly cracked Chevelle wheel I had.

There is a small learning curve but not bad. It melts at the slightest touch of the tool so things happen fast.

Once I melted enough in to fill the gap, it cools within seconds so I took a file to it and it shaped real nice. Quite easy to work with. I then took some fine sand paper and worked it further.

I had a few small low spots but not a problem, just melt in a little more plastic! I think a little high build primer or glaze would be fine for any surface imperfections as the crack itself is now welded together.

Now the real test will be does it hold up? I'm thinking it just might as it's the same material your using so it will expand/contract the same as it's surrounding material and also, the new material melted into the old really making it one piece.

Ok, you can start calling me a genious now. I shouldn't be telling anyone this, I should start selling kits with the iron, plastic material, files and sand paper and get rich! LOL

Give it a try! I am working on a black wheel and using a scrap black wheel but I bet colored wheels would also work. In fact, given the right touch and grit paper, I bet you could shape and then work down to very very fine paper and buff out. That way no paint would be needed.

My wheel has too many cracks to do that method so I will paint it when done.

I'd love to offer pics but my camera sucks with close detail. Here's a shot showing the crack all filed out, ready for the new material. That crack cannot be found now! It's like it was never there.

[midniteblues]

great info bob glad it worked for you that was a great Idea and you'll never know if it works till you try it. you'll be driving that wrecker soon

[70STOVEBOLT]

My blue wheel appears to be black underneath. I don't think the colored wheels are made of colored material. Don't know for sure though.

[1972RedNeck]

Originally Posted by bobs409

Where I live it's not really the sun, it's the fact that temps change so much. Summers can be 95 and winters 10! (those would be the extremes here in PA)

We regularly have over 100* here in Montana. The lowest I have seen is 38* below without wind chill. The records for Montana are 117* and -60*.

[special-K]

Bob,I never read this thread till now and what you did is exactly what I was going to suggest. This is great info.
The sink in the camper on my old '71 Custom Camper was manual and it stopped pumping. I bought a replacement and it still wouldn't pump. I went deeper into it and removed the tank. I found that the fill neck had been repaired previously...with old milk jug and epoxy or whatever. I was in SC and knew of an RV repair place around the corner from my in-laws. The guy said,back then,the type of plastic used was paraffin-based and there's not an adhesive made that will stick to it. He cut about 1/4" off the neck and used that with a solder gun to "weld" it. I was amazed! I learned something that day with plastics. You use the same material and you can weld it. No question about compatibility. It's so plain and simple.

70STOVEBOLT,your steering wheel must be a reproduction. It's a 69-72 style,right? Those are all molded in color from factory. Reproductions are black and dyed/painted. I had a blue one for about 4 years in a truck I hardly ever drove. On a 15 degree morning I looked in it and saw a 3/16" gap at TDC and couldn't believe my eyes. The rod stock used for the rim is 1/2 the gauge of OEM. What did they save,$1 per wheel??? Later I noticed that wasn't dirt on the high spots of the grain texture,it was the color beneath the paint

[Andy4639]

Well after reading this if mine starts to come apart again I will do this type of repair. I had thought about the same thing just never followed through with it.

Just thinking out loud on your repair here.

Take some very thin sheet metal and form it to the wheel and wrap it around it with the top side open and pour the hot plastic into it and it should form to the wheel with out driping. What do you think?

[bobs409]

Andy, this plastic material when you heat it is more like sticky/stringy taffy so you won't be able to pour it at least not using the soldering gun method. I had to sort of push or press it into the gap as it melted. I also did my best to melt it into the surrounding material.

I'm just hoping the repair will hold up. If so, that will make this the ultimate fix. I know PC-7 sure doesn't hold up, it cracked at every joint I repaired.

Were going into winter here in PA so once I repair a few cracks, I will install this in my daily driver and see what happens. I'll be especially watching as winter turns to spring and then to summer.

[70STOVEBOLT]

70STOVEBOLT,your steering wheel must be a reproduction. It's a 69-72 style,right? Those are all molded in color from factory. Reproductions are black and dyed/painted. I had a blue one for about 4 years in a truck I hardly ever drove. On a 15 degree morning I looked in it and saw a 3/16" gap at TDC and couldn't believe my eyes. The rod stock used for the rim is 1/2 the gauge of OEM. What did they save,$1 per wheel??? Later I noticed that wasn't dirt on the high spots of the grain texture,it was the color beneath the paint[/QUOTE]

Mine is from a 67 or 68, I like that style better than the 69-72. I got it in a package deal with everything to switch from 3OTT to TH400 from a guy in NJ about 4 years ago. It could be a repro, but it looks pretty old. I've seen a few threads on here about repairing and then painting the wheel but I don't know how well paint would hold up.

[bobs409]

Stovebolt: your wheel is made of a different material. Not sure if this method would work on that type.

Those were all a black or dark color base and painted so what you have is normal for what it is.

I've heard that style does much better with the epoxy type repairs but have no experience with it.

[bollybib]

Clever fix, Bob. It will be interesting to see how well the repair holds up in your environmental conditions.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Originally Posted by bobs409

Stovebolt: your wheel is made of a different material. Not sure if this method would work on that type.

Those were all a black or dark color base and painted so what you have is normal for what it is.

I've heard that style does much better with the epoxy type repairs but have no experience with it.

Good to know. I wonder if it's a special paint? Just seems like it would see a lot of wear...

[KEL]

How badly did this stink while you were melting it ?

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by 70STOVEBOLT

Good to know. I wonder if it's a special paint? Just seems like it would see a lot of wear...

I always heard it was lacquer (if that's spelled right)

The paint did tend to wear off them. All the ones I see in the junkyards have the paint worn down to the black color base material.

Not a big problem however, just respray every so often.

Kel, it does smoke some so I wouldn't do this at the kitchen table. Did mine in my garage and kept my face out of the fumes. I guess I should mention not to breathe the smoke in. LOL

[KEL]

Thanks