Lay many layers of newspaper out on the table. Flip the steering wheel upside down. Very carefully cut through the leather on the back side. *I cut on the back side in case I nick the hard plastic part of the wheel it wont show if you have pliers this can help pull the leather up as you cut it.
I can not prepare you for what you are about to see. The reddish brown goo inside there is not of this earth. Do not attempt to touch the goo.
[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-16-2003).]
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04:49 PM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
Grasp the hub and lift the wheel up. Using one sheet of newspaper, pull off the leather cover. Lay the wheel back down on the next sheet of paper. Wad up the cover in some paper and set aside.
[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-16-2003).]
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04:50 PM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
Rub the flour in to the goo. The goo will absorb the flour, balling up and will roll off of the wheel. Dont use too much pressure with your fingers. The trick is let the flour do the work. You are not trying to smear the goo, you are working the flour in to it. Use a small screwdriver to get in the molding holes in the back side and the two groves along the top. After its all off youll end up with this.
[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-16-2003).]
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04:51 PM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
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Got my pace car like that, no covering on it at all, just the plastic underneith it. The good part is its still alittle squishy, its not all that hard.
Seems like a decent way to strip, although I think some solvents might be just as effective.
You didn't say anything about getting the leather back on. Looks like you didn't attempt to. The goal was to remove the leather and have a plastic wheel?
OK... I guess.
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12:39 AM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
Originally posted by 88GTNeverfinished: You didn't say anything about getting the leather back on. Looks like you didn't attempt to. The goal was to remove the leather and have a plastic wheel?
correct. it looks about 1000 times better than the old twisted leather.
[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-17-2003).]
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12:49 AM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
A Wheelskins stitched leather cover would finish the wheel off and give a nice grip. Just won't have the covering that extends out on the spokes. They run about $30.
So that's what is under the cover. I have seen steering wheel covers that you lace yourself, but the only cover the rim. I think the wheel looks good even if it has no cover on it.
I removed the cover from my wheel by cutting the stitching instead of the leather. I then placed the old cover, goo side down, on some newspaper. I cut the paper off even with the leather so I could use the old cover as a pattern to make a new one. I traced the old cover onto new leather and cut it out. Next I used a pin-vise drill bit to drill holes in the new cover to match the old one. I stitched the 2 pieces together and stretched it over the wheel, then glued it to the wheel and using 2 needles I "base-ball" stiched the new cover on. I must say this was a genuine PITA to do and if my steering wheel would have been grey inside like buddycraig's I would have probably done the same thing he did. My steering wheel was made out of brown plastic however, and was really ugly. I will say if I ever do this again I will use his flour trick because the brown goo inside is really hard to deal with, even brake clean has a hard time cleaning it off. I do not have any pics of my wheel at this time but it does look factory and the brown goo has been banished. I used a second layer of leather inside the outer cover to make up the original thickness of the wheel. The brown goo inside is actually the padding breaking down and melting, so to recover the wheel you have to replace it to keep the thickness the same.
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09:49 PM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
wow, that's a neat way to clean up the wheel! If you don't make a new cover for it, maybe you can put one of those wheel wraps or rubber wheel covers on it.
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10:56 PM
Nov 18th, 2003
SplineZ Member
Posts: 952 From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Registered: Nov 2002
1 "Stitch Ripper" or knife to cut the treads 1 Pressure Washer 1 Can of Colemen Camp Fuel or Ronsol Lighter fluid ----- Rip the stitches out, be prepaird for that brown crap... Rip ALL the thread out of the wheel..
put the wheel on your driveway, get the pressure washer hooked up, and use the high pressure nozzle to blast that crap off. Hold it far enough away that you dont peel the leather apart, or the plastic off the wheel..
Go over it until all of it is gone.. it will come off the leather like peeling tint off a window with a razor.. very simple, and not a spec left. Use the lighter fluid, or camp fuel to remove any residual goop.
Ive had my steering wheel like this for most the summer, unfortunatly there are some sharp molding edges that tent to wear into your hands.. Im lookin for a removeable steering wheel to replace everything
good work buddycraigg That steering wheel looked AWFUL before.. mine wasnt nearly that bad.. only had that brown "chocolate" coming out of the seams...
Has anyone considered just dipping the wheel in that rubber goop they make for covering tools? It comes in several different colors and isn't terribly expensive. Might work out nice.