Does your leather steering wheel look like this?



Then this might be for you.

[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-16-2003).]

What you need…
News paper.
Razor blade.
2 pounds of flour.
Small pliers. (optional)
Rubber gloves (optional)
Strong stomach.

EDIT cause i speel reely gud

[This message has been edited by buddycraigg (edited 11-16-2003).]

v. cool mate!

Thanks for the tut!

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Olorin Alpha: XP 1800+ Palamino @ 1.53GHz, soon to update to T-Bred 2
256MB PC2700 DDR RAM
ATI All in Wonder Radeon 7500
OS's: Dualbooting Windows 2000 Professional SP4 and Linux Slackware 9.1!

Olorin Beta: 1986 Pontiac Fiero
4 cyl 2.5L Stock
5 Speed Manual Transmission
Quarter Mile: ??
Top Speed: ??
FOR SALE
https://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/auctions/pfa.cgi?CATEGORY=1000fieros&ITEM=1069348920

How did you put the leather covering back on- and BTW it's flour?

I dont see a cover but it would be better than what he started with.

Very interesting. Now, does someone have any ideas about re-covering options?

Someone hook up a pic of the finished product! I have been looking at new wheels. This might be a nice way to hold off for a bit...

the pics dont work

DRAT! All I see is the dreaded RED X.

buddycraigg - looks like homestead has nuked access for whatever their reason is.

Sounds like it'll be a very useful tip. I've got 2 'spare' wheels that are leaking & could use a re-do.

Hope the pics come back soon

i cant get the pics small enough to load in PIP and had to use homestead.

if the band width is too much they's shut it off.

i'll see if jazz can help. he's the pic master.

Great idea, but I refill mine with silicone gasket maker/sealant once I have it stitched almost completely. This fills it and gives it shape.

Phil

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87 FIERO GT 2.8 5spd
0-60 in 6.8 seconds!
If you found my advice helpful, please take the time to give me a positive rating. Thanks

Blasted Red X's. Must have pics. Buddy repost or email. Please.

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Dwayne Mohr
84 SC Red
87 GT 5sp Silver
(Formerly FieroSoul, member since 2001)

Hey Buddy, if you send me the pics, I will post them for you on my website and link them here. No more bandwith problems then

Eric

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88 Coupe, Duke I4, 5 Speed

a *second* + to jazz (as if that's possible) for all his help with PIP.

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.

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84 Indy fiero Quad 4 HO (almost done!!)
Silver 88 GT, Newest addiction.

OK I'm a little confused.

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.

quote 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).]

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.

Well, I like the idea, and because of my frugal nature I like the price! (Remember no matter how much money you make, FREE is always good!)

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Tim
Red 88 Formula Auto
Stock 2.8 100K+ Miles
Hypertech Thermomaster
NoCat NoEGR

Yeah it may be free but...I'd rather gut a fish instead, flour it and pan fry.

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg: what... no one else like this except for me?

Hey, I gave you a "+" for it so stop complaining. We just want you to tell us how to re-cover it now. BTW, I love the idea of the flour.

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 do, I plan on doing that to my car in the next day or so.
+ to you

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg: what... no one else like this except for me?

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Jake
Red 1986 GT 5 Speed
Gold1986 SE 4 Speed
Black 1985 GT Auto
Visit my Fiero Page

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.

i'm doing it to a SE wheel right now. but it will need a lot more work to make it look good.

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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Heres what I did for mine..

what you'll need:

1 "Stitch Ripper" or knife to cut the treads
1 Pressure Washer
1 Can of Colemen Camp Fuel or Ronsol Lighter fluid
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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...

James Z

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Can anyone here tell me if this will work for my 86SE. I have the leather wraped gray wheel. My leather isn't really that bad, but its not too great.

If I do this im going to have a gray wheel under it right? I don't want to end up with brown or some weird colour.

TIA

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In Toronto crusin' it up in the V6...

quote Originally posted by ManiMack: Can anyone here tell me if this will work for my 86SE. I have the leather wraped gray wheel. My leather isn't really that bad, but its not too great. If I do this im going to have a gray wheel under it right? I don't want to end up with brown or some weird colour. TIA

i'm already working on an SE. it should turn out pretty good but it's more involved. the wheel i'm using is out of an 84SE

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.