Steering Wheel coming off black

John in SATX

John in SATX

Member
Suddenly in damp weather my 1930 Tudor steering wheel is coming off black all over everything. I have tried cleaning it but it still comes off black, like the surface has softened. I have no idea how old it is but it could be original? Is there any sealing and refinishing it, or must I replace it?


Thank you :confused:
 
My guess would be a cheap repro or a bad refinish of the wheel. How long have you had the car? I solved the problem on a late model car by going to PEP Boys and getting a lace on leather cover intended for sports cars.

Charlie Stephens
 
I put those steering wheel covers on both of my model a's, it improves the grip when steering and makes the steering wheel look better. IMO
 
Way back, when bowling balls were still made of hard rubber, they used to sell a cleaner/ polish that was used to seal the ball so it wouldn't soak in the oil used on the lanes. I wonder if this is still available?
 
Thanks Charlie I appreciate your answer. I have had the car for 20+ years and at one time it was shown at some national meets according to stickers on the vehicle. The horn button bezel is pitted and looking a bit sad so it is definitely not new. I tried looking up the wheel cover on the net and the only one I cound that fir the 17+" wheel was $50 or some such and that6 seemed high to me. I have a PEP Boys close to me and I will try them.


I am leery of trying to use some fort of paint or sealer as it might just gum up? I have not had much luck over the years with paint-on finishes but the last time I tried was likely in the 1940's.


I just hate to try and pull the horn rod and replace the wheel, have not done that before but it seems fraught with difficulty, at least to me?


Appreciate your thoughts - John
 
I tried Krylon Fusion paint on some lawn furniture (plastic) and it worked very well. This time last year I restored my original 30 wheel and a year later no paint has come off using the Fusion paint.
 
Clean the wheel some more. Mine was doing the same thing and I cleaned it and cleaned it again and finally no more black sticky mess.
 
Many years ago I had a wheel that was dirty,but nothing wrong with the wheel itself.I don't remember what I used on it,but I washed it to get off the buildup of crud.Whatever I used attacked the composition of the wheel,I would call them the binders,and after that the wheel would rub off.More so when it was wet,but when it was dry it rubbed off on my hands like lamp black.Whatever I used dried out the oils,resins,plastics,or whatever holds the solids together in the wheels.I ruined a perfectly good wheel by using a modern aggressive cleaner.I fixed it by wrapping a lace-on cover on it,and it is still on it to this day.
 
Thanks everyone! I found a stretch wheel cover at PEP Boys for $5 that I will use in the interim. It was a bear to stretch on the wheel as the wheel is actually larger than recommended but it worked. Not great quality but will work for now. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and I will try to post down stream as to my final solution.


Happy Thanksgiving - Keep the A's Rolling!!
 
Thanks Tom, always a little leery about clear finishes, especially clear. I see that Krylon Fusion is recommend, I'll check to see if that comes in clear. I have other Krylon clears in the shop so will read up. Hope all going well up your way, we left Minnesota in 1957 and have gotten used to the warmer Texas weather, but not the hurricanes.



Always enjoy your practical posts, John
 
John I got my lace up wrap on ebay -just do a search.
 

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John in SATX said:
Thanks Tom, always a little leery about clear finishes, especially clear. I see that Krylon Fusion is recommend, I'll check to see if that comes in clear. I have other Krylon clears in the shop so will read up. Hope all going well up your way, we left Minnesota in 1957 and have gotten used to the warmer Texas weather, but not the hurricanes.



Always enjoy your practical posts, John
Click to expand...
You were smart to leave. If I was smarter in 1971, I would have stayed in Texas.
 
Clean it with lacquer thinner using a maroon scuff pad and paint it.I did that with the steering wheel on my F-1 Pick up back in the 1960's. It stayed on until I sold the truck in about 2002. I used acrylic enamel with hardner. (Just some left over paint from a job at the dealer I worked at) But I did pill the steering wheel or you will paint the whole car with over spray and wear a good respirator. I painted it after I got home from work and drove the truck to work the next morn.
 
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