The biggest problem I have with the foam steering wheel is when the dye has worn off and the foam underneath is exposed, there are what I call small pits. Basically a bunch of little holes in the foam, that if not sealed will soak up your dye and show, which in turn gets you no where, it just looks like crap. So you have to seal up those little holes with something that is flexible and something that will stick to the foam. I’ve tried all kinds of methods, not sure if all of them worked out, as a lot of the vehicles I work on are shipped off pretty quick. But usually you can tell pretty quickly if somethings not going to work.

One method I’ve tried and really got no where with was vinyl repair compound, it just doesn’t stick. I’ve tried super glue, but when dry it seems to want to crack. But with small areas if you use the super glue that is flexible, some suppliers call it Flex Gel, works pretty good. Just use a small amount and spread it over the area then sand with a 240 grit and wa-la it’s smooth enough to dye. But for those larger areas it can really be a pain in the butt. Super glue just won’t work, so what do you do, well one thing I’ve found that worked really well was Sems Flexible Primer Surfacer and another is made by Urethane Supply Co, it’s also a primer surfacer. Another word that the guys I used to work with and this may be an actual product just not sure but was “Fill and Sand”. What this stuff does is fill in the small pits and imperfections so when sanded it leaves you with a smooth area to paint. The Sems is flexible enough I think to work pretty well. I’ve also been known to use a little leather compounds too. The Leather Crack Fill (the gray stuff) does pretty much the same thing as the others, it’s a solvent based filler and is flexible enough for the foam steering wheel. I use it for smaller areas and even with some vinyl repairs, it seems to help your repairs blend better.

This is one foam steering wheel I wanted to show you that a customer and I kinda fixed together. The foam steering wheel had a chunk missing all the way around it where a steering wheel roller handle was attached (not really sure if that is what you call it), one of those things that you use to assist you in turning the steering wheel, you see them on farm tractors mostly. Anyways this thing pulled a chunk out of the wheel all the way around, kind like a ring.

The customer called me and wondered if there was anything that I could do, and really at first I said nothing, because I really didn’t know of anything that would adhere to the foam for one and wouldn’t feel like a rock when cured out. After a couple of phone calls later he informed me that he used a spray foam and it stuck and is holding up. Of course, FOAM, Duh…I felt weird having a customer tell me how to fix something, but when I got over there I was amazed at what it looked like and felt like, it was just a little squishier then the other foam but it stuck and looked like it might work.

He said all he did was spray the foam all around the steering wheel and let it set overnight. He then trimmed off the excess with a knife and that was as far as he got. He said he thought I could paint it or something to make it look better, but hey I’m not here to make things better, I like things to look great.

So I went to work to see if I could finish it off and make it look like a real foam steering wheel and not a botched up mess.

I first sanded the foam, so to get it level with the rest of the steering wheel. This is when I realized there was going to be a little more work then just filling in a few small pits, there were some larger then usual pits that needed something a little more filling then just “fill n sand”. I thought to myself for a minute to see if I had something in my arsenal that would do the trick, I came up with the only thing I could think of that I had at the time and that was flexible enough to work. I used Padded Dash Filler, it’s flexible and sticks to stuff like this, so I mixed up a small batch and put thin coats all the way around the area until it was level. Now working with this stuff is pretty cool, as it’s setting up you can start sanding it with a 180 grit to knock off the big stuff, just don’t get too aggressive at first. Then switch to a 240 grit to level and smooth it out as it’s curing. I use the blue activator, which cures it a little quicker then the red stuff.

I then used my “fill n sand” to fill in the not so perfect areas. Let cure a little bit then sanded it smooth with a 240 grit and then a 400 grit.

Once level and smooth I textured the steering wheel with a little Sems Textured Coat, first applying Bulldog Adhesion Promoter, so to make sure it would stay put.

Lightly sanded it with 400 grit to get off the fuzzy’s left behind from the texture spray, cleaned and prepped it really good, then applied my grip base and water based urethane dye.

I was happy…. what do you think? Turned out really good, the customer was really happy too. I think it will hold up and last a long time.

One thing I could have used also to fill in the spray foam area is a flexible bumper epoxy. I’ve used it before for smaller areas on foam steering wheels, and on split armrests. Seems to work really well, but I’m out right now and need to get to the supply shop and get more.

Foam steering wheel repair can be troublesome at times but using the right stuff will get the job done. If you all have any suggestions on products to use that have worked for you in the past on a foam steering wheel, please throw me a comment, I’m always looking for something bigger and better to bring my customers.

Talk to ya Soon – Mike “TIG”

The cause, well can be a few things, dirty hands from work, lotions you put on your hands, or if your a nervous type and like to rub your steering wheel. All of these and probably a few more that I haven’t mentioned can damage the waterbased dye applied to your leather steering wheel cover.

The fix can be simple if you have the right products and the know how.

Heres the know how…the products are up to you ( which I’ll tell you what to use )

Take an old sheet or a drop cloth and drape it around the steering wheel covering your dash and instrument panel to prevent any overspray from getting on them. Lay another sheet on the seat to eliminate any drippings from the prepping process.

Prepping the area. This is the key to success. You need a dirt free area or the dye won’t stick. I use rubbing alcohol, acetone, ammonia, and water mixed equally in a spray bottle. Spray the steering wheel with the solution and using a red Scotch Brite pad scrub the wheel, wiping as you go. This not only removes any grease and goo but it also scuffs the area so the dye will stick. You will also notice the dye will lift a little, this is good thing. Use the dye to help smooth the areas out. Let dry, then sand the wheel with a 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, this will also help to smooth any frayed or rough leather.

If there is a hole in the cover, it depends on how big it is, the size of say your thumb is repairable, any bigger well it’s time to buy a new steering wheel. Here’s an example of a steering wheel thats to far gone.

Now to repair the hole you will need THICK GEL SUPER GLUE. Yup, super glue. What you will do is glue the edges of the hole down and sand with a 240 Grit sandpaper while the glue is wet, this mixes the sanded leather with the glue and creates a patch. Keep applying the glue and sand until the area is smooth and level. This trick also works for rough leather too. If the steering wheel is rough on the top with no hole do the same, spread the glue around the area and sand it smooth.

For you folks at home, a lot of the products aren’t readily available to you. SEM Classic Coat dye can be used, with Bulldog adhesion promoter before you dye. Seal the steering wheel with Thompson water seal before you apply any adhesion promoter, this will help to smooth the area out and will keep the dye from just soaking in and make the ending result look better. Fillers, well, you can use a flexible drywall filler, applied in thin coats to fill in those rough areas, dry and sand the areas. If fillers are used, apply the sealer again before you dye.

For you techs using your water based dyes, use a sticky primer mixed 50-50 with your flex coat applied before you dye to eliminate any oil migration. The dye will stick better and last longer if you do this.

The trick is to get the area as smooth as possible, because any imperfections will be seen, use your fillers if needed. The soft touch filler, and leather crack filler (the gray stuff) works good, use your finger to apply a small amount at a time, drying and sanding between coats. Switch to a finer grade of sandpaper when sanding the fillers.

Don’t forget the back of the wheel. I don’t know how many steering wheels I’ve redone for customers that have been done before (by someone else), that they have missed the back of the wheel. When a customer looks in the car through the windshield, what do they see, the back of the wheel, so dye the whole thing!

Running the vehicle while your doing your work helps, your able to turn the wheel and position it where you want it.

After the dye has been applied and dry, top coat it with a satin clear (don’t forget to add a little cross-linker to the clear if your using water based dyes ) this will add a little bit more of a barrier and will help the dye last longer.

At this point your steering wheel should look like new.

When your all done and the dye is dry, apply a small amount of leather conditioner to the leather wrapped steering wheel to give it a smooth feel on look. If you have any questions or need more info about How to Repair a Worn Leather Steering Wheel feel free to contact me.

Got a NEW version of How to Repair a Leather Steering Wheel for those tech’s out there using only water based dyes…Let me know what you think, the superglue trick still works either way…