Crack in original wood steering wheel on '78

[dkphotog]

Any suggestions on how to fix/fill an 1/8' crack on my original wood steering wheel? I have a '78 Spider 124 and don't want to spend money on a new steering wheel. I thought of wrapping leather to cover it - but I really love the feel of the wood & the nostalgia of the material makes me happy.

I just wonder if anyone has tried this type of project with any luck?

I'm also sanding down the black spokes and re-painting them with black enamel paint so they look fresher.

Thanks!!!

[124JOE]

a slow set expoxie will fill it ---------you can use black rtv silacone for a mold of part of the wheel
you want to over fill and sand it down----sand when just a bit hard or it will be very hard to sand
and the last step after it sized down and shaped and dry
mix up a small batch then thin it down with aceatone by 4 times -----------normaly i use the bottom of a soda can
a nickle size of each part and mix then add a squert of aceatone
then paint the repaired area so its smooth and shinny

[dantye]

Any suggestions on how to fix/fill an 1/8' crack on my original wood steering wheel? I have a '78 Spider 124 and don't want to spend money on a new steering wheel. I thought of wrapping leather to cover it - but I really love the feel of the wood & the nostalgia of the material makes me happy.

I just wonder if anyone has tried this type of project with any luck?

I'm also sanding down the black spokes and re-painting them with black enamel paint so they look fresher.

Thanks!!!

I just got a caliper paint kit from Por-15, and there is a steering wheel repair kit in their catalog. Eastwood also sells a kit, but both of these are advertised for rubber or plastic steering wheels. Perhaps if you undercut an epoxy repair, reinforced with a metal or plastic "key" mortised into the back of the wheel, the crack could filled with matching wood pieces or veneer, then sanded down and finished with urethane or clear epoxy.

If none of the original wheel is missing, pulling the crack together with a band clamp set-up, then keying and gluing it, using waxed paper to keep from gluing the wheel to the band clamp, might also work, but may run the risk of cracking it in another location. Not an easy job, any way you do it.

DISCLAIMER: Just advice from a long-retired shop teacher who has made MANY repairs, but not this exact one. If you can wait, someone who has actually made the repair will probably come along with much more reliable advice AND pictures. Just guessing there are other things you could work on while waiting - after all, it's a Fiat!

[baltobernie]

If yours is an OEM steering wheel, it is wood-grained plastic. Use masking tape in two rings around the crack. Mask as close as you can to the crack. Buy some "J.B. Weld" at a hardware store, in the glue section. Mix a small amount per the package instructions, and fill the crack with epoxy. I've found those wooden coffee stirrers make great spatulas. Smooth to the contours of the wheel. Remove the tape before the epoxy sets.

At a hobby shop, you can buy tiny, fingernail polish-size bottles of paint. One color matches your steering wheel; sorry, I discarded mine when Santa brought me a new Nardi wheel. The paint eventually wears off, but the repair will hold up pretty well.
Repeat when needed.

[124JOE]

burnnie if you coat the repair "after youve painted it"with my thined down expoxie the paint wont wear off
it also hardens old brittle plastic like the ring that holds my mirror in place
and useing masking tape is a must."good idea"

[dkphotog]

WOW - love all the responses but WOW - I'm pretty handy & crafty but this sounds hard to make look good! I think I'll move on to other repairs for the time being and see if any used steering wheels come along first! LOL

I'm beginning work on sanding my rims and painting next. My goal with this car is to use elbow grease, trades, paint, and the lowest cost supplies to fix things.

Luckily my car already looks really nice & "knock on wood" it is in great mechanical condition so far and no break downs yet. Already a happy camper considering what I paid for it!!!