Steering Wheel Spoke Repair

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NewSixCoupe

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Hi.

The four spoke wheel on my '74 CS is starting to develop stress cracks at the base of each spoke where it meets the hub. I'd like to be preemptive and deal with the situation now. I thought about using epoxy, something like POR-15's PORPATCH or their epoxy putty. The epoxy would be applied from the inside, behind the horn pad.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Thanks, but not my cup of tea for this car. I feel that a wood steering wheel clashes with the dash and door panel veneer...
 
The cracks you describe are common to that wheel and I have no idea how permanent any repair could be and would imagine that you are dealing strictly cosmetics and not the structural integrity of the wheel. And, you are merely filling voids as opposed to actually holding the wheel together, just about any commonly available epoxy would fit the bill.

Years ago, (*before the internet was popular when parts were inexpensive) I attempted to help out an E12 owner with a severely weathered wheel. When looking for a replacement, all the candidates showed evidence of similar cracking and some had repairs. One looked extremely good but upon closer inspection the voids appeared to have been filled with a light body filler material that was painted. Another looked like someone used wood putty. We opted to fill the voids with an epoxy. Something commercial grade, similar to JBWeld, but I honestly can't recall what it was. The result was cosmetically acceptable, but I have no idea how it fared over the long run, especially since it would have been left outside in the Southwest.

Although I do not have any other personal experience to impart, I would not be surprised to learn that there are epoxies specifically marketed toward steering wheel repairs. You might try a general search for such a product.
hth
 
Eastwood sells a product specificly for this application. See http://www.eastwood.com/master-steering-wheel-repair-kit-w-instruc.html At $50, it's a little pricey.

As NashvilleCat wrote, the cracks form as the plastic cures and shrinks. There's a steel frame inside the wheel, so structural integrity isn't an issue. Epoxy will cosmeticly fill the cracks, but it certainly won't strengthen anything. As the plastic in the wheel continues to shrink with age, the cracks will probably re-form.

I like my Nardi Classico. The wood rim matches the wood accents of the e9. And, it doesn't have no stinkin' cracks!
 
jmackro,

Thanks for the link, but yes, the Eastwood product is a bit pricey. Besides, I really don't need a pound of filler, or the paint for that matter. I'll give POR-15 a call...

I'm sure your Nardi looks great (each to his own), but I would imagine that wood steering wheels come with their own set of maintenance/repair issues.
 
Repair steering wheel

Several considerations:

1.Type of epoxy

a. Heat cured by chemical.

b. Heat cured by ambient.

2. Shear strength

3. Peel strength.

Here's a link to a site that reps a bunch-http://thegluedepot.com/plasticwelderinthedevtubedispensernogunrequired.aspx

My recommendation is that because of the type of plastic back then vs. now, age, heat, etc. the cracks formed. Using an ambient cure type epoxy would seem to induce the least of amount of cure heat vs. a higher heat chemical cure for a relatively brittle part repair. A good number on the epoxy would be 500lbs and 50 peel. Most of these manufacturers have msd sheets so a little reseach is in order. The Eastwood kit has tools, paint, instructions that the ordinary owner probably has in the shop/ garage. Youtube has several videos to review before attempting a repair.

Best of luck with the project.
 
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