by Dean Sprague
Originally I intended to replace the steering wheel on my Volvo P 1800. I first thought they were not available anymore then later I found one from a Volvo specialist. Unfortunately they wanted $550 for an aftermarket reproduction. I also found New Old Stock one for $850, too much for me. I had other issues. When my car had been hit in the front, the original wheel was bent a bit from the impact and of course the plastic casting was cracked and broken from aging in several places. Since the wheel spokes are stainless and with some patience I was able to straighten them out using blocks and a body hammer. Then I sanded the spokes smooth to remove the scratches and buffed them back to a nice shine. That was good but now what to do about the cracked and broken wheel rim?
There are a couple of approaches you can use. You can actually get a plastic compound. It’s a powder with an emulsifying liquid. It requires patience and because it’s a liquid it must be mixed and added into the cracks at the same time and held in place briefly as it cures. There may be compatibility issues depending on the original material used to cast your wheel. Not all wheels are plastic some are Bakelite or a plastic amalgam. Therefore, I opted for a safer epoxy putty method. This approach will work on almost any material. If you get the industrial strength version it will even stick to glass.
I opted for a system offered by POR 15. It’s their epoxy putty. It consists of two bars one is the putty and the other is the catalyst, parts A and B mixed in equal amounts. I liked it because once mixed you have a good 15-20 minutes or more of work time (depending on temperature) plus its water based so you can pre-smooth it while it’s curing.
First the wheel has to be prepped. I washed the wheel rim in soap and water then in Semsolve to remove any remaining oils or silicones before sanding with a good 220- grit paper. Then I went to 320-grit before prepping the cracks and broken areas. You must open up the cracks and clean out the broken areas before you can fill them. I used my Dremel and a small grinding bit. You should grind it to the metal rod that’s in the middle to remove any contaminants present and to provide room plus a roughed surface giving the epoxy something to grip. Then you will need to re-clean these prepped areas with more Semsolve then blow them until completely dry.
Finally it’s time to mix the epoxy. You don’t need to make as much as you might think. It actually goes quite far. I like to cut about a half inch off each stick. Make sure they are exactly the same length. Mixing is best done by kneading them together, I push both sticks together/twisting then pull them apart and keep repeating this until the black and white sticks become one grey lump. This should take a few minutes to accomplish. Once mixed you can begin by pulling a small piece off your mixed putty and pushing it firmly into the previously prepped areas. Make certain you don’t leave any voids. I like to put in enough to slightly crown the area so I can flatten it later. Now, again because it’s water base you can wet your hands and smooth the repair a bit before it hardens.
I like to let it set overnight to fully cure before I begin to grind it down. I use a small or medium sized drum sander on my Dremel depending on the contours. Be careful though it will come down very quickly. Don’t grind it all the way leave it slightly raised for final block sanding for an invisible repair. No worries though if you go too far you can always grind it back out and refill with more epoxy. However, if you are patient this should not be a problem. Now I use 220-grit papers and a firm-sanding block where possible to do the final smoothing. Once you are satisfied there are no edges it’s time to prime the wheel. You can use sand able self-filling rattle can primer or professional primer with a hardener but this must be mixed and applied with a spray gun, actually both work very well. Now we sand again this time with a 320-grit paper.
Finally it’s time for the topcoat. Again you can use a rattle can or automotive enamel. If you prefer rattle cans I recommend using a urethane-based product. They cover well on plastic and are much for durable than base enamel. VHT and others make wheel coatings in several colors that are in urethane or epoxy. They dry quickly and allow for multiple coats. Several light coats flow better than one or two heavy coats. Remember to spray evenly moving at the same speed releasing the trigger at the end of each pass. This is required so you don’t pile the paint (causing runs) at the end of each paint pass. This the same technique used to paint cars or anything really. However, if you have a steering wheel that is a unique color and not available in standard mix rattle cans you have two choices. One go to your favorite automotive paint supplier and they will custom mix any color and for a modest fee put it in a rattle can for you or two you can simply get a half pint of automotive paint custom mixed and spray it with your detail gun. Of course this will require hardener and maybe reducer, which will certainly double your paint costs. Unless you happen to have those materials lying about it will be easier to use a rattle can.
While watching an episode of the old TV series “The Saint” on Netflix (remember he drove a Volvo P 1800) in one of the episodes I noticed (unlike mine) the original steering wheel was once a very shinny black so I opted for the mixed urethane enamel instead of the rattle can method since once hardened it leaves an extremely durable mirror finish. Whatever, you choose I know you can restore your wheel to its original splendor at pennies against the dollar when compared with purchasing a new one. So go forth and have fun!
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Ebay item |
Link to restored original