Cracked Steering Wheel, Help Please

I have a 59 Oldsmobile steering wheel that is cracked around the hub, I can heat it up and pull it back into shape......I think but I was wondering if you guys have done this and what kind of ''space age'' glue you used to stick it together.
Thanks

 

There is a HAMB member on here who rebuilds steering wheels, can't remember his name though. Maybe he will chime in. Good luck.

 

Thanks.

 

Loctite has some super glues that work well on hard plastics. It has some stuff that you put on before the glue which cleans and softens the plastic. Having to warm the wheel to get it in place will help the glue also.

 

I always make some fine cuts or deill some holes and then wire it together. Like rebar and concrete if you will. Glue is good or even using JB weld or epoxy resin for a filler in places then need filled but it needs to be re-enforced, it cracked for a reason, and it needs a little help staying healthy after the surgery.

 

If you are not able to salvage this you can also check out some 59's at eBay. You'd be looking at $150-$500 range.

 

Beaner, what your saying is drill some holes ether side of the crack with some groves cut to hide some thin wire and stitch it up and than use some epoxy adhesive before filling, that may work.
Thanks, Bruce

 

Rough it up and 3M panel bond will hold it but your going to have to re-paint it.

 

What he said 3 m panel bond will hold have done it myself works on lots of stuff just clean it well bevel it out take a while to cure but it will hold and sands decent to


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The panel bond is a great idea, if you go to your local body supply shop they should have a display of some kind with all of the different types of adhesives and panel bonds so that you can choose which properties that you need. Also if possible get the one that has the closest consistency to the plastic that you are working with for longevity. After that, all you should need for body working it is some two part epoxy but make sure that all of the areas that you stick it to are rouged up because that color impregnated plastic causes adhesion problems. Also make sure that you use some adhesion promotor when it comes time for final sanding and paint.

 

Thanks guys.

 

I think you should put some kind of band around those cracks in addition to any glue. Something like a hose clamp without the screw thingy. Maybe a CV joint boot clamp would work. You could then cover up the clamp with JB Weld or PCB or fiberglass and smooth it over.

The shape of that wheel is going to put a lot of leverage on that cracked area.

 

The shape of that wheel is going to put a lot of leverage on that cracked area.

Remember there is a steel rod inside to take up the leverage. I think old wheels crack from the heat of sitting in the sun.


Ago

 

How did you do with this? Any updates?

 

Gary's steering wheel resto

 

Wendy, I used a hose clamp and pulled it together and than drilled holes on both sides of the crack and cut small troughs so the wire lays in it and pulled the pieces together best I could like Porknbeaner said, I haven't tried to ''glue'' them together yet, but at least it looks better.

 

If you drill small holes inside the cracks at varied angles you'll get some mechanical bond as well as chemical. Also, depending on your ability, you can make that wheel fool people into thinking it's that early semi-translucent look with the right colors and some pearl/candy effects applied. Tricky, but fun.

 

Read somewhere about using the material they use to repair bowling balls on steering wheels. Don't know if was BS or not. The premises was that the filler was strong but still flexible if I remember correctly.

 

I sold a 51 ford wheel to a guy on ebay with the ebay name 33stu he is also a HAMB member. Hell of a nice guy and restores steering wheels as a hobby. Maybe someone on here knows him or you can contact him through ebay by searching member 33stu.

 

you can use a 3 m semi ridgid plastic repair 04240 , its not cheap but trust me it works !!

first step i would do is degrease the inners and outer of the steering wheel

#2 drill small 1/8" holes up the cracks and also "V" out the crack. and use a dremel to grind the inside of the steering wheel for grit

#3 warm the wheel up and then pull it together so that the cracks meet back into place.

#4 fill the inner wheel with the 3 m product and let it oooze out the 1/8" holes.

#5 you can also use a hot stapler and add stapples to the cracks and nips the ends off , the hot stapplers arent cheap either but i made one out of a cheap old soldering gun and it works just as well

this is a decent hot stappler http://www.amazon.com/E-Z-RED-EZRPRK6-Plastic-Repair/dp/B0079GQ8M2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_26