Scratched Leather Wheel, any cures ?

[Brakelate]

This may sound silly, but it drives me NUTS! I just love the fat, smooth leather steering wheel in my rig. In previous vehicles, I always took care not to damage the wrap, but on occasion jumped out and my pocket knife clip or whatever in my right front pocket would scrape the leather and leave it rough. I lived with it, but it made me nuts.

Now, on the new truck, I let the wifey drive it a few days in a row, and sure as heck, when I get back in it, I find Three or Four good spots on the steering wheel at about the 10' O'clock position where she had dragged her ring, watch band or something across it, causing it to rough up like a line of "Alligator Skin".

Now, every time I grip the wheel with my left hand or spin it through my fingers the rough spots burr back up, regardless of how often and hard I try to "mash" and pet them flat.

I know there are greater issues in the world to worry about, but it has gone from an annoyance to a total obsessing distraction and source of frustration, not only cosmetically, but in feel every time I drive the truck.

SO: Any tips, tricks or simple solutions to smooth this thing out as a permanent cure? I am NOT wrapping the nice factory wheel on my new truck in a 'grandma snake skin' Wal Mart wheel cover!

Am I stuck with this, or can you guys help me out??

 

[Beauregard7765]

Do you have photos of it?

 

[Brakelate]

Darn it, I KNEW someone was going to ask that. And it is odd for me, "Mr. PhotoWhore" not to include some in ANY of my posts.

Let me go grab a few. "Petted down with the grain" it really doesn't look bad... but when the wheel spins "ruffling up" the ripples it can be seen.

Again, it looks much more minor than it feels, and I am likely obsessing on something really stupid here. I am NOT spending a huge chunk of change on a new wheel and going through all the hassle of installing one with all the electronics, air bag, and everything that goes with it. Thus, the search for a possibly super simple, ******-trick cure.

But let me snap some and post them up.

 

[Beauregard7765]

It will depend on what type of leather it is also.

if it is Aniline Leather you would heat it up with a hair dryer and massage the rough parts down, and then apply a leather scratch away

and then if it is pigmented leather then you'll just rub in some leather protection cream for small scratches and for larger scratches you would need a leather filler and leather dye to blend in.

 

[powderbrad]

take it off and send for re-wrapping.

Truck will be down a few days...weeks though.

 

[notlownf]

The same thing happened to my wheel (oddly enough it was my pocket knife as well) so I'm interested in this thread

 

[jwheeler]

The same thing happened to my wheel (oddly enough it was my pocket knife as well) so I'm interested in this thread

Me too. Did this to the steering wheel in my wife's Audi with my pocket knife. Glad I'm not the only one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brakelate]

YUP! Damn "Belt Clip", while in my right front pocket got me in my '03 Mustang Cobra, and so I had been REALLY self conscious about it in all my vehicles since. Especially in my two new ones with the beautiful leather wrapped wheels that they both thankfully have.

Guess there is a reason all those old trucks, cars, Samurai's and VW Bugs of old have thin, hard, polished smooth 'wheels.

Which reminds me; I promised pictures. It really isn't that noticeable visually, but damn it... every turn or glide of my hand over it is like scratching finger nails across a chalk board for me. I KNOW I am obsessing over this in an insane fashion. But damn.

 

[ohiogrown]

My truck had 140K miles from one owner and there was a groove from his rings in the wheel probably 1/4" deep. Absolutely drove me nuts, for about a week. Got a New wheel from the dealer and it ran me about $220. Money well spent in my opinion. Now it's fresh and crispy and makes it feel like driving a new truck.

 

[sbarron]

leather can actually be sanded... that said, it will be discolored in that spot and need dyed. If black, you're off easy, if another color, well.....

 

[Brakelate]

Got a New wheel from the dealer and it ran me about $220.

I completely understand. Not sure (for me, at this point) it is worth the effort and cash. I would really drop a dookey to go through all of that to replace the damaged wheel, just to have her (or I) do it again in it's lifetime.

Funny how such a theoretically small item has such an impact on how we feel, interact and relate to our vehicles. Awesome that Ohio was able to get the desired effect with his new wheel, and I imagine I too would feel the same, even in a really old beat up truck in the worst cosmetic condition (not that I am suggesting that is what Ohiogrown's truck is like, to be clear).


Anyway, here are the best pictures I could get of it. Tough to photograph. You see the ones right on top, and then there is one or two smaller rough spots several inches towards the drivers door side.

 

[Brakelate]

I am one who usually REFUSES to have any "dressing" or slimy, slick or smelly stuff put anywhere in my interior, when having it washed / detailed at a carwash, or doing it myself.

BUT; While the truck has been baking hot in the direct sunlight with the windows up, I might just take a tiny dab of something... say, some of the wife's highest quality Cocoa Butter Sunscreen or Lotion that I could find, something like that, and seeing if I cannot "rub" it down, folding the high spots over and getting them to lay flat, kind of like using the heat and oils in the sunscreen to act like an adhesive of sorts.

Worst that could happen would be it smells like some Hot "Hula Girl" next time I climb in (?)

 

[crazy_luck]

The steering wheel in my Charger is beat up from the clip on my pocket knife as well. Haven't had an issue with the Ram yet, but thats only because my winter jacket hangs low enough to keep the clip covered...

My plan to fix the wheel in the car, and in the future if need be, the Ram, will be to wrap the wheel with 550 paracord. Would be an option for adding a splash of contrasting color (or stick with basic black) and add some textured grip.

 

[Brakelate]

leather can actually be sanded... that said, it will be discolored in that spot and need dyed.

I do happen to have a **** load of Black Kiwi Boot / Shoe Polish left over from all the "spit and polish" days gone by. I guess I could touch some of that on there to see if it matches without making the situation worse or increasingly obvious. It might just rub off in my hands the first turn of the wheel, unless I were to really heat/buff/spit shine the hell out of it.

But, I really do not want a slick, shiny wheel. Stock was perfect texture, IMHO.

Well, let me see if the "Hula Girl" cure works first and foremost. That is sounding better (at least the mental picture is) every minute.

 

[Brakelate]

DUDE! Para-chord would be BITCHEN!!! ...just not in the truck. Perhaps the Jeep, or Samurai or something like that. Especially something exposed to the elements, and likely to get baked anyway. But, I love this wheel the way it is.

But damn slick idea!

Have you seen that done before? How does it look and feel?

I've become a real Puxxy with baby-soft hands as of late. Last thing I need is a good old rope burn the next time I whip a quick U-Turn and the wheel unwinds in my hand (no pun intended).

 

[crazy_luck]

I haven't done a steering wheel yet, but I've done handles on machines at work (they had plastic handles that let loose, then got taped together, then all sticky and no one used them because of it). I know of about a dozen different knots that can be used to wrap something like this, ranging from soft and smooth to full-on hard grip.

Found this one on google image search (could be done better so the cord doesn't come over the solid, flat spots):

 

[Brakelate]

Ironically that looks like a Power Wagon. Manual Floor-Shift Transfer Case anyway.

That is interesting the way that one is done.

I was thinking more just a tight "constant coil" (ala Grandma Car style) wrap, than something all fancy like that one shown. That sure is intricate, and I am not sure I would like something that rough, lumpy, complicated and involved looking.

I too was wondering how one might go about "knotting" the end, without a big messy lump, frays or heated rough blob on the end of the tail.

But, I am still liking the idea. Just not on this truck.

*It got dark, and thus the interior cooled before I could dig out any good sunscreen or lotion type material to try my intended method today.

Will keep you all posted of what results I get when I get it done.

 

[cgeorgemo]

Am I stuck with this, or can you guys help me out??

When you decide to buy a new wheel let me know how much you want for tht one you've "destroyed" with the scratches....

 

[RodRam]

man had the same problem, cheap hoodie with a exposed zipper left teeth prints in 3 or four places, rubbing helps a little but they are there forever I guess.

 

[Brian_Ram]

?

3M

Personally never used it so I cant provide any feedback. Reviews I have read are so so.