restoring gt steering wheel

[f85gtron]

Has anyone here restored a gt steering wheel?  The leather it's good, but the foam inside is turned to goo.  I'm looking for tips,tricks,and secrets.
If not, then what brand and type of wheel is recommended?
Ron

[Fierofool]

I think Russ88TTop on Pennocks offers the service.  A good upholstery shop probably could do the cover but casting the brown gooey stuff that used to be solid would probably be the problem for an individual. 

Grant makes some nice wheels for the Fiero and I've seen at least one Pontiac wheel in the junk yard that looked very good in a Fiero.  Problem is that I didn't have a wheel puller at the time.  I was looking for one to go on the Club Coupe to do away with the horn paddle buttons that always break.  This is the wheel.  http://www.brucesthirdgenparts.com/servlet/the-1093/82-dsh-92-Firebird-Camaro-Transam/Detail

Here are some more Firebird steering wheels.  You can see that one of them is almost identical to the Fiero.
https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=865&q=Firebird+Formula+steering+wheels&oq=Firebird+Formula+steering+wheels&gs_l=img.12...8066.15373.0.17791.32.14.0.18.18.0.120.1027.13j1.14.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.58.img..13.19.1044.74_XB9DkxNE#imgdii=_

[Fierofool]

Ron, if you use Dallas Steering Wheel, let us know how it turns out and the pricing.  I thought the guy on PFF was doing them for about $80 and your core. 

[f85gtron]

This is what I've found so far:
Someone put peanut butter in my steering wheel!
The hard plastic part of the shell is in good shape, looks like the foam padding broke down.
Ron

[f85gtron]

I scraped and cleaned all the old adhesive and foam off the wheel core. The core is some kind of pvc cast directly on the metal wheel. The plastic is very solid and had not degraded at all. There's no way the plastic can twist on the metal wheel unless it's broken absolutely. This leeds me to believe i only need to apply a new layer of foam and clean the leather and stitch it back up.

[Fierofool]

Peanut butter my eye!  I wouldn't taste it.  It looks like my grand daughter's diaper. 

My 87 wheel is still solid and it doesn't feel like there's any foam inside.  I always thought it had a steel core with the solidified brown stuff cast onto it like the hard plastic shown in your pics.  Restitching the old leather back would probably require that whatever filler you use be exactly the right dimensions all the way around the wheel. 

A thought.  There is a hard rubber wheel that is the same in appearance as the leather wrapped wheel.  I wonder if it would be close enough to use for size.  If you develop a process, do a write up on it. 

[f85gtron]

What's left of the old foam appears to be 1/4" closed cell foam. I'll just pop down to the craft store today and grab me some thread and a sheet of adhesive-backed foam, cut out pattern and stick it to the wheel. I've still got to scrape all the "diaper filler" off the leather...at least it doesn't smell like poo

[f85gtron]

I found pipe insulation at the hardware store. It's 1/8th in. Closed cell foam. I wrapped the wheel in it and it seems like it will work well, but it seams not quite dense enough, so I'm thinking to wrap another layer and compress it when stitching the leather.

[Fierofool]

There is a rubber tape that I used for insulating high voltage electrical connections.  It came in widths of about an inch or more.  It had some elasticity to it and was about 1/8 thick and was on a release liner like double side tape uses.  We bought it at one of the electric supply stores Mayer Electric Supply.  It would eventually vulcanize when it was exposed.  To the point that it would need to be cut away with a utility knife when we had to disconnect the lugs.  This might work as an outer wrap around the foam. 
http://www.mayerelectric.com/taxonomyLevelFilterPH.action?codeId=16755&levelNo=3
http://www.mayerelectric.com/itemDetailFilterPH.action?codeId=1074974
http://www.mayerelectric.com/itemDetailFilterPH.action?codeId=1077885

These came from this page:   http://www.mayerelectric.com/itemDetailFilterPH.action?codeId=1077885

There may be something else more suitable.  If all else fails, at the moment there's a guy on PFF that's offering to refurbish them for about $100 plus shipping each direction.  http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/095003.html

[f85gtron]

I would say, at this point, unless the money isn't available, even the 225$ for the Dallas thick wheel is worth every penny......just not to have to do the work of skinning the hyde to get the foam and glue off.

I'm all ahead full with the foam I've chosen...so I'll know in a year or so if it wasn't a good choice.....and I'll post it here.
Ron

[f85gtron]

Ok. Second layer and compressing was a bad idea. I kept breaking the thread from pulling too tight. I was concerned about ripping the leather too.
1/8th thick material is all the factory pattern will accommodate.
I removed the double layer, restarted with a single layer and stitched one section together. Much better.
Stitching was a little awkward, but now i have the hang of it.
I'll post pics once completed. 
Ron

[f85gtron]

Finished product (almost).  My plan is to redye the leather next. I'm surprised at how supple the leather still is! 
Ron

[Fierofool]

Not bad.  Looks very smooth.  Does it feel firm or is it soft? 

[f85gtron]

It's hard to describe.  I think it's relative to the driver. I think it feels a little soft, but then again, i was driving with the pad gone on just the plastic core. My wife and daughter think that it feels firm. 
I Will tell you that i don't notice or think about how firm or soft the grip is while driving.....it just feels right. So, i guess it's just right.  Pgackerman's wheel is in good shape. I'll compare the two on our next meeting. Where do i get colorant for dying the leather?
Ron

[Fierofool]

The color of the wheel isn't really a dye that is absorbed into the leather.  It' just on the surface.  I think you can use the same aerosol that's used for the soft vinyl and dash.  I believe that's what Aerodon did.  I did it to my 87 wheel years ago and it's still looking pretty good though worn a little.  It really has to be given a good cleaning due to the years of body oils and dirts being absorbed and ground into it.