How To - Steering Wheel Spoke Refurbishment

Okay, finally got pics uploaded to Photobucket. Not hijacking srhutch's thread, more supplementing :D

So, the paddles - dead easy, just undo the torx screws circled in red. They slide out, but are still attached with wiring so I just flipped them back to sit on top of the control stalks.

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Now the finished article. I didn't have grilles to practice on, and I didn't seem to get as good a finish as srhutch. In fact I stripped the plastidip off three of the parts completely and started again because I messed up the third coat - figured out that I didn't clean the nozzle of the can between uses, which resulted in spatter and bubbles in amongst the spray, if that makes sense. To be honest, the first and second coats looked dead smooth, it was the third that always roughened it up. However the results aren't bad, and better than shiny plastic which the under-colour was beginning to show through :

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The bottom looks a bit rough, needs done again if I am honest as I marked it slightly when still tacky :

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And finally the edges, which as remarked upon above do seem to lighten up after use. I can confirm some spit fixes this :oops: , so I reckon some rubber treatment might help it hold it's shine :

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It is no longer tacky/overly grippy - though I left the bits out in the sun for 4 hours before re-fitting. It looks much better, and actually I am happier with the bits fitted as the wheel looks newer (though the leather is now showing up as worn more than it was :roll: ). If it all wears off too fast then I may do them again, or perhaps get them spray painted matt black by a local chap. The only issue with that may then be chipping. However, a great wee fix championed by srhutch :thumbsup:
 
As you say bingdoesnt look as smooth as mine, wonder if you did the coats to thick.

Will be able to compare week Sunday :driving:
 
srhutch said:
As you say bingdoesnt look as smooth as mine, wonder if you did the coats to thick.

Will be able to compare week Sunday :driving:
Click to expand...

We will indeed :thumbsup:

I think I probably did, aided and abetted by not cleaning the nozzle which encouraged over-application . I also shouldn't have tried to do all the bits at once. Live and learn :roll:
 
I didn't have to clean the nozzle but was using short bursts of spray only.

TBH your bottom one looks like you've pebble dashed it. :exitright:
 
srhutch, Have you got a link to the exact product you used as there are various on the plastidip site?
 
Looks like you applied too much too soon. If you watch the instructional vids, its meant to go on light. This plus close spray distance helps keep it smooth.

Also, its best to spray with the can vertical, i found it spits bigger drips out if spraying on downward angle.

I've done my gsxr600 so have got quite good with it i think.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
T2FFN said:
Looks like you applied too much too soon. If you watch the instructional vids, its meant to go on light. This plus close spray distance helps keep it smooth.

Also, its best to spray with the can vertical, i found it spits bigger drips out if spraying on downward angle.

I've done my gsxr600 so have got quite good with it i think.

Sent from my HTC One X
Click to expand...

When I get a chance I am going to have another go, taking all said advice above. Must remember to watch this u-tue contraption when doing things like this :oops:

I also want to spray round/under the edges of the side spoke pieces... So I will sit them up on something when I do them again. What I thought might happen has - the left had one has started to peel a teeny bit at the edge after a week of regular use... Being philosophical about it though - you don't learn if you don't try, and you can't be great at everything first time :wink:

Thanks for all the advice by the way :thumbsup:
 
Exactly, i had to learn on lttle bits before doing full side fairings, and it gets smoother every time.

As its not permanant as such, and it binds to itself, i always spray over/around edges, even on the rear, so it forms a thin layer that goes over the edge and around the back. This 'should' help it stop peeling, which it hasnt yet.

Use something to prop up the parts so you can get the edges without it sticking to the worktop etc when drying.

Cheers

Sent from my HTC One X
 
You can also cut drying times using a hair drier, which makes lots of thin coats less time consuming.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
T2FFN said:
You can also cut drying times using a hair drier, which makes lots of thin coats less time consuming.

Sent from my HTC One X
Click to expand...

Now THAT is a genius idea :thumbsup:
 
Nope, unfortunately not. Which sucks. When I experienced my mid-mod fail I did some practicing on a couple of plant pots (they weren't great either :lol: ) and I am pretty sure I don't have enough to do everything again. Don't want to start without knowing I have enough, and it's out of fecking stock on eBay :headbang:
 
Just as a small update; I have a small tear on the very outside of the right spoke. This area seems to get the most use by me, and has lasted a couple weeks.

On the other hand, my front grill surround has been on for months maybe, and still looks as it did when applied. I think daily handling greatly increases the wear rate and shortens it's life.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Update from me on how plastidip wears with daily use... And it is not great. Had it on for maybe 6 weeks and this is what it looked like :

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Not the greatest quality pics, sorry :oops:

The reason it peeled so quickly is probably because I did not spray enough round the edges, but as TTFN knows what he is doing and has also experienced this, I think it is safe to say that daily use will pull this apart pretty quickly.

As you will be able to tell, I had the streering wheel in bits when I took these - I had decided that even attempting to do something different myself would be folly, given the evidence of my lack of any sort of craft competence. So I took the bits to a local chap to have them sprayed :D I had taken the plastidip off, but he also had to remove the remaining rubber coating... took him a lot longer than either of us thought, but I got them back today, results below :

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Worth saying that my photography skills are also not great, so you'll need to trust me that the finish is perfect and completely smooth.

Installed :

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Needless to say I am very, very pleased. The matte looks very OEM, but because it is painted (and it is the clearcoat that is matte) it should last a very long time. Feels like I cheated, but I am consoling myself with having tried to DIY it at least once.
 
Bakes, sorry I don't know what paint he used - it is just matte black paint, professionally sprayed, i.e. not out a spray can. After 4 months the edges of the side spokes where the plastidip bubbled has shined up a bit from use, but it still looks good, whereas the original coating coming off and revealing shiny plastic (and eventually the white base starting to show through) looks very tired. In order to prevent the slight shining on mine he'd need to re-spray them with a matte lacquer - which he didn't have at the time. When I have the cash I will get them done again with the lacquer, shouldn't cost too much as the prep is done. The prep took him a long time as the rubberised coating is a b1tch to get off completely.
 
What on earth do you do to the steering? Mine is the original and has no marks what so ever :?
 
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