black steering wheel = black hands

[astroguy]

When the weather is damp, I get black hands when driving some vehicles. I get this from my 1952 ford and also my 1992 ford.

So, how to eliminate this problem? A clear coat on the wheel or paint or wax or???

Thanks for your advice.

[keiser31]

When the weather is damp, I get black hands when driving some vehicles. I get this from my 1952 ford and also my 1992 ford.

So, how to eliminate this problem? A clear coat on the wheel or paint or wax or???

Thanks for your advice.

Glad you mentioned it....my Dodge A100 pickup wheel does the same thing. HELP!!

[astroguy]

Keiser31 You still have your first car??? Very impressed!!

[keiser31]

Keiser31 You still have your first car??? Very impressed!!

Yep...had it since I was 13. I am 58 now. It was NOT an easy task to keep it that long. Move umpteen times, got married, had kids, got divorced, still got it.

[Guest knuckle head]

Had that problem years a go with an old Ford tow truck. Painted the wheel with acrilyc enamal..... worked great. I suppose clear coat would work as well. Tractor steering wheels especially get chalky... being out in the sun and weather.

[W_Higgins]

Try buffing it (with the right compound and wheel, of course) on a buffing wheel just like you would any metal part. On Model T's they called it Fordite and it was some sort of mixture of sawdust and a binder, but it will actually buff-up shiny. Same goes for most plastics and Bakelite. When you finish, you have a shiny wheel and don't have to worry about coating failure. It can also be wet sanded first, if needed, to work out defects or roughness just like you would paint or metal.

p.s.: not sure about your 1992 Ford. I'm guessing it's not hard plastic.

Edited November 17, 2010 by W_Higgins (see edit history)

[Guest Silverghost]

Did Henry Ford and Co. not experiment with soybeans to use for part of his early plastics ?

I don't know if "Fordite" had any soybean plastic in it or not ?

When you do buff this early style plastic as Walter mentions~ keep the buffing wheel speed down if possible ; and keep moving the wheel to prevent too much friction heat-up of one spot and possible melting or cracking.of this early plastic..

[DAVE A]

Had the same problem with my Hotshot. I took the wheel off and clear coated it, then repainted with a gloss black and it fixed the problem. Due to the wear you get with constant handling on a steering wheel, use multiple coats and allow for enough drying time and light sand between coats. If you don't want a gloss finish, use semi or flat paint.

[Rusty_OToole]

Try washing it first. Smear on some waterless hand cleaner. The creamy white or green kind, not the orange gritty stuff. Let it soak for 1/2 hour and wash off with a rag and hot water. It may take more than one application to get completely clean.

If this does not work the surface may be deteriorating. In that case a coat of paint will help.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

There are some steering wheels nothing is going to fix. Some Ford products in the 1980s had steering wheels that became gummy to the point that even a laced leather cover over them would have black sticky crap oozing through that even hand cleaner wouldn't cut. If that is what is the kind of thing being dealt with better figure on there being no fix other than a new steering wheel. I got lucky with an '86 Lincoln Mark VII LSC with that problem and found a couple of years later the problem had apparently been corrected and the newer steering wheel was otherwise the same.

Jim