cleaning chrysler steering wheel

[31 LaSalle]

I want to polish the scratches ect from my chrysler steering wheel

I think it is some form of plastic but I am not sure

Does anyone no what to use to remove marks then polish to a good finish

[TAKerry]

Is it bakelight? Not that I suppose that would make a difference? I think I would try to wet sand with some very fine paper. Maybe start with 1500 and work up to 3-4000 grit.

 

I also have a small battery powered (milwaukee) right angle die grinder. I use a variety of ro-lock disks that look like 3m scrubbing pads. They do a beautiful job with metal. With a light touch may work on this but I would try fine grit hand sanding first.

[R Walling]

I have had good luck in painting steering wheels on a 55 Chrysler and a 55 Ford PU,

 I have also washed older wheels with Laquerre thinner to remove sticky crud.

 

 As far as polishing, if the wheel is hard plastic, I would first use a fine sandpaper wet, by hand, maybe,1500 then 2000 and then 3000. Final polishing with fine rubbing compound. I would a machine with light pressure and high speed but if you do not have experience with a buffer, I recommend doing it by hand.

 

 If the wheel is hard rubber, it would probably require a different method.

Edited February 7 by R Walling (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I have had excellent luck polishing non painted wheels with mother's polish and a variety of papers.  It all depends on how hard the wheel is.  Sometimes 1000 grit is sufficient other times you have to go a little finer.  Generally they tend to be softer than paint so polishing is easier and can be done by hand.  I've even gone 600 grit and easily hand buffed them out with Mother's mag and aluminum polish in the little white and red can.   It's pretty easy to see how soft the wheel is,  just try sanding a small spot with the paper dry.   If it instantly plugs 600 grit,  then it's real soft and will easily polish.  Most wheels seem to be pretty soft.  I just polished the reproduction wheel in my Model a this way,  but have done several Bone colored and marbled wheels.   Nice thing is ,  it's not like paint,  so you aren't going to burn through the finish as it's cast in the wheel.  I have even done major filing ,  then sanding to get rid of severe blemishes.

 

If it's a painted wheel.  then that's different and you probably want to carefully go with 1500 grit and will easily burn through if not careful because almost everything is a high spot.  You could even try the Mother's right out of the gate without any sanding. Hard to tell how rough or what it is from the one photo.

[60FlatTop]

Cleaning is real important before you use even a light abrasive. It keeps from pushing dirt into the surface. I have been using Scrubbing Bubbles for steering wheels and other interior parts, including leather, for about 6 years now. Very happy with the results.

[auburnseeker]

Lighter fluid is a hell of a cleaner for alot of things.  It's used to clean photos,  so it's that mild.  It cuts grease better than anything I have ever found.  Any super heavy type grease or really sticky stuff I have used WD40 first.  That cleans extremely well too.  Often Wd 40 if there is a serious amount of buildup,  then the lighter fluid to clean the WD 40 residue off.   Then you can go right to prime or paint if that's the next step.   It degreases that well.

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, auburnseeker said:

It cuts grease better than anything I have ever found.

When I was a kid first working on cars and hanging around the junkyard they opened a Kentucky Fried Chicken in town. My mother was amazed at how clean my hands got after eating a bucket of that stuff with my friends.

 

KFC for lunch on Saturday so you could look good partying that night. Rest of the week, not so much.

[Studebuddy]

If the steering wheel is Bakelite, then you should avoid sanding if possible. Under the hard outer shell is just filler that will deteriorate. Bakelite is delicate. The shiny outer layer of Bakelite oxidizes over time and can also get some pitting. If you keep it clean and minimize exposure to the sun. There is a lot of information about things you can try to clean Bakelite, but I chose to buy a product specifically made for Bakelite and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this stuff. It is called Graygate Bakelite Paste Polishing No5. It was developed for cleaning metal contacts and polishing Bakelite telephones.

I'm sure you can order it at various places, but here are a couple: https://www.broughtons.com/store/product/161885/bakelite-polish/   https://www.hswalsh.com/product/greygate-no-5-gpo-bakelite-telephone-metal-cleaning-polish-60g-fp05

 

[Studebuddy]

I have used Gragate No5 on an old Bakelite telephone, but I also used it on a Bakelite exterior door handle for my '23 Studebaker. First I cleaned the handle with foaming window cleaner and carefully removed as much grime as I could with a toothbrush and a rag. Then I cleaned with light dish soap and warm water, let it dry. Then I used Graygate Paste Polishing No.5 with 000 steel wool to take down some of the oxidation. Then I used a small drill head polishing wheel with white polishing rouge to save some time. A drill doesn't rotate too fast so there was little chance of eating through or overheating the finish. Your job is bigger, so you will probably want to use a larger polishing/buffing wheel, go slow and take breaks so you don't do damage that can't be undone. Finished off with the Graygete No.5 and a rag. It looked brown when I started and shiny black when I finished. This was the finished product.

 

I did not use any sandpaper, but if it was necessary I would have used a fine grit wet/dry paper before using the 000 steel wool.

[Fordy]

I get the idea of polishing it is to make it look pretty but won't it end up too slippery when driving?

[TAKerry]

I made the mistake of shining mine up with armor all once! Def. too slippery. Just a good wipe down now.

[Studebuddy]

1 hour ago, Fordy said:

I get the idea of polishing it is to make it look pretty but won't it end up too slippery when driving?

Bakelike parts were pretty and shiny when new. I would not recommend using oil or wax on a steering wheel, but polishing to smooth the material out doesn't really make it slippery. The Graygate polishing paste have used on Bakelite door handles and phones was developed for restoring the shine on Bakelite phones in the UK. If they shined up their phone handsets and it made them slippery, then people would have dropped them. The shine I have been able to produce is similar to a nice 2-stage paint job or modern plastic parts. It can make the surface feel smooth and look shiny, but it doesn't seem to make it slippery. No more slippery then they would have been when new.