Steering wheel repair

My 68 jeep CJ5 has wide cracks in the steering wheel spokes near the hub. I have considered using bondo to fill the cracks and make it look better. Is there something more flexible and would bond better to the existing material? Should I use fiberglass with gorilla hair instead? Any suggestions short of buying an new wheel for a hundred bucks?

Is there a way to adapt the jeep hub to a more conventional and likely smaller wheel without changing out the steering column?

I would like to keep the original wheel if possible, just make it look better.

Thanks

 

First off unless you have power steering you want the larger wheel. It gives more leverage.

You can bondo the steering wheel. I did mine before I found the one I have now. The bondoed (is that a word?) has been outside for the past few years with only a primer coat over it and it still looks like it did when I shot it with paint, just dirtier. Of course I have not used it so that might change things.

 

I've heard of people using JB Weld too with decent results. Haven't done it myself though (yet).

 

The best thing I've found to fix cracks in a steering wheel is POR-15 epoxy putty.

http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY/productinfo/PU/

 

Go to the top of this page and do a search for "steering wheel repair" and I have a before and after using JB Weld. It has only been a few months since I did the repair but it has been out in the weather and so far so good. Still looks as good as the day of the fix.

 

I have this on my list of things to do as well. I was going to use JB weld then sand and paint with the appliance paint.

 

Eastwood sells a product that's just for fixing steering wheel cracks, but I have no experience with it.

 

Found a video that may help
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEM7r_BRw0

 

I used JB Weld with good results. Some of the big cracks came back about three years later, but they are hard to see unless it is in the sun - very small now. Even so, the fix was cheap and effective in my book. Someday I'll probably go back and redo it to get it perfect.

 

So, then what? Y'all just paint 'em black after the JBW?

 

Thanks for the help. I'll try the JB Weld

 

There are a couple of videos on YouTube about repairing a steering wheel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEM7r_BRw0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EzPmNyoSws

This gives you the gist of how to repair. I think that you can use any epoxy putty product that you like - McMaster-Carr has a whole page of products http://www.mcmaster.com/#epoxy-putty/=9rqyum

My feeling is that JB Weld is a little runny for this purpose, but Howard and others have used it with good results.

IME spray-bomb paint for painting a steering wheel wears off on your hands and leaves a black stripe on your shirt. A catalyzed paint would probably be durable enough. I solved this problem long ago with a lace-on steering wheel wrap.

 

I used thickened epoxy on my truck wheel. It sticks better than bondo or fiberglass resin, and you can dial in the consistancy to get it into the cracks. Then sand and paint.

 

I used the JB weld on mine before i changed it out, It works well