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Anyone use a steering wheel repair kit (POR-15)? Other repair options? Something to patch cracks, wide cracks? What paint?

Thanks, Buddy

I've repaired cracks using aluminium filled epoxy resin.
Painted with both baking enamel and acrylic laquer.
The baked enamel was , I think , a little more durable . But it was a long time ago.

I used Bono. It worked great. I painted it after sanding.

Here's what I did when I redid the wheel in my 51. My local hardware store carries PC-7 epoxy. It comes in 2 cans for about $10.00. I first filed and cleaned out ALL the cracks and knicks I could find using files, a hacksaw, and a Dremel tool with various attachments. Make sure to take the cracks all the way down to the wire frame and V the cut if possible. You'd be surprised how big the cracks get since they seem to keep crumbling and getting larger as you go. I then mixed up the epoxy and filled the cracks. After each application I filed and sanded and some areas took 3 or 4 applications to get it right. Was very tedious, especially getting the reveal lines to look good. I used small wooden sticks, dowels popsicle sticks, etc, as sanding blocks. After sanding the entire wheel with 80 grit(go lightly as the rubbery base sands very easily)I primed with a couple coats of epoxy primer and sanded with about 120 grit. Another coat of epoxy and sanded with 240 grit. Another coat and sanded with 400. The epoxy sands tough, but I figured it would hold up better than a surfacer. Then finished it off with a couple of coats of single stage urethane I had mixed to match the steering column that still had nice original paint. I was real happy with the way it came out and other than paint, my only other cost was the $10 for the epoxy and a few sheets of sandpaper.

Forgot to add, before starting and at each step I cleaned the wheel with a wax and grease remover.

The PC-7 works great. When you get your paint, ask for one suitable for the plastic bumper covers - Dupont makes a fine one, as well as others. I used a threaded rod with the wheel fixed to one end and supported the whole assembly on 2 sawhorses by conduit wall straps so that it could be turned easily while painting. Spinning the wheel slowly when spraying paint tends to eliminate some of the runs, covers areas more evenly and supports the wheel better while drying.

I have yet to see a repaired wheel that didn't crack again. Jeff at Bowtie Bits used to rebuild the wheels, casting them in urethane. Wish he would do them again.

Any ideas on the color of the wheel? My '40 wheel had some residue paint that looked like it should be painted the Rosewood color. Should it be Rosewood or just black to make it original? If Rosewood, where can you get the paint/material to paint it? Can this be purchased from the local paint shop?
Just a ???. Thanks!

If you decide that you don't want to do it yourself, I had my wheel restored by a guy in Florida. It was pricey but it is one of my favorite parts of my truck. My wheel is a big 4 spoke job and it really came out nice. It was done a few years ago by a place called Automotive Specialties in Florida. Let me know if you need the number.