Every day in the process of driving a car, the driver comes into contact with the steering wheel. And no matter how high-quality the leather on it, over time it wears out. It also becomes contaminated with fatty secretions from the hands. Every owner of a car who has been driving it for more than three years and who is not at all indifferent to the appearance of the steering wheel has encountered the problem of worn-out coating. Most drivers solve the problem of peeling skin with a tie. But this procedure is very expensive. Steering wheel painting is a cheaper and no less effective way to restore the coating.
Painting materials
The first step is to decide what material needs to be restored. After all, the steering wheel can be not only leather, but also plastic or with wooden inserts. The selection of a suitable paint depends on the material.
It is much easier to carry out restoration procedures with the steering wheel of a car when it is removed. But sometimes the dismantling process is more time-consuming than restoration work. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to stock up with adhesive tape, film, newspapers, masking tape.
When choosing the right paint, it must be borne in mind that its cost is directly related to abrasion resistance. Since the steering wheel is used very actively and this abrasion resistance is very important, experts recommend not saving. Painting the steering wheel using modern materials can be done using an aerosol can or a swab.
About leather materials
There are various cosmetic materials for leather on sale in any automotive stores, the label of which will indicate that the product also has a restorative effect. Will this paint last? It all depends on the quality of the components that make up the composition. The principle of operation of the dye is approximately the same as the action of shoe polish.
But along with these products, there are better products for the skin. These are protective impregnations and creams. So, these funds are able to remove already formed fatty contaminants, and also prevent the emergence of new ones. To smooth out scratches and cracks, special polishes or conditioners for leather products should be used. Liquid skin is also used for the same purposes. You can also use shoe wax or nail polish.
When choosing paint for the skin, one should also build on the quality of the materials. For example, if a car has a steering wheel with combined or vegetable tanning, then for such a coating it is necessary to purchase soft coloring materials. This is because such skin has a higher absorption. If the tanning is chrome, then the absorption is much lower. This means that the steering wheel can be painted with harder dyes.
Necessary set of chemistry
For restoration work, you will need more than just dye. Professionals in workshops use a whole set of modern autochemical products for different stages of preparation and painting.
A special degreaser is required. It is especially effective for the initial removal of oil stains as well as other impurities on the skin. A cleaner for leather, plastic and vinyl surfaces is also needed. The steering wheel paint kit also includes a special absorbent agent. It is designed to remove deep stubborn stains from sweat, oil and grease on the leather surface. It will not be superfluous to purchase a tube of liquid skin.
What tool is better to choose? It is recommended to use a water-based paint for leather and vinyl for painting. She is able to restore high-quality shade. A matte finish is also recommended for leather and vinyl. Stitcher provides maximum abrasion resistance with a special protective layer.
Self-painting the steering wheel of a car does not have to take place using all these tools. Expensive products can be completely replaced by more affordable analogues that have probably already been used.
Along with self-painting, a service such as professional steering wheel restoration is available. In many tuning studios, the steering wheel is painted. Feedback on the work is very positive. The surface is not erased for at least another 150 thousand kilometers. However, the budget of these works cannot be compared with those that are produced independently.
Preparatory work
First of all, wrap the dashboard with a film so as not to stain it. Film or other protective material is best attached with the latter will also help protect the steering wheel spokes and buttons.
If it is decided to dismantle the element so that the steering wheel is painted outside the car, then you need to understand: there is a certain risk of damaging the steering mechanism if the dismantling procedure was not previously performed. It is convenient to paint the removed steering wheel. But you can get by with film.
Next, it is necessary to remove from the surface all scratches, cracks, dents and other defects formed during operation. Why should you start with this? Because in some cases you can do without painting, if the leather on the steering wheel is not old and worn. After removing all the defects, it will be possible to assess whether major restoration work is needed or a simple steering wheel reupholstering will solve the problems.
Grinding
To remove all damage, it is necessary to carefully sand the leather surface.
This is best done with sandpaper. Choose a product with a grit P400-P600. This procedure will help, among other things, also remove the old paint and improve the adhesion of the new paint to the surface. After processing, take a soft material for polishing. The so-called scotch brite or emery with grit P1000-P1200 will do.
Degreasing
Next, the skin must be carefully degreased so that the painting of the steering wheel of the car turns out to be of the highest quality and even. It is recommended to purchase special cleaners for leather products. But if the budget is limited, then regular white spirit will do.
Remember that the skin perfectly absorbs these degreasers. Therefore, for processing it is necessary to use a rag slightly moistened with liquid. One of the mistakes is that motorists try to carefully apply white spirit. As a result, the skin will be dry and wrinkled.
Coloring process
The simplest option is when the paint for painting the steering wheel of a car will be applied from an aerosol can. In the process of work, it is important to ensure that the dye is sprayed evenly and at not too close distances. After the composition dries, the entire surface should be polished.
The procedure is repeated several times until the desired result is achieved. Spray painting is easy. But there are other ways too. In the same way, the emblem on the steering wheel is painted.
Restoring a leather steering wheel
For leather, there is a wide range of different dyes that allow you to improve the color, as well as restore the material. Dyes in such products have a more persistent effect.
You can process the material with any paints for the skin. Naturally, the instructions write how best to stain. You can apply the composition with a brush, swab or sponge, layer by layer (without waiting for the previous one to dry). The surface must be evenly treated with dye. To speed up the drying process, experts recommend using a hair dryer. After the paint has completely dried, the surface should be treated with a fixative. It can be either matte or glossy.
Restoration of plastic elements
Recently, a lot of plastic parts can be seen on the steering wheels of cars. Over time, they also lose their appearance. You can paint such a steering wheel, but the color will quickly wipe off. In order for the coating to fit better on the surface, the surface should be treated with emery. Before painting, it is recommended to thoroughly degrease the steering wheel. But not with white spirit, but with ordinary medical alcohol. It is best to paint from a spray can in thin layers.
But it is best and much more effective in this case to use another method of restoration - this is a steering wheel hauling. In the case of plastic, the installation of a good leather braid will solve the situation.
What part of your car do you touch the most? Door handles or the gear lever, of course, are also subject to external influences, but still, most often your hands are on the steering wheel. From this, the coating quickly becomes unusable: there are stains from fingers, scratches and scuffs. And now you are not at all pleased with the appearance of your salon. There are many ways out of this situation. The easiest and most expensive is to buy a new steering wheel. But why buy a part for a lot of money when the previous one functions as it should? Some get braids on the steering wheel or put on covers, although this is also not a universal solution: most of them spoil the interior design of expensive cars. In fact, it is quite simple to paint a leather steering wheel in order: for this you just need to use high-quality car chemicals and update its coating and color.
Choice of paint and materials
When choosing materials for the restoration of the steering wheel, you can go in two ways: economical or professional. It all depends solely on your budget and pretentiousness. If you do not want to spend large sums on updating an element of a car that only you yourself deal with, it will be enough to purchase a regular leather restorer. This tool is not very expensive and is found in many auto cosmetics stores. However, it also has its drawbacks, the main one being fragility. Such a coating will quickly be erased from the steering wheel due to constant contact with the hands. And especially low-quality products will also paint the palms.
Some motorists are even more unconventional: they buy products intended for the skin, but not related to the class of car cosmetics, for example, creams for leather jackets, shoes, and even nail polishes. This approach also has the right to exist, because creams do their job well with their main task - to paint over scuffs on the steering wheel.
But if you do not want to correct the color of the steering wheel every month, and the money issue is not in front of you, take a look in the direction of professional tools. Applying them is no more difficult than shoe creams, and they will give a much better and more durable result.
Such professional products usually include liquid leather used to restore leather coatings, paint for automotive leather, as well as various conditioners for smoothing and polishes to eliminate scratches. And with the help of absorbent products, you can remove oil stains that are deeply ingrained in the skin.
If you want your steering wheel to be matte and velvety to the touch after painting, use a special matte finish. It eliminates the glossy effect, which does not always look appropriate in the car interior.
To choose the right type of paint, pay attention to the material from which the steering wheel is made. Typically, paint manufacturers indicate for which type of leather tanning each specific product is used. Remember that with vegetable or combination tanning, you will need paints with a softer composition than with chrome tanning.
Based on the foregoing, you can form the following set of materials and tools that will come in handy when restoring the steering wheel:
- liquid skin;
- paint suitable for skin type;
- absorbent to remove sweat stains;
- degreaser;
- matte effect finish
- a set of screwdrivers for dismantling the steering wheel;
- a set of sanding paper of different grain sizes;
- gray scotch bright;
- masking tape;
- protective film for interior
Preparatory stage of independent work
Before starting any work, the part is recommended to be dismantled. So you will be sure that you do not paint over anything extra inside the cabin. If for some reason dismantling is not possible, carefully cover all adjacent areas, including the control panel, as well as the spokes and keys on the steering wheel, using masking tape and film.
But it will be much more reliable and more convenient to remove the steering wheel and take it out of the car.
Removing the steering wheel
In order to remove the steering wheel with your own hands, you only need a set of screwdrivers. Be careful: if you are doing this for the first time, there is a risk of damaging some of the mechanisms inside the steering wheel. The dismantling process may differ depending on the make and model of the vehicle. We will offer the most universal way, which is suitable for most foreign cars.
- Disconnect the battery terminals first. Current must not be supplied to the steering wheel at the time of dismantling.
- Turn the handlebar 90°. It must be in a straight position.
- Take out the airbag. To do this, alternately insert a screwdriver into the holes located at the rear of the steering wheel, and bend the springs holding the pillow inside.
- Gently pull the center of the handlebar towards you with the cushion. You will see that special latches do not allow her to completely go out. They are easy to bend with a flat blade tool. After you disconnect the connectors with wires, remove this element to the side.
- Disconnect the connector next to the center bolt.
- Remove the center bolt holding the steering wheel in place.
- Gently pull the steering wheel towards you while applying force.
Congratulations! You have already done half the job: dismantled the steering wheel. Now you can begin to restore its coating.
Video: how to remove the steering wheel with your own hands
Steering wheel surface restoration: leather cleaning technique
Before you paint the steering wheel, you need to restore the leather material itself. The duration of this process directly depends on the condition of the coating: if it has a lot of pits and scratches, you will have to tinker hard to return the steering wheel to its original appearance.
- Arm yourself with P600 or P400 sandpaper and carefully treat the damaged areas. If there are a lot of them, then remove the entire paintwork in this way.
- Take a finer-grained abrasive and sand the entire surface of the steering wheel with it. You need to achieve a matte finish. A gray scotch brite is well suited for these purposes.
- If you see a large amount of oil stains on the steering wheel, apply a special absorbent to it and then wipe it off.
- Now you need to restore the leather cover. To do this, use liquid skin. Apply the product to the damaged areas, dry, and then polish with a fine abrasive until smooth.
- In addition to liquid skin, there are other means designed to eliminate irregularities, for example, putty paste. The principle of its use is the same: level the coating, and then clean off the residue with sanding paper.
- If wrinkles have formed on the skin, smooth them out with a special conditioner and polish.
- Degrease the part with a soft cloth moistened with a special agent.
Many motorists make the same mistake: they apply too much degreaser. Because of this, the skin becomes wrinkled and begins to crack even more. After degreasing the surface, do not wait too long: painting work must be started almost immediately, otherwise the coating will become greasy again and the paint will not adhere well.
Video: steering wheel surface restoration
The process of painting a leather steering wheel
Paints for automotive leather are usually available in two types:
- aerosol cans;
- liquid agent.
The choice of the type of tool depends solely on your preferences. Some people find it more convenient to apply paint in the form of a spray, while others prefer to use a brush, sponge or small roller.
Applying paint with a brush has certain advantages: you will be able to control the amount of funds, which means that painting will cost less. In addition, if you decide not to remove the steering wheel, you will have to close the entire interior, including the windshield and seats, in order to use the sprayer.
The paint is applied in several layers until the desired effect is achieved. Waiting for the previous layer to dry is completely optional. Thus, the staining process will take you no more than half an hour. If desired, apply a matte finish as a finishing coat. It, like all other auto chemicals, can be purchased at most automotive supply stores.
If drops of paint still get on the torpedo or glass, use solvent No. 646. It will remove stains and will not damage the coating.
Video: how to paint a car steering wheel with your own hands
Aftercare
Someone might think that taking care of the steering wheel is far from the main thing in car care. But in addition to the untidy appearance of the interior, other problems arise: allergic drivers can react sharply to excess dust that accumulates in the microfolds of the leather covering.
In order for the surface of the steering wheel to remain clean and intact for a long time, it must be properly looked after. It is not enough to wipe your hands with wet wipes before taking on the steering wheel: in any case, small grease spots will remain on the coating, which will become more noticeable over time. To thoroughly clean the surface, regularly use special care products for automotive leather. If desired, such a tool can be replaced with a regular solution of water with car shampoo. To remove dirt, apply a small amount of product to its surface, wait 10-15 minutes, and then wipe thoroughly with a soft cloth. This process will take you no more than 20 minutes.
If you wear rings, they may scratch the leather. There are two ways out: either remove the metal decorations, or repeat the steering wheel restoration process as needed.
Even if you purchase the most expensive and high-quality tools for restoring the steering wheel cover, the amount spent will be several times less than when contacting a car repair shop. Restoration and painting of the steering wheel is far from the most difficult process in car care. To get the job done quickly and efficiently, follow our instructions exactly.
The leather on the steering wheel becomes greasy and wears out over time. Many motorists solve this problem by covering the steering wheel that has lost its original appearance with a cover. This, of course, spoils the balanced and harmonious interior of an often quite expensive car. Therefore, the best solution in this case is to paint the steering wheel, especially since most of the defects are only cosmetic in nature - the protective coating is damaged, while the skin on the steering wheel itself remains in relative order.
Painting the steering wheel is a simple procedure accessible to every motorist, especially since it is not necessary to remove the steering wheel to carry out the latter. Of course, this can be done for a more thorough painting, but the complexity of dismantling and the risk of damage to the car's airbag mechanism negate all the advantages of working with the steering wheel removed.
Therefore, before starting the procedure, it is necessary to prepare the place of work in the car interior, protecting the dashboard from getting dyes on it. This can be done using ordinary polyethylene, carefully fixed on masking tape. The latter also needs to be used for pasting the spokes and buttons on the steering wheel.
Necessary auto chemicals
To carry out the work you will need not only paint. In professional auto repair shops, at various stages of preparation and painting itself, a whole set of modern auto chemicals is used:
- Special degreaser - extremely effective for the initial removal of oil, grease and dirt on the skin of the steering wheel;
- Cleaner for car leather, plastic surfaces and vinyl;
- An absorbent that removes deep-seated oily sweat and oil stains on the skin;
- Paste putty "liquid skin", designed to remove scratches, cracks and severe abrasions on the skin;
- Water-based paint for leather and vinyl of car interiors, which qualitatively restores the color of these materials;
- Matte finish also for water-based vinyl and steering wheel leather;
- "Stitcher" - provides the highest resistance of the finishing layer on the skin to abrasion by forming an additional chemical bond.
However, self-painting, of course, does not oblige you to purchase this entire set, and some expensive chemicals can be replaced with cheap analogues, which you have probably already used and have available to you.
Cleaning and sanding
Before painting, the skin of the steering wheel of a car should be carefully sanded to increase the contact surface of the material with the coloring matter and to remove the old, already peeling coating in places. The abrasive grain should be selected based on the hardness of the material. Usually sandpaper with numbers P400 and P600 is suitable for initial preparation, and the actual painting of the steering wheel should be carried out after processing with a softer "sandpaper" P1000 or P1200 or gray scotch brite.
Some irregularities and surface defects on the old leather steering wheel cover, sometimes, can not be eliminated. In this case, one of the possible options for repairing such scratches may come in handy:
- puttying - treatment of a defect in the skin of the steering wheel with a special putty paste, the so-called. "liquid skin" followed by drying and matting - stripping with a soft abrasive material;
- leveling - treatment of the damaged area with a special leather conditioner, followed by polishing the softened leather with a polish;
- the use of cheap improvised materials - shoe wax, cyanoacrylate and even nail polish.
Cleaning the surface is followed by its degreasing, and only then - painting. In the absence of professional cleaners, ordinary white spirit can be used to get rid of the remaining shallow greasy spots on the skin. It should be remembered that the skin absorbs such products very well, so you should not pour them abundantly on the steering wheel. It is enough just to wipe it with a microfiber cloth or other similar material slightly moistened with white spirit.
Steering wheel painting
Steering wheel painting
Painting is done by spraying directly from a paint can onto the steering wheel, however, if desired, it can be saved by choosing a roller or even a brush for application, since in this case there will be no excess consumption of the coloring matter. The type of paint will need to be selected depending on what kind of leather was used to finish your steering wheel:
- If this is a combination or vegetable tanning, characterized by high absorption, then a rather large amount of soft paint will have to be used;
- Chrome tanning, which is characterized by poor absorption, already requires a smaller amount of paint, and aggressive compositions can also be used in this case.
Typically, leather products are dyed by dipping them entirely in a coloring composition for a few seconds. However, for obvious reasons, this method is not applicable to the steering wheel, so the paint needs to be applied in several layers, and this can be done “wet”, without waiting for the paint layer to dry.
These and similar questions are asked quite often. Here we describe the stages of leather steering wheel painting process, and what leather coloring agents you will need.
What is needed to paint a leather steering wheel?
Let's start with the sad. Contrary to the expectations of most people interested in the process of painting the steering wheel, to obtain a successful result, one paints for leather few! You will need the following professional compositions:
- Means for removing oily stains from the skin (Leather Degreaser)
- Leather Binder (if the paint has been worn down to bare leather)
Pay attention to the following: if your steering wheel is black, then it is enough to buy standard black leather paint. If your steering wheel is colored (gray, beige, brown, etc.) - you will have to purchase several base colors in order to then mix the paint of the color and shade you need from them.
Also keep in mind that you will need some equipment to get really good results. Namely:
- compressor
- airbrush
- hair dryer (normal hair dryer)
- a set of sandpaper of different grits
Stages of painting a leather steering wheel - how to do it right?
Perhaps we will once again disappoint those who were convinced: painting a leather steering wheel is easy. In fact, it is quite difficult, and here (as in any other business) practice, practice, and more practice is needed.
If you still decide to paint the leather steering wheel with your own hands, here is a detailed procedure for you:
- Thoroughly clean the steering wheel leather of general dirt with Leather Ultra Clean
- Remove loose old paint with Leather Prep
- Degrease the leather surface with Alcohol Cleaner
- If there are places on the steering wheel where the old paint has completely worn off, apply Leather Degreaser paste to draw out fat deposits from the "depths" of the skin
- After drying, remove the remaining Leather Degreaser and rinse the surface of the leather again with Leather Ultra Clean
- Treat areas with “bare” skin with Leather Binder in several layers.
- After the Leather Binder has dried, carefully sand the leather of the steering wheel with sandpaper (grit 1000 - 1500)
- Apply several layers of Adhesion Promoter to the skin, adding the required amount of Cross Linker X to it. It is better to do this with an airbrush. Dry these and all subsequent layers with a hair dryer for several minutes.
- Immediately after the last coat of adhesion promoter has dried, airbrush the required number of coats of paint (also add Cross Linker X to the paint)
- Look carefully at the quality of the resulting coating. If there are dust particles, bumps, roughness, you need to wait a few hours and sand the problem areas with sandpaper
- After grinding, if necessary, paint over the surface of the steering wheel again (partially or completely). Be careful not to repeat previous mistakes - avoid dust, paint runs, etc.
- Apply Leather Finish with Cross Linker X. Use an airbrush to apply the varnish as well. The recommended number of layers is at least 5, but more is better. Make sure that the entire surface of the steering wheel is completely varnished without any gaps - this is important!
- After the protective varnish has dried (after at least 3-4 hours, but it is better to leave it overnight), lightly sand the steering wheel with 3000 grit sandpaper. This will make the leather surface habitually smooth
It is done! The whole process of painting the steering wheel will take you several hours, it is best to have a whole day off.
A freshly painted leather steering wheel can be used in 12-14 hours, not earlier. Ideally, he should be at rest for a day or two. And then during the week it is strictly forbidden to wipe the skin of the steering wheel with wet wipes, etc.
If you did everything right and without haste, the new paintwork of the steering wheel will last quite a long time. At least not less than the "native" factory coating.
A beautiful steering wheel emphasizes the competent and spectacular design of the car. Of course, the appearance of the steering wheel should not be flashy and distract the driver's attention.
But it is more pleasant for the driver of his own car to contemplate the good coloring of the steering wheel of his beloved car in the parking lot, when getting into the car, when leaving it, and even on the road to take a cautious look at the beauty at hand. Of course, the attention of the passenger and other people who have noticed beautiful changes in the interior of the car will be nice.
The specialists of our company Car-Stile are very responsible for painting the steering wheel of a car, and if you want to paint the steering wheel on a car inexpensively in Moscow, feel free to contact our company.
Examples of work on the restoration of the skin of the steering wheel
A little about the technology of painting the steering wheel of a car:
- cleaning of the old layer should be especially thorough, then after painting and applying a protective layer, any unevenness from the old paint will stand out;
- all defects must be eliminated before the start of work and the surface to be painted must be properly degreased;
- the paint is applied with a spray gun under high pressure so that there is deep penetration over the entire surface;
- do not check the drying of the paint with your fingers, wait for the period specified in the instructions for its use;
- it is necessary to apply a protective layer after the paint has completely dried, the requirements are the same.
The room in which the steering wheel will be painted should not be dirty, dusty, cluttered with any rubbish. It is best if the painting is carried out by specialists in a good workshop. Attempts to make high-quality and spectacular painting at home and on your own usually fail.
Steering wheel painting - the prices in our company are quite affordable, all operations are carried out according to proven technology, qualitatively and within the contractual terms. The difference in brands and models of cars, the timing of their release, the condition will not affect the excellent final result.
The steering wheel of your pet in the cabin is the most contacted place, therefore the surface of the steering wheel is subject to greater wear and tear and may lose its attractive appearance. We can not only return it to its former appearance, but also make it even more beautiful without violating the overall design of a beautiful salon. The company guarantees the safety of the surface with a new painting for quite a long time. Photos of the steering wheel painting are presented on the site.
Our company has mastered many types of services to improve the appearance of the car and its design. After our service, your car will become even more beautiful, more attractive in terms of external and internal design. Updating the appearance and interior of the car does not require large investments. All types of services, their cost and ordering procedure can be found on the website of our company.
Regular customers of our workshops are provided with a solid discount.
