TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed May 14, 2025 6:49 pm

I just wanted to show off my new steering wheel.
I wanted a full size one because I figured it'd help the tough steering on my baja and I've never had one. Just had the little one you see on most buggies.

Well I bought an old one off a guy in the classifieds that looked pretty rough. It was cracked all to hell and falling apart. I've been restoring in my freetime at work all winter. Got it done and mounted just today.
Old

Probably a lot older

Wed May 14, 2025 6:50 pm

Wed May 14, 2025 6:52 pm

Wed May 14, 2025 6:54 pm

Wed May 14, 2025 7:00 pm

How do you like it? Its a lot different at first but I wont ever go back too the tiny wheels best thing I did was chuck my 13inch grant in the garbage. You can put your arm on the door and cruise.

Wed May 14, 2025 7:26 pm

Nice job, that thing really matches the interior and looks great

Thu May 15, 2025 7:25 am

Looks great, and nice job. Mine came with a tiny, damn near comical 11" wheel. I put a moon eyes on that is larger and it is so much nicer. Dog approved.

Thu May 15, 2025 7:28 am

Makes driving so much more enjoyable. Now if I could just get my windows to work reliably.

I'm curious to see how long my repairs on this steering wheel will last. This car has a few more years before I'll be ready to blow it apart and resto it. At this point I'm not even sure I should be talking about it in the off road section anymore. I just enjoy driving it on the road way to much. I'm picking it over the sportbike most days and I got the bike out a month later than usual this year. Still trying to get the carbs just right after the airbox/filter mods I did which is hard when it requires pulling the engine now. Regardless I'm having fun driving it while I can.

Thu May 15, 2025 7:37 am

Thanks for this, both of my bugs have the stock wheel and I'm wanting to keep them.

If I may, what did you use as a filler?

Thu May 15, 2025 8:30 am

I used a 3m Epoxy potting compound I just happen to have available through my work, but any epoxy is fine.

I was initially going to do it like all the videos show where they guage out all the cracks a ton and then shove something like JBWeld in there and sand it down. Then after realising just how cracked over the entire wheel mine was I thought maybe I'd just pull it all off and reform the wheel with something like the steelweld product. It would take so much of that stuff it was ridiculous. So I remembered I had this epoxy in my toolbox I could use. The only problem with it was it was very viscous. So I cleaned out the big cracks with a very small flat screwdriver tip and partially wrapped masking tape around the big cracks. The tape acted like a dam to hold the epoxy in the crack while it set up. I ended up with some pretty aweful looking spots as you can see in that one closeup. After I got the big cracks covered, I used an acid brush and spread a layer over the entire circumference that was cracked. I didn't realize it but the runny nature of this stuff actually helped because it was able to soak into the old material and become one with it. It took about a day to set up so I would spread some on and throw it in my cabinet and do it again the next day. I had all winter so I just took my time. Then came a lot of sanding. Epoxy is not great for sanding. At least this stuff wasn't. When I got it all roughly back into shape there were still some glaring low spots. Next I used a filler primer and glazing putty just like doing autobody. Wet sand it down with 320. Spray a layer of filler primer (rustoleum). Sand down with 320. Little more filler. rinse and repeat. I normally don't have patience for this kind of work, but I could see it getting nicer and that kept me going. I did lose my patience with the individual knobs/grooves on the back of the wheel. You know the molded spots for your fingers to fit into? Well the originals were half worn off. I tried buidling them up but it was just too meticulous. My hands can't handle that little stuff anymore before they get all crampy and angry. I got them looking OK but I knew the leather would cover up the imperfections anyway.

At first, my red paint went on so smooth and it looked flawless. Then I sprayed a satin clear over that, all rustoleum stuff. On the back of the spokes orange peel suddenly popped up. I don't know if it was the angle I had the can at or if it was one of the other thing I used reacting with the clear. I wet sanded it and it came right back when I sprayed another coat. Fortunately, it has a really fine pattern, almost like the grain you see on steering wheels anyway. So I left it. It's not noticeable, but I know it's there and how I screwed up a perfect paint job. lol Never fails.

There was a point where I thought I had just ruined it for good. Just keep going and trying different things until you get the result you're looking for. I'm not sure how much that potting compound costs. I imagine the dispenser is probably the more expensive part. If you can I'd suggest trying it though. I don't see JB weld soaking into the old plastic like this stuf did. I kept waiting to be sanding and it start crumbling apart, but it was solid. Hopefully it stands up to the sitting in the sun on hot days.

Thu May 15, 2025 8:36 am

indianpeaksjoe wrote: Looks great, and nice job. Mine came with a tiny, damn near comical 11" wheel. I put a moon eyes on that is larger and it is so much nicer. Dog approved.

I think mine was either 10 or 11. I knew I'd get more leverage with this 13"er, but it still amazed me.

I have a pretty sloppy steering box I'm trying to find a replacement for and a lot of the effort comes from trying to push that thing. So if I can find a replacement I'll really be happy.

Thu May 15, 2025 8:37 am

BTW you threw me off a little at first with you picture. I was scrolling past it quickly and for a second I thought I was mistakenly on a different thread with one of my pics of my beagle. lol

Thu May 15, 2025 8:41 am

I think I may have put the steering wheel back together upside down. The horn looks like it could go either way but there's just something off about it.

More than likely it's upside down, because that's what I do.

Thu May 15, 2025 9:51 am

ORANGECRUSHer wrote: I have a pretty sloppy steering box I'm trying to find a replacement for and a lot of the effort comes from trying to push that thing. So if I can find a replacement I'll really be happy.
https://www.vwnos.com/steering-gearbox

Max

Thu May 15, 2025 10:09 am

Perfect, thanks again.

Thu May 15, 2025 11:27 am

ORANGECRUSHer wrote: BTW you threw me off a little at first with you picture. I was scrolling past it quickly and for a second I thought I was mistakenly on a different thread with one of my pics of my beagle. lol

Beagles and bassets basically the same :)

-Joe

Thu May 15, 2025 1:02 pm

nothin' but a hound dog... love em. I might go basset next time! This beagle is wearing me out!

Fri May 16, 2025 4:29 am

Nice job!

One of the first clues that an old VW is NOT a driver is when it has a 10" steering wheel, huge front tires with deep dished front wheels. You know the guy would have to have arms like a gorilla to drive it! Looks good at the Show and Shine though...

My street Buggy was set up like that when I bought it. I got things changed enough now that the tires are narrow enough and back under the wheel wells where they belong. That helped a HUGE amount but to put a proper sized steering wheel on I would need to go with a removable one or adapt some sort of tilt column. It's an access and regress thing.

Fri May 16, 2025 6:13 pm

When I bought this eons ago it was setup for dune duty and had an inch of wet sand rotting out the floorboards to prove it. A geared trans too. I'm still not sure why you'd want a little when the big is so much easier.

Sat May 17, 2025 5:15 am

Just another fad, a look cool thing. Like the broken axle look and ripped blue jeans.