I know I'm opening myself up to a LOT of possible jokes, but here goes....

The steering wheel in my '77 Classic has a sticky film all over it, as does the center piece where you press the horn button.

Anybody with any experience with this? Recomendations? I have tried cleaning it with soap and water, 409, etc...nothing seems to work.

Thanks,

Jim

Hey Jim. I'm sure you will get lots of comments on the "sticky film" of your steering wheel, but what I think is happening is the plastic is breaking down due to age. I've had this happen to other plastic pieces. You can try using the cleaner called "Tuff Stuff Mult-Purpose Foam Cleaner" made by STP products. It is in a tall yellow and red can in most auto parts stores.
On the plastic that I've had problems with, I would use the cleaner and then use a product called "303 Aerospace Protectant". I've never used it on a steering wheel, but would think if you put it on, let it dry for a minute and then wipe it down, that it would not be slippery.

Might be worth a try before changing out the steering wheel.

By the way, I'm new to 4th gen. They are my new favorite gen. Any pic's of yours posted? And how did you make out with your A/C clutch? Seems that is happening to mine. Did you just change the clutch or the complete compressor?

The van I drive at work gets a lot of use (2003 Chevy Astro with 110,000 miles on it already!) and as a consequence, the steering wheel gets pretty cruddy. The fact that 2-3 different people per day drive it doesn't help matters. In the summertime, the heat causes the oils in that crud to soften up, and it can get pretty sticky, so I know what you're talking about.

To clean it up, I just use a terrycloth towel and Dawn dish soap. I just mix up a bit of Dawn in a bucket with hot water (as hot as my hands can stand) and work at it. Depending on how dirty the wheel is, it takes a few minutes for the soap to cut through the crud, and you have to go back over it with a clean towel and clean hot water to rinse it, then dry it with another clean towel, but it works. I use the same thing on the inside door handles and the shifter handle. I now do the same thing with my own cars, although I don't have to do it quite as often, obviously.

I've tried a couple of protectants on it (Armor All, Son of a Gun, etc...) but about all that does is make the wheel slick, and I still have to go back over it about 5-6 times a year to clean it up, so I don't bother with the protectants anymore. I've figured out that if I do this about every 2-3 months, it keeps the build-up of skin oils down to a minimum, and it doesn't get all cruddy and sticky to begin with.

If none of those things work for you, you can always put a steering wheel cover on it.

I had a '76 Caprice Classic 4-slammer before I got my '87 seven years ago, and both have the same problem. I agree that deterioration of the plastic is probably a big part of it, but the plastic also attracts and retains the dirt and oils from your hands. A build-up of gunk on the rim of the wheel has always been present, no matter what time of the year. I like to think that most of the time my hands are clean enough to not leave behind a brown residue, but it never fails that after a few months I've got to get the sticky stuff off the rim.

On a similar note, the steering wheel I just restored for a '63 T-bird with a catalyzed clear also does the same thing - grab the wheel, and a sticky brown film is left behind. This won't be fun for shows or crusies, so I need to start looking for a terry cloth/elastic steering wheel cover that I can take off when I get to the cruise or show.

My routine every few weeks is to grab an ice cube out of my soft drink cup when I go out for lunch, rub the wheel with the ice cube to loosen the gunk, and then wipe it down with the paper napkin that was in the bag. Then take the straw, pinch it and dig out the crud in the recesses around the rim, the wheel center and in the horn pad area. I like to think of it as multi-tasking. :wink:

BTW, the rim of my 170,000-mile '87 wheel is worn smooth, i.e. no evidence of the vinyl grain pattern, except on the lower portion of the rim where it doesn't get grabbed much. Maybe some day I'll find a replacement that's in better shape, but then again there's that sagging headliner, missing AC vent in the center dash, and crack in the pad that needs attention...

The sticky stuff that accumulates on your steering wheel actually comes from the wheel itself. The wheels are molded with a plastic compound that has a silicone dirivitive in it to keep the plastic pliable to expansion and contraction. The silicone leaches out of the plastic when the sun is bearing down on it. 73elkyss is spot-on with the use of Tuff Stuff for cleaning the wheel. It is the only thing that has worked for me on both of my 5th gen SS's.

By the way, I'm new to 4th gen. They are my new favorite gen. Any pic's of yours posted? And how did you make out with your A/C clutch? Seems that is happening to mine. Did you just change the clutch or the complete compressor?

Hi there!

Just some FYI, if you still have the long A6 style compressor on your 4th Gen it is possible to change just the AC clutch without removing the compressor. I had to do that 2 years ago when mine roasted while waiting in the emission testing line in the middle of MAY (about 103 degrees that day). The hardest part is loosening the center locknut on the shaft while holding the pulley. I have the tool to hold it still but it was still kind of a pain. Get the AC clutch removal tool as well, much easier job that way.

Also keep an eye on your Fan clutch if you still have one attached to your fan as it can cause your AC clutch to fail. Too much head pressure in the system can cause the AC clutch to constantly cycle on and off and burn the clutch. That's caused by the fan clutch not locking the fan into place to draw air across the condenser on the front of the car. Mine burned off about 1/32 inch of material.

Just some .02 FYI..

:D

By the way, I'm new to 4th gen. They are my new favorite gen. Any pic's of yours posted? And how did you make out with your A/C clutch? Seems that is happening to mine. Did you just change the clutch or the complete compressor?

Had to change the whole compressor. I bought the clutch removal tool, but it was so stuck on there, that it stripped the threads as I was backing it out....

Probably time to change it anyway :-(

Jim

The steering wheel in my '77 Classic has a sticky film all over it...
Jim, stop eating Crispy Cream donuts while you drive. Either that or maybe try wearing pants while driving. :lol:

Thanks Slimjimga & elcamino74guy for the A/C clutch problem advise. Gonna attack it next week. It is the long style original compressor and I will try changing the clutch by itself first.


Thanks again.

i just thought the guy that owned it before me had really cruddy hands, but i couldn't figure out why it kept coming back. With all of the modern sprays and stuff, is there nothing to put on the steering wheel to stop this?

Mineral spirits will take care of that sticky stuff. Let me guess this car sat out for a while (like mine).

I eventually changed the wheel for a smaller one. Cost like 30 for the wheel and adapter and took about an hour. Also you'll need a wheel puller; you can probably borough one from autozone.