Steering Wheel Horn Pad Restoration

[Bill Eisinger]

Has anyone developed a technique for removing the foam horn pad from the steering wheel cap assembly? The pad appears to be glued inside a chromed "can" which presses into the hub piece. It's easy enough to pry the can and foam pad assembly out of the hub but I'd like to be able to remove the pad in order to re-chrome the can. I'm thinking that perhaps careful application of a heat gun might do it but somewhat fearful of damaging the foam in the process.

With some judicious masking and some vinyl dye I have the foam pad and hub looking pretty good (most seem to significantly fade over time) but now, it makes the defects in the chrome stand out even more.

Any ideas or thoughts? Somebody must have done this in the past.

 

[puff4]

I don't ever remember seeing a reproduction part for these - mostly folk have been trying to find the best one they can find and just go with that. Of course, the other thing they do over time is crack! I'm thinking that this might be a good part to 3D print. You could print it with a very light amount of infill (10-15% or so), making it crush easily on impact, essentially preserving the intent of the pad, and the outside could be designed to have the leatherette-like finish, too. You'd have to pry out the original jewel center and reuse that in the printed part - it could be inserted into the printed item during a pause in the print process, and then printed around to secure it.

 

[Bill Eisinger]

Until then, I'm trying to figure out how to restore an original...straight forward process if you can get the foam pad out of the can.

 

[65sunbeam]

"if you can get the foam pad out of the can"
And that is the hard part. I have several where the PO has tried to do just that and ended up ruining the foam center or the plastic cover as they are glued in pretty tightly.

 

[Bill Eisinger]

If you have any that are too far gone to restore I'd take them off your hands to experiment with.

 

[65sunbeam]

Will send you a few when I mail your other bits......

 

[puff4]

Hmm. Well, one approach might be to thread some piano wire through the small openings around the base, using a stout needle, and then thread the wire back again, essentially making a loop. Then as you pull both ends of the wire it would cut between the foam and the metal, separating the two. If done from each of the apertures to the others, most of the adhered foam would be released, such that it may then be released enough to prise it off without major damage.