gtdave Report post Posted August 18, 2013 At the risk of sounding a bit anal, I'm wondering if anyone has found a way of protecting (or perfectly rejuvenating) their suede/alcantara steering wheel. My last LP570 had been so 'gripped' that it became slick. I use a steel brush and water to fluff it back up but I couldn't get it to be soft again. Would a steering cover press the fibers down just like my hands? Or was my old one slick due to crap on the previous driver's hands? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiphers Report post Posted August 18, 2013 At the risk of sounding a bit anal, I'm wondering if anyone has found a way of protecting (or perfectly rejuvenating) their suede/alcantara steering wheel. My last LP570 had been so 'gripped' that it became slick. I use a steel brush and water to fluff it back up but I couldn't get it to be soft again. Would a steering cover press the fibers down just like my hands? Or was my old one slick due to crap on the previous driver's hands? The issue with the old one was likely due to crap on the previous driver's hands, although suede/alcantata is a sensitive material. Honestly, the only "perfect" way to protect these steering wheels is to wear driving gloves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToofDoc Report post Posted August 19, 2013 I had a stock alcantara steering wheel, got flattened and became glossy/oily look at certain areas of the wheel that were frequent gripped on. Nothing I did fixed it. Final fix = CF steering wheel with perforated leather from MACarbon or IMS! Improved the interior look tremendously and the grip feel is great!! Your alcantara wheel will just get worse! Especially the more you treat/clean it, the worse it'll get. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_ Report post Posted August 19, 2013 I am having the same issue with my wheel. It seems like the only 2 good solutions are to recover or just grow to like the wheel when it gets fully matted. I tried to bring mine back to life by "brushing it out". That was a mistake - now it just looks in poor repair and feels hard and brittle whereas when it was matted, it felt like regular leather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiphers Report post Posted August 19, 2013 Geez, y'all need to quit with the sweaty palms all over such a precious steering wheel ! But in all seriousness, clean hands go a long way to keeping these suede/alcantara steering wheels in good shape. A wire brush is too harsh - my detailer uses nubuck/suede cleaner and has something with a "bristle" that looks like the following: http://store.asuitablewardrobe.net/nubuckandsuedebrush.aspx. I've never had a suede/alcantara wheel get too badly worn down, but it's definitely common without proper care. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_ Report post Posted August 19, 2013 Geez, y'all need to quit with the sweaty palms all over such a precious steering wheel ! But in all seriousness, clean hands go a long way to keeping these suede/alcantara steering wheels in good shape. A wire brush is too harsh - my detailer uses nubuck/suede cleaner and has something with a "bristle" that looks like the following: http://store.asuitablewardrobe.net/nubuckandsuedebrush.aspx. I've never had a suede/alcantara wheel get too badly worn down, but it's definitely common without proper care. 35k miles of rubbin that puppy will do the trick! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiphers Report post Posted August 19, 2013 35k miles of rubbin that puppy will do the trick! Lol, yeah that will definitely do it! There is always the option of some over-the-top driving gloves... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortis Report post Posted August 19, 2013 I gave up on worrying about it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtdave Report post Posted August 22, 2013 Geez, y'all need to quit with the sweaty palms all over such a precious steering wheel ! But in all seriousness, clean hands go a long way to keeping these suede/alcantara steering wheels in good shape. A wire brush is too harsh - my detailer uses nubuck/suede cleaner and has something with a "bristle" that looks like the following: http://store.asuitablewardrobe.net/nubuckandsuedebrush.aspx. I've never had a suede/alcantara wheel get too badly worn down, but it's definitely common without proper care. Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking I should just be ok with it, but I might also use an alcohol spritzer for my hands before I drive to remove oils. I'm not exactly the type of person who could pull off the "gloved" look. About my reconditioning effort on my SL, The way I used the wire brush was to press it into the wheel, then just wiggle it gently without letting the bristles actually scrap the surface. It did a good job fluffing it up but as others said, the texture became brittle-feeling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonnythebull Report post Posted August 22, 2013 First world problems.!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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