Steering Wheel Mess

[DieHard1989LSC]

On hot days my steering wheel in the 1989 Mark Vll has black ooze coming out of the pores of the red leather cover at the lower sections of the steering wheel. I wipe it off, but a day or so later, more appears. Has anyone else had that experience and what did you do to fix the problem? Thanks, in advance.

[mark007]

On hot days my steering wheel in the 1989 Mark Vll has black ooze coming out of the pores of the red leather cover at the lower sections of the steering wheel. I wipe it off, but a day or so later, more appears. Has anyone else had that experience and what did you do to fix the problem? Thanks, in advance.

yep,and its only going to keep happening. my temporary fix was to buy a non-perforated steering wheel cover. that lasted for only a little while until we stripped the interior for the re-wiring. there was a supposed vendor over on the fordvschevy website that a member used once. they were able to re-wrap the steering wheel, but he paid a pretty good penny to have it done. his car was a 90-92 model with air bag. but if you had a 89 or older mark vii, you could just buy an aftermarket steering wheel and replace it.

[CDW6212R]

Check on eBay regularly. Some seller have new old stock steering wheels. I have seen many like the 90-92 wheels, and some that look like the older version.

[phoenix]

Unless I'm mistaken, any of those corporate Ford steering wheels that look like what the 90-92 models used should work.

[neeshui7]

this is what i did used two bandannas and some zip ties i had a steering wheel cover but ripped it off because it was no help at all just leaked through didn't cover the inside where the problem was. it works good and that's what i really care about better then having black goop all your hands every time you drive >_< and maybe you can even buy black ones and put a steering wheel cover over it to make it look good a cheap fix 1$ a bandanna 1$ for zip ties and 7-10$ for a cover about a 15$ fix
prob to jimmy rigged for most but i like it hehe ^_^

[mikeceli]

"Wheelskins" has been selling high quality, lace on leather steering wheel covers, for decades. I installed several of them, including a gray one on my '88 LSC. I highly recommend "Wheelskins" !

I cut off all the gooey, perforated original leather. I did not cut off, the solid, non-perforated l leatherI at the base of the rim. I then wrapped the stripped part of the rim, to bring the diameter close to the bottom part.

I started wraping it w/ electrical tape and realized it would take a dozen rolls of tape, and hours labor, to match the diameter. I then wrapped on sheet rubber from an old tire tube. I overlapped the wrapping which produced an uneven surface, I do not care for. I installed the "Wheelskin" and it has been OK, for over 12 year. The Wheelskin is now worn out. (285,000 miles on the car).

When I redo the job, I will find a way to wrap the rim, and achieve a more even surface. However, the wheel skin was a big improvement for over 10 years!


www.wheelskins.com 1=800-755-2128 2128 10TH Street, Berkeley, CA 94710

[oldschool1]

Thanks for the resource Mike.

Got pictures?

[oldschool1]

Whoops. Found a ford sample.



Got a Lincoln sample?

[mikeceli]

No pic. I'm not very computer savy. My Wheelskin has approx. 10 years and 185,000 on it. Due for replacement again.

[CDW6212R]

Whoops. Found a ford sample.



Got a Lincoln sample?

John, do you like that wheel style at all? I have seen a lot of new Lincoln steering wheels(NOS) with the wood built into them, for that style and the similar one I have with the AC/radio controls on it. I'm after a NOS version without the wood, but I've seen the wood versions for as low as $150.

[oldschool1]

I'm actually on the fence Don.

I could see using the wood version in a Bill Blass, Gianni Versace, or Base model but not in my LSCs.

[CDW6212R]

The real leather cover kits are very nice from what I have seen. I would go that route if I liked the main shape of the wheel.

I've got a 03/04 Marauder steering column and wheel, in dark gray. I had intended to use a black wheel, but the gray will do well also. I just haven't yet found a nicer wheel than the one I have. I want to get to my parts man and get the part numbers for the gray Town Car wheels over the models of 97-04 I think. There could be multiple wheels due to wiring changes, I just need the wheel itself that has the extra controls on it. I have two Lincoln air bags now to fit those TC's, one black and a gray one with a little scratch/blemish.

Parts hunter, that's my hobby.

[Dixx]

Having determined that the after-market wheels I've seen look like they belong on either a Ferrari or a tank, and that the straight-bar Ford wheels obscure line-of-sight to the row of switches on my 89 I decided to rebuild mine. The rim is made from 1inch O.D. ABS electrical conduit which was heated and bent around a form sawed from chipboard packing material. I removed the leather, sticky black stuff, and the hard rubber around the steel rim of the steering wheel. I then wrapped masking tape in five evenly spaced locations around the steel rim to build up to the 3/4 inch I.D. of the conduit. Then split the conduit in half, front and back, using a Dremel grinder. Filled the halves with bondo and pressed together over the masking tape buildups. When the bondo set up I filed and sanded everything smooth and painted it. The wheel was originally all gray, but I thought the partial black matched the two tone dash better. Considering what was laying around the shop I have about $8.50 invested in the project including a $5.00 rat wheel I bought from a wrecking yard to drive with while rebuilding the original. I've been driving the rebuilt wheel for about three years this way and find it quite comfortable.

[ghostrider]

I have found the best remedy for this problem. I replaced the original junk wheel with one from a Town Car of the same vintage. Crown Vics and Grand Marquis use the same wheel also. The color is identical and it's actually a much nicer looking steering wheel which will never ooze anything!!!!!! It looks like it belongs in the car and it"s a permanent fix for the problem. Plus it's a five minute bolt on job.

[Ron Coffman]

I had my upholstery guy wrap my 1986 BB steering wheel as original and he did a outstanding job on it, he also did my gear shift knob, another outstanding job. If there is a reputable upholster in your area he can do it. But, not cheap.
Ron

[phoenix]

I have found the best remedy for this problem. I replaced the original junk wheel with one from a Town Car of the same vintage. Crown Vics and Grand Marquis use the same wheel also. The color is identical and it's actually a much nicer looking steering wheel which will never ooze anything!!!!!! It looks like it belongs in the car and it"s a permanent fix for the problem. Plus it's a five minute bolt on job.

This is a great solution that unfortunately works only for '90-92 Mark VII's which indeed had the "corporate" Ford steering wheel used on virtually everything from Panthers to a lowly Mercury Sable. As once a '93 Sable owner I didn't mind switching to a car with essentially the same steering wheel, but anyway, that's pure Ford for you right there.

The '84-89 steering wheels (pictured above) are way different and more unique, IIRC those were only used on the Mark VII and the Fox Continental. The Panthers had their own wheel, and so did the T-Bird and the Cougar. Not to mention the Taurus/Sable. So the original Mark VII steering wheel was fairly unique. One Ford switched to wheel airbags everything including all Lincolns got the "corporate" bomb equipped steering wheel, making our job (for those of us restoring '90-92 Marks) indeed much easier.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=979&q=1987+sable+dash&oq=1987+sable+dash&gs_l=img.3...715.3206.0.3585.15.12.0.3.0.0.138.911.10j2.12.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..4.11.854.D97NxodCJMA#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=1991+lincoln+continental+interior&imgrc=rJUbrQqdcJjMPM%253A%3BvLH1B4PpvE53EM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fphotos3.automanager.com%252F021352%252F3fd50eb2d201d742abd9a879a6cc063a%252Fe8a26610df_640.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.autosourcellc.com%252Fvehicle-details%252F1991-lincoln-continental-4-door-sedan-3fd50eb2d201d742abd9a879a6cc063a%252F%3B640%3B480

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=979&q=1987+sable+dash&oq=1987+sable+dash&gs_l=img.3...715.3206.0.3585.15.12.0.3.0.0.138.911.10j2.12.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..4.11.854.D97NxodCJMA#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=1992+sable+interior&imgrc=41mxCVB73W3eRM%253A%3Ba2l6ESiNoima3M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fordf150.net%252Fimages%252Fsabledash.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fordf150.net%252Fmisc%252F1992sable.php%3B576%3B432

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=979&q=1987+sable+dash&oq=1987+sable+dash&gs_l=img.3...715.3206.0.3585.15.12.0.3.0.0.138.911.10j2.12.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..4.11.854.D97NxodCJMA#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=1992+sable+interior&imgrc=FnrIhUXP4lR4ZM%253A%3BATTMGF3j6h970M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbringatrailer.com%252Fwp-content%252Fplugins%252FPostviaEmail%252Fimages%252F1991_Ford_Taurus_SHO_Green_Plus_For_Sale_Interior_resize.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbringatrailer.com%252F2011%252F08%252F15%252Fbat-exclusive-1991-ford-taurus-sho-plus%252F%3B580%3B387

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=979&q=1987+sable+dash&oq=1987+sable+dash&gs_l=img.3...715.3206.0.3585.15.12.0.3.0.0.138.911.10j2.12.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..4.11.854.D97NxodCJMA#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=1992+grand+marquis+interior&imgrc=kWqRgF_5lcLL0M%253A%3BTfilCmHjXdLVwM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcarphotos.cardomain.com%252Fride_images%252F1%252F3950%252F3301%252F9874150004_large.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cardomain.com%252Fride%252F987415%252F1992-mercury-grand-marquis%252F%3B575%3B431

The Mark VII wheel was leather wrapped though (perforated at least on the '90-91, not sure about the '92), that's about the sole difference.

[ghostrider]

Actually my car is an 88 LSC, and I used a wheel for that vintage Town Car/ Grand Marquis. Same color as my interior. It looks awesome; ten times nicer than the ugly original one! The Town Car horn button has the Lincoln logo on it, so it looks factory correct all the way.

[phoenix]

Actually my car is an 88 LSC, and I used a wheel for that vintage Town Car/ Grand Marquis. Same color as my interior. It looks awesome; ten times nicer than the ugly original one! The Town Car horn button has the Lincoln logo on it, so it looks factory correct all the way.

I like box Panther wheels! I would love to see a picture of how it looks in an '88 Mark... never heard of anybody else do that, you might be the first one.

[robertbweltzien]

I used a leather wrap secured with ties and a full cover over that. Cheap, but it keeps the hands clean!

Bob

[Miah]

We went with an 86/87 T-Bird wheel that was pretty similar in shape to the original & then found the cougar version horn w/ a round indent & peeled the decal off an old-school lincoln keyring

[oldschool1]

Customization.

Nice.