Chuck Pelton

If you have purchased a reproduction steering wheel in the past or if you are considering buying one in the future, I have a picture of a wheel that I will forward to you that may be of interest.

ChuckPelton@comcast.net

HlhnEast

Chuck, go ahead and post the pic here. If there is a safety issue, there needs to be a record of it here for the whole community. Specific details will be very helpful as to the problem, the supplier and what if any feedback you may have gotten from the supplier. If it is a safety defect, I would think warranty would go out the window, just like a manufacturer recall.

3JsVette

More info please. Compromising the ability to steer any car can have catastrophic results. You may save someone's life.

Larrye

Considering a new wheel for my '85 this spring.

1993C4LT1

Just post it

Chuck Pelton

Adding pictures.

383vett

Wow, looks like a couple of bad tack welds. Is that how a stock setup is held? Not much control of the car when that happends.

mazdaverx7

My goodness! Let me ask, when they recover the wheel, do they grind the original welds to remove the hub portion to allow total access to recover the wheel? I would also agree that the spot welds were poor and I have never seen an original unmodified or tampered with GM steering wheel do that.

So the next question is what company recovered it?

MaxDaemon

I'm assuming from "reproduction" that was a (probably offshore) knockoff of the original wheel, not a recovered GM wheel?

B17Crew

Please do let us know the source. You may help keep someone out of the hospital, or a casket for that matter.

B17Crew

Chuck Pelton

At this time we do not know who made the wheel or what Corvette dealer sold the wheel. It also could have been purchased on line from the manufacturer. Our concern is that a Corvette owner would not be able to tell or test if the welds or rivets were bad until it fails. We do know that it is a reproduction wheel and not an original GM wheel.

B17Crew

Understood. That is one heck of a failure, I’d hate to see it happen to anybody on the road.

B17Crew

MaxDaemon

I considered buying a repro wheel for my '84, but decided to go with a new leather cover instead. I'm even more glad now I made that decision.

Are there any factory markings that you know of that would be visible to show if it's a genuine part? Without having to take it apart, at least ..

Wazzugar

In addition to the poor spot welds, it looks like the clearance holes for the rivets are far too large.

DanZ51

I quick plug for a sponsor. I did a Redline Leather cover for my '86 and it came out stellar (for me). My old one was a little sun baked and rough, and as much as I tried to clean and polish it was ugly. My new wheel cover looks and feels great. It's been one of my best mods yet!
http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Dan...66dce.jpg.html

PS: Mine was Napa leather, they have whole grain (stock) too.

ghoastrider1

dang, the horn button fell off.

Z51JEFF

With ALL of the Corvette parts suppliers selling cheap Chinese junk this was bound to happen.

MaxDaemon

Wow, that is NICE! Mine is worn all the way to the plastic. I'm putting a cheap $19 cover on it until summer. Did you just cut the old cover off? Or is it under there?

MaxDaemon

I went with a cheap Harbor Freight buffer as I figured since the Porter Cable was made in China too, it wasn't that much different.

Tom454

Holy Poop! I was just about to hit the "complete order" button on a repro... so friggin glad I came here first. Thank you!