[D_o_S]

Hi guys,

today I was drifting and as I let the wheel slip through my hand, I felt a rough spot. I thought it was just dirt, but upon closer inspection, I have noticed that the leather is scratched. The scratches are small, but there is some leather "lint" sticking out.

First, how I get rid of the lint? Or do I just let it be? It's in a position that doesn't bother me much (approx 5 o'clock position), on the perforated part of the m-sport wheel. I have considered sanding it down, but some websites say you should buy leather glue and stick it back down?

Any help?

[D_o_S]

EDIT: I have noticed that the leather is scratched, not cracked... any help very welcome.

[TOGWT]

Steering wheels have an extra coating of protective finish on the already finished or coated leather. Perspiration and dirt are absorbed readily into the dry leather, and combined with the ultra violet (UV-B) radiation of the sun a chemical reaction occurs that degrades the finished leather. All of us have seen this wear on steering wheels

Using leather oil-based conditioners on finished leather may cause delamination from the leather substrate. As the oils will permeate the leather via the stitching or any micro-cracks in the surface, once oil gets between the urethane and the substrate it causes loss of adhesion (See also Oil and Oil based Products)

Most manufacturer’s advice against using oil-based conditioners on steering wheels as it makes the surface slippery and could be dangerous if you lose control of the vehicles steering

1. Clean the wheel’s leather surface with a leather cleaner (Leather Masters™ Strong Effect Cleaner ) or a Limonen (citrus) based de-greaser (P21S Total Auto Wash) diluted 5:1 with warm distilled water in a spray bottle; dependant upon type and extent of soil or stain
2. For oil or grease stains use Leather Masters™ Leather Degreaser (check for colour fastness) this aerosol product is ideal for cleaning this type of stain as it dissolves the oils and transforms them into a powder that is more absorbent than the leather.

This powder is what is wiped off, cleaning and degreasing the leather. Allow the white powder to dry fully. If the powder is drying to a yellow colour, it means that there are still a lot of oils in the leather.

Using a Medium / hard horse hair brush, or a soft sponge, spray and work the cleaner into a foam, lightly scrub surface and immediately wipe with a terry towel to remove excess moisture, especially around stitching (you may need to repeat this process).
3. Then use a compressed air nozzle to dry
4. Once wheel is thoroughly dry apply Leather Masters™ Leather Protection

Do not use an abrasive on the surface as you’ll remove the ultra violet protective topcoat

Maintenance – hydrate the leather surface with a damp 100% cotton towel, occasionally use a diluted 1:10 degreaser (Leather Masters™ Leather Degreaser ) solution and distilled water to remove any build-up of body oils from your hands

Cracked Leather Coating

Clear-Cote was originally developed to protect vinyl tops from oxidation and embedded dirt build-up. It is also a protective coating for newly refinished leather or vinyl. It provides a durable, washable surface for any leather or vinyl upholstery; available in original gloss or matte finish. Use a very fine 2000 grit finishing paper to provide a ‘key’ for the clear coat. Apply two thin coats as oppose to one heavy coat, allow to dry thoroughly Color-Plus

[D_o_S]

Thanks for the post, I have read this, but I am still convinced that I need to use some sandpaper...

I checked the scratches today again. Basically, it's like the top of the leather is scratched, with little pieces coming up, looking like lint/burrs or such.

Personally, I think there is no other solution than to sand this "lint" down, otherwise my hands may get caught up on it and increase the size of the rip. The scratches are superficial, i.e. these is still black underneath (except for one, where you can see some gray, like 0.1 mm width, 3mm length)

Regarding wheel maintenance:

I cannot get the products you list. Here is what I can get:

Cleaners: http://www.detailingshop.cz/19-osetreni-kuze

Protective stuff: http://www.detailingshop.cz/58-mleka-a-balzamy-na-kuzi

Glazes and such: http://www.detailingshop.cz/59-protekce-kuze

As mentioned elsewhere, I have been using Sonax Xtreme Leather Pflege on my wheel. It contains beeswax, which you mentioned was not a good idea.

I am considering getting the Autoglym leather cleaner, and perhaps the Autoglym leather balm for the wheel, but as I understand it, you say only cleaning is necessary, no conditioning?