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Hi Michael,
I don't know what material was used for the steering wheels back then, but=
=20
I've learned that different materials were used for the Bluemel steering=20
wheels over the production run of our Healeys. The material used in the AH=
=20
100 steering wheels is much easier to repair than that used in steering=20
wheels from the 1960s. I've repaired steering wheels for a Daimler SP250,=
=20
and it was very difficult. The cracks kept reappearing. I don't use JB WELD=
=20
here, but on the advice of a steering wheel restorer, I use PC-7 epoxy.=20
This works wonderfully on AH 100 steering wheels. But even with this, it's=
=20
very difficult to permanently repair some of the later AH 3000 steering=20
wheels.
Hope this helps a bit.
=20
Josef Eckert
K=C3=B6nigswinter/Germany
=20
=20
=20
=20
-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: [Healeys] Steering wheel repair
Datum: 2026-04-09T00:44:19+0200
Von: "Michael Salter" <michaelsalter@gmail.com>
An: "healeys@autox.team.net" <healeys@autox.team.net>
=20
=20
=20
Many years ago, I repaired the large cracks in the original steering wheel=
=20
of my Phase 1 BJ8 by grinding them out with a Dremel and filling the cracks=
=20
with JB weld. After sanding and repainting with epoxy gloss black it looked=
=20
great however, after a few years, more cracks appeared at the interface of=
=20
the JB Weld and the original plastic from which the rim was molded. Back=20
then I replaced the original wheel with a shiny new Motolita wood-rim=20
wheel, with which I was never completely happy, and all was good, sort of.
I am now faced with having to do the same type of repair on the original=20
wheel from the BN2 which I am currently restoring.
Before starting with the JB Weld process again I thought I should do a=20
little research to see if I could find a filler material which would form a=
=20
stronger bond with the plastic rim material.
Gemini told me that the rim was made of Bakelite but I was not convinced.=
=20
Bakelite is a =E2=80=9Cthermoset=E2=80=9D plastic which, when heated, does =
not melt. A=20
simple experiment quickly proved that the rim plastic was a thermo-plastic=
=20
material because it easily melted and could be deformed when heated and=20
again unlike Bakelite it dissolved in acetone.
I have done some Googling and it seems that it=E2=80=99s very likely that t=
he=20
plastic used for molding the rims was Tenite=E2=84=A2 cellulose acetate.
Does anyone know for sure what the original steering wheel rims were made=
=20
from?
=20
=EF=BB=BF
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=
=3DUTF-8"/><title></title></head><body><p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,=
helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none"><sp=
an class=3D"HwtZe" lang=3D"en"><span class=3D"ryNqvb">Hi Michael, </span></=
span></span></p>
<p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;col=
or:#000000;text-decoration:none"><span class=3D"HwtZe" lang=3D"en"><span cl=
ass=3D"ryNqvb">I don't know what material was used for the steering wheels =
back then, but I've learned that different materials were used for the Blue=
mel steering wheels over the production run of our Healeys.</span> <span cl=
ass=3D"ryNqvb">The material used in the AH 100 steering wheels is much easi=
er to repair than that used in steering wheels from the 1960s.</span> <span=
class=3D"ryNqvb">I've repaired steering wheels for a Daimler SP250, and it=
was very difficult.</span> <span class=3D"ryNqvb">The cracks kept reappear=
ing.</span> <span class=3D"ryNqvb">I don't use JB WELD here, but on the adv=
ice of a steering wheel restorer, I use PC-7 epoxy.</span> <span class=3D"r=
yNqvb">This works wonderfully on AH 100 steering wheels.</span> <span class=
=3D"ryNqvb">But even with this, it's very difficult to permanently repair s=
ome of the later AH 3000 steering wheels.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;col=
or:#000000;text-decoration:none"><span class=3D"HwtZe" lang=3D"en"><span cl=
ass=3D"ryNqvb">Hope this helps a bit.</span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;col=
or:#000000;text-decoration:none"><span class=3D"HwtZe" lang=3D"en"><span cl=
ass=3D"ryNqvb">Josef Eckert</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;col=
or:#000000;text-decoration:none"><span class=3D"HwtZe" lang=3D"en"><span cl=
ass=3D"ryNqvb">Königswinter/Germany</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;col=
or:#000000;text-decoration:none"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>-----Original-Nachricht-----</p>
<p>Betreff: [Healeys] Steering wheel repair</p>
<p>Datum: 2026-04-09T00:44:19+0200</p>
<p>Von: "Michael Salter" <michaelsalter@gmail.com></p>
<p>An: "healeys@autox.team.net" <healeys@autox.team.net></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style=3D"position: relative; color: #000000; font: 12px Arial,Helvetic=
a,sans-serif;">
<div dir=3D"ltr">
<div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-s=
ize: small;">
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">Many years ago, I repaired the large=
cracks in the original steering wheel of my Phase 1 BJ8 by grinding them o=
ut with a Dremel and filling the cracks with JB weld. After sanding and rep=
ainting with epoxy gloss black it looked great however, after a few years, =
more cracks appeared at the interface of the JB Weld and the original plast=
ic from which the rim was molded. Back then I replaced the original wheel w=
ith a shiny new Motolita wood-rim wheel, with which I was never completely =
happy, and all was good, sort of.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">I am now faced with having to do the=
same type of repair on the original wheel from the BN2 which I am currentl=
y restoring.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">Before starting with the JB Weld pro=
cess again I thought I should do a little research to see if I could find a=
filler material which would form a stronger bond with the plastic rim mate=
rial.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">Gemini told me that the rim was made=
of Bakelite but I was not convinced. Bakelite is a “thermoset”=
plastic which, when heated, does not melt. A simple experiment quickly pro=
ved that the rim plastic was a thermo-plastic material because it easily me=
lted and could be deformed when heated and again unlike Bakelite it dissolv=
ed in acetone.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">I have done some Googling and it see=
ms that it’s very likely that the plastic used for molding the rims w=
as Tenite™ cellulose acetate.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 115%; fon=
t-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;">Does anyone know for sure what the o=
riginal steering wheel rims were made from?</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>=EF=BB=BF</body></html>
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