Driving with Suede wheel daily?
Discussion
Alcantara is not as fragile as suede. If you use a suede wheel, without gloves, it'll be utter crap after less than 1000 mi. The F1 teams retrim the suede on their steering wheels after every race, and that's with drivers' using gloves.
Alcantara has maybe 5x the longevity. The problem with it, IMO, is that it is synthetic (i.e., plastic), and does not allow the heat to dissipate off your palms the way that leather will do.
Some people like it, althoughI don't know whether that's because they're actually comfortable with it, or just that they think it looks good.
Alcantara has maybe 5x the longevity. The problem with it, IMO, is that it is synthetic (i.e., plastic), and does not allow the heat to dissipate off your palms the way that leather will do.
Some people like it, althoughI don't know whether that's because they're actually comfortable with it, or just that they think it looks good.
Both my Racing Puma and Mégane R26.R had part alcantara steering wheels and they were lovely to drive with - just so much nicer to hold than leather, especially when you're 'pressing on'. Far better with gloves at track days too. The downside is the material can get dirty quite quickly and will need cleaning every few months or so. The Puma's was worse as it was a blue material rather than black, but any colour will get grubby in the end. The trick to it is just use a damp, soapy sponge and dab at the wheel (do not rub - this causes bobbles) to remove the dirt and then lightly press a towel on it before being left to dry. This works really well and if you do have the odd bobble or two they can be removed by shaving (yes, really!) the wheel with an electric razor.
Edited by David87 on Tuesday 26th April 18:21
flemke said:
If you use a suede wheel, without gloves, it'll be utter crap after less than 1000 mi... Alcantara has maybe 5x the longevity.
Therein lies the problem... on that basis, even 5 times the longevity would mean that you'd be changing the steering wheel more often than you're changing the oil, if it's a daily driver.I think Flemke is being a bit pessimistic on suede's mileage, mind you, but probably not by much.
Yes, they are not long lasting items. If you're making a car for track use only and don't fancy a leather wheel then they make more sense, but day to day they are too fragile and once they are worn, they are disgusting. Far worse than a Clio's melting steering wheel. They also don't feel as good for day to day driving, IMO, so there is little reason to have one in a day to day car.
One of the lads I work with had one that came with his car, it was covered in filth and grime and disintegrated on hot days when your hands started to sweat.
One of the lads I work with had one that came with his car, it was covered in filth and grime and disintegrated on hot days when your hands started to sweat.
When I had a suede steering wheel I found that going over it regularly with one of these helped keep it 'fluffy'.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUEDE-BRUSH-SHOES-CLOTHES-BR...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUEDE-BRUSH-SHOES-CLOTHES-BR...
Had an aftermarket suede wheel on my Delta HF Turbo daily driver. When new it felt gorgeous, and looked great. A few thousand miles later and the material had compacted into a flat, hard, manky discoloured mass. Even after a good clean it was never the same, in fact I managed to make it worse. Granted it was an OMP wheel, so probably not the best quality to start with.
I'm going suede in my mx5 because I love the feel over leather. But instead of buying an expensive one, I'm getting a £30 eBay one for the reasons described in this thread so that it can be easily replaced whilst still working out cheaper than one expensive one that I'll ruin in the same amount of time 
Slade Alive said:
No one's told you to go wood?
Wood doesn't just look good, it is better to drive offering more feel to what's going on.
I used to know someone who had a big accident in a car with a wood rim steering wheel. He said he'd never have another; I think it involved splinters halfway up his arms.Wood doesn't just look good, it is better to drive offering more feel to what's going on.
Baryonyx said:
Slade Alive said:
No one's told you to go wood?
Wood doesn't just look good, it is better to drive offering more feel to what's going on.
Yes, it's widespread use in modern sports cars would suggest this is true. Wood doesn't just look good, it is better to drive offering more feel to what's going on.
Leather for a road car, suede for track.
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