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Disintegrating steering wheel?

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Old Sep 30, 2016 | 02:01 PM
  #1  
Icthus in AK's Avatar
Icthus in AK
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Disintegrating steering wheel?

2013 F250 with 36K miles. Just in the past 2 months I've noticed my steering wheel is disintegrating at about the 12:30 position. No possibility of diesel/chemical transfer to the surface. I live in Alaska so here's also no sun/heat damage possibility.

Anyone else ever hear about this??
 
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Old Sep 30, 2016 | 02:17 PM
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I have the same thing of the steering wheel wearing were I hold it in the 5 & 7 o'clock position. With 117k miles. They just don't make them like they use too.
 
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Old Sep 30, 2016 | 07:19 PM
  #3  
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My 2014 Escape is doing the same thing. It is actually flaking off in chunks. Really Ford!!! They can't make a steering wheel correct anymore.
 
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Old Sep 30, 2016 | 08:19 PM
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My '06 Dodge steering wheel was crumbling also. I bought a cheap cover to put on it. My new Ford has not started but I was thinking about getting the jump and putting a cover on before it started and to keep it nice. One of these days I suppose I'll get to it.
 
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Old Sep 30, 2016 | 11:22 PM
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It is from the amino acids in sweat.
I had this explained many years ago when I attended a forensic science course in Ottawa.
The acids break down the petro chemical plastics.
It does the same thing to hard plastic also, it just takes longer. All plastic steering wheels suffer the same fate.
Some of us are "secreters". And these same people are very hard to fingerprint as you have to wipe their fingertips and print them immediately.
 
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Old Oct 1, 2016 | 01:36 AM
  #6  
Icthus in AK's Avatar
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Originally Posted by Ricohman
It is from the amino acids in sweat.
I had this explained many years ago when I attended a forensic science course in Ottawa.
The acids break down the petro chemical plastics.
It does the same thing to hard plastic also, it just takes longer. All plastic steering wheels suffer the same fate.
Some of us are "secreters". And these same people are very hard to fingerprint as you have to wipe their fingertips and print them immediately.
You make me sound so...dirty.
 
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Old Oct 1, 2016 | 03:53 PM
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Having worked in machine shops for too many years, I've seen some people rust bare steel from touching it and others have little effect on the steel. We always said that the rust causing folks had sheet in their blood, or something like that.
 
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Old Oct 1, 2016 | 05:24 PM
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We have a guy that everybody says has the acid touch. Any steel he touches will rust.
 
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Old Oct 1, 2016 | 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by elee3
We have a guy that everybody says has the acid touch. Any steel he touches will rust.
He is a secreter.
Secreters make good thieves. They can touch something smooth and shiny and not leave anything but smeared latent prints.
 
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Old Oct 2, 2016 | 01:34 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Ricohman
It is from the amino acids in sweat.
I had this explained many years ago when I attended a forensic science course in Ottawa.
The acids break down the petro chemical plastics.
It does the same thing to hard plastic also, it just takes longer. All plastic steering wheels suffer the same fate.
Some of us are "secreters". And these same people are very hard to fingerprint as you have to wipe their fingertips and print them immediately.
Yep... I was going to say this but you beat me to it...

Had many a car's steering wheels go bad on me because I sweat a lot.
 
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Old Oct 2, 2016 | 03:36 AM
  #11  
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From: Ford, WA
Originally Posted by polarlys
My '06 Dodge steering wheel was crumbling also. I bought a cheap cover to put on it. My new Ford has not started but I was thinking about getting the jump and putting a cover on before it started and to keep it nice. One of these days I suppose I'll get to it.
I've had a steering wheel cover on mine since it was new.. steering wheel still looks brand new..

I used to drive a 2006 Volvo truck that had a disintegrating steering wheel..even heavy duty semi trucks which are designed to last 100's of thousands of miles aren't immune to this..
 
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Old Oct 10, 2016 | 12:38 AM
  #12  
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Too funny! I was driving home from work a couple weeks about and noticed the exact same wear on my steering wheel. Kinda pisses you off doesn't it? I guess I'm in the secreter group as well
 
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Old Oct 18, 2016 | 01:13 AM
  #13  
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From: Severn, Maryland
Time to use some Aerospace 303 UV interior protectant spray for all the interior panels.
 
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