Steering wheels & horn pads Tour

[66andBlue]

Since it is too cold to work in the garage I have started to look for parts to rejuvenate my steering wheel.  I tried to find a better looking star for the center pad of my 230SL and that’s when I noticed that they are not all alike. Here is what I came up with and my hope is that some of you can fill in any missing information (or correct misinformation) and provide more pictures.  
The information and the pictures for the early 230SL come from a posting by “goede” on the German “Pagodentreff.de” web site.

Steering wheels
Type I – early 230SL (to about chassis #2038):
Color:  black and ivory (white).
Horn ring: round with 2 pins through the crossbar
Wheel: no grooves, no holes on the inner side of the rim
Center pad: outer ring (all chrome) and inner chrome ring around plastic center star.
{no picture, please add}
Center star is surrounded by another chrome-mirrored ring within the plastic.

Download Attachment: 230SLearly.jpg
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Type II – late 230 SL and 250SL
Color: black and ivory (white).
Horn ring: flat upper part with 2 pins through the crossbar
Wheel: grooves facing driver and 5 single holes on the inner side
Center pad: Outer ring: 2-part - outer half facing driver is chromed and inner half is painted matte dark-grey/black.
Inner chrome ring around plastic center star.
Center star is surrounded by another chrome-mirrored ring within the plastic.

Download Attachment: 230SL-1.jpg
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Download Attachment: 230SL-2.jpg
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Download Attachment: 230SL-3.jpg
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Type III – 280SL
Color: black and ivory (white).
Horn ring: flat upper part without pins
Wheel: grooves facing driver and 5 pairs of holes on the inner side Center pad: No outer and inner chrome rings
Center star is surrounded by a chrome-mirrored ring within the plastic.

Download Attachment: 280SLpad.jpg
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Download Attachment: 280SLstwl.jpg
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Download Attachment: Rim_holes.jpg
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For those who need to refurbish these wheels and pads it appears that the 230SL and 280SL plastic center star have the same diameter.  So if the inner chrome is still good one can put a 280SL star into the center of the 230SL pad.
I don't have the OD for the 280SL pad and therefore dont know whether it will fit into the outer ring of the 230SL pad.  Perhaps somebody can supply the missing information.
If the padding cover needs to be replaced then it is easiest to use a razor blade, or scalpel, and to cut the pad out of the outer chrome ring. The cut cover (see picture) can then be pulled through the center of the donut without damaging the briddle padding.

02-18-2007
Naj sent me pictures that he took of a 230SL at a meeting in Germany, claimed to be original with 1.2 million km with unrestored chassis and interior.  The wheel rim clearly has no grooves and the horn ring is round. But what about the pad and the center star?   Do they look original to you restorers and originality experts out there?  I cannot see a chrome ring around the plastic star next to the pad.

Download Attachment: OriginalType1.jpg
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Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[BABAK]

Alfred let me know if you find a star I sure can use it. I know that the steering wheel can be repaired by fiberglass and paint .

[Abbas]

Alfred,
  Are you talking about these tiny holes in the back of the steering wheel.
Download Attachment: PB110120s.JPG
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Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[J. Huber]

Hey Alfred, very informative stuff. I don't really have much to add -- except I have always wondered about my steering wheel. Obviously it should be the early variety (#871). However, I have the flatter horn ring like the later 230SL. So one would assume not original...
But judging from this info -- my wheel may still be an early one: no grooves on wheel (trust me I looked), and the center pad outer ring is all chrome. Perhaps to first owner just changed out the horn ring (for better visibility?).


Download Attachment: wheel.JPG
77.89 KB



James
63 230SL

[deacon]

I believe that this was an option.  Nardi - wood with steel spokes - black horn surround with white star on blue background.  '65 230sl (5783)





Download Attachment: P1010001small.jpg
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[J. Huber]

Hey Deacon -- nice interior. Yours is the first Pagoda with what I think is the same kind of shift-knob I have (and I've seen a lot of Pagodas   )...


Download Attachment: shift-knob.JPG
6.78 KB

James
63 230SL

[66andBlue]

Thanks Abbas!
I changed my text to indicate that the Type III wheel also has those little holes. Although I am curious, do they come in pairs, or is this an image/reflection problem? On the Type II there are several single holes only.

James, I believe your conclusion about your flat horn ring is correct.  However, I am glad that you were able to verify that the outer chrome ring is solid chrome on Type I and not half chrome/half black paint. Just to dot the "i", could you add a picture, please?

Deacon, looking only from the front, are all the Nardis for later Pagodas the same as yours?

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[deacon]

66&Blue,

I have no idea what later Nardi's look like.  I've never seen one.  I guess it's best to just ask if others have them and what they look like.

Need any other angles?

David (Deacon)

[J. Huber]

Alfred, hold the presses...before you dot the i. I wanted to see if how hard removing my chrome outer ring for a picture was -- and now I think it is the two-toned (the backside appears to be matte). I'm sorry. I tripled checked the wheel though -- still no grooves. Are we sure all late 230SL wheels had the grooves?

James
63 230SL

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber
 -- and now I think it is the two-toned (the backside appears to be matte). I'm sorry. I tripled checked the wheel though -- still no grooves. Are we sure all late 230SL wheels had the grooves?

James,
there was an earlier discussions on the flat vs round horn ring
http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=2133]
http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=3929
but no details on the grooves. However, on the German web site the consensus seems to be that all late 230SL (and 250SL/280SL) have the gooves in the rim.
Perhaps Cees, or Hans (in Stockholm) or Achim can provide more specifics?
Does your outer chrome ring look like this? It is from a W108/111 and supposedly is the same as the early 230SL.

Download Attachment: W108_W111hornpad.jpg
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Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[Abbas]

Alfred,
  They come in pair as in the picture. Can I suggest to add the word "Tour" to the title of this discussion - so that others can find first when doing a search. I think this is the most illustrative discussion on steering wheels & pads.
Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[Bob G ✝︎]

Great post. May I add an observation I made very early on when the 280SL was introduced in 1968. the padded steering wheel hub was rounder and fater not as grainy and flat as later steering wheel center pads. I still have my orginal one in black which is put away and I substituted an ivory steering wheel and shift knob because I thought they looked so classly over the dark grey black with a light colored paint and a dark interior and hard top.

Bob Geco
1968 280SL
158 white grey with 040 black hard top and black MB tex

[ja17]

Alfred,
Nice "tour", and good suggestion Abbas, Alfred can keep editing  his first post to keep all the important "tour" information and photos in his  first post where everyone can view it easily.



Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Abbas]

Alfred,
  As Joe suggested, please take the picture that I have posted and add it to your first post. Let me suggest to others on the forum - if any one has a photo of Type I steering wheel assembled on a 113 it would be nice to have as well in this discussion thread.

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[J. Huber]

Alfred, I went out and took a closer look at things. I don't think my hornpad looks exactly like the W108/111 photo you provided. Nor does it match up much with those in the Tour. Some of the things I observed are pointed out in the photo below. I am not 100% sure it is what the early 230SL had -- so I hope others will chime in.

Download Attachment: 63hornpad.JPG
53.05 KB



James
63 230SL

[66andBlue]

Abbas and Joe, thanks for the accolades and Rodd thanks for changing the  topic title.
I have added the picture showing the holes in the Type III wheel but would like a confirmation that there are indeed 5 pairs of holes and not 6. I cannot quite determine that from the pic that I found.
{I wonder why M-B had to add another hole to fabricate the wheel.}
Joe, since you do have the Type III pads can you measure the diameter of the star and the pad and let us know, please? Also would you know whether the W108/111 = Type I?
Bob, when you dust of your old pad can you put it next to the new one and send in a picture to see the difference?
Thanks!

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[Abbas]

Here is a picture of a Type I Steering taken from a 220SEb 1962 W111  Cabriolet very early car
VIN 1110231000361 (pic taken from an eBay listing). You can see no grooves and chrome around pad.

Abbas

Download Attachment: Type I - W111.jpg (80.08 KB)

Download Attachment: Type I - W111 - pad closeup.jpg (72.19 KB)

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[benzportland]

I know this is an older post but what a great resource!!  After carefully going through this information it seems my wheel is either from a different model, or is some kind of pieced-together mutt  :x
 Here's the scoop on mine:

Chassis #009988
Wheel - smooth, no holes in rim of wheel
Horn ring - flat top, mounted by two pins through the crossbar
Pad - outer chrome ring and inner around star

I would like to find the correct wheel, which for my vehicle I am guessing is Type II, based on the chassis number.  Are these still available?

[franjo_66]

Hi Benzportland

I have the same wheel as you (chassis no 009057), and I bought a new original one from Adsitco which was the correct type. I am sure that Budsbenz also have the late 230SL type wheels available

Rgds
Frank

[Peter van Es]

I've added the steering wheel tour content to the Technical Manual (http://www.sl113.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Interior.SteeringWheel). Perhaps someone can update this to match our latest insights?

Albert?

Peter

1970 280SL. Also known as 'admin@sl113.org' and organiser of the Technical Manual.

[Richard Madison]

An esthetic comment on the appearance of steering wheels:

In the current issue of the MBCA magazine, The Star, the head of the Classic Centre in California gives his view that a Nardi wheel looks better in an Italian sports car than in a Mercedes.

I guess everyone can have an opinion on this but as for me, I much prefer the "lighter" more elegant look of a Nardi to the original wheel which (forgive me) looks a bit large. I also admire the  wonderful wood finish of the Nardi.

I've had two Pagodas: one had a Nardi, the other has a Grant wood wheel. I was pleased that both cars came with wood wheels.

I should mention that a recent Ebay item was a traditional Mercedes steering wheel modified by a craftsman with wood veneer all around the outside rim...looked very nice.

Richard M, NYC

[66andBlue]

A word of caution .
MB sells a replacement center pad for a late 230SL/early 250SL that is slightly different from the original. So if you want to show your car an astute judge may notice it: the chrome ring around the plastic Star emblem is missing in the new version.

[Bob G ✝︎]

Thank you 66 blue for the horn pad star up  date. I own a 1968 version 280SL and purchased an ivory steering wheel. The Early steering wheel center hubs were far better and classier than the later example's.  I just pulled out my original horn hub pad to check to see if their are two circles around the star. Indeed there are now you got my curiosity to check my ivory wheel of which I am certain came  of a 110 sedan.

I am still looking  for the silver steering wheel horn piece as required by DOT back in the good old days when government intervention like it is now is repent.

Bob Geco

[stickandrudderman]

I am in the process of establishing a reconditioning service for these steering wheels.
I've had moulds made of all types, including the 190SL and aim to offer a reconstruction service on an exchange basis.
Your old wheel will have all of the plastic material removed and a new wheel is cast around the original frame in either ivory or black.
First one is just out of the mould and I'm going to collect it on Monday.
I've seen thousands of these wheels and have never seen a repaired one that looked any good, hence my desire to rectify the situation!
Mods may wish to delete this post as it's probably advertising, but I hope they don't as I think it'll be a useful service for all at around 60% of the cost of a new wheel.
Horn pads however will, for the time being, remain your problem!

[66andBlue]

Will your replicas have the grooves in the new plastic or just smooth with finger "dimples" in the back?