Horn Pad Refurbish

[ddodson1]

I followed instructions from this forum to rebuild the horn pad on my 1965 230 SL. I found a perfect piece of black leather at Michaels.  Only needed a small piece, but it came with the whole hide (probably enough to do the job 10 times over!).

I wasn't able to find tools to exactly match the dimensions of the special tool described in the technical manual.  But, using a section of 2" PVC, a sheet metal shim and the clamped metal collar from a 1 1/2" pipe connector (rubber sleeve removed) I was able to fabricate a 62mm tool.  I used another hose clamp to clamp the new leather to the tool to shape the depression for the center emblem.  Fortunately the center emblem was still is great condition. The only issue I had was that as slow and careful as I was unbending the tabs to remove the emblem, 2 broke off.  But, it went back together fine and should hold. 

The whole job cost about $50 and took about an hour (though I only needed a fraction of the leather I bought).  A lot cheaper than the $500 plus I've seen the horn pad priced on-line. 

Pictures attached of the pad (before and after) and the tool I made. 

[66andBlue]

Looks very nice - and thanks for posting a photo of your clever special tool to shape the leather!

[Bonnyboy]

That looks great.  I want to do the same.

Any hints on not breaking the tabs off the center emblem? 

Was there a type of leather you ordered - product number?  All of the material I saw was way too thick.    Maybe the Canadian Leather is thicker to withstand our winters?

[ddodson1]

Here's a pic of the packaging label.  I got it at a Michaels Arts and Crafts store here in Maryland.  I couldn't find it on-line, but there are a few Michaels stores in Vancouver.  You might try there or see if you can find it on-line from the packaging.

Let me know if all else fails.  I have plenty leftover.

[tel76]

Has anyone refurbished the later type pad ?

[Bonnyboy]

Went to 3 Michaels and finally found one with the correct leather.   $60 bucks and its the size that looks like it came off the neighbour's cat.  I laid it out on the hood of my car and will see if the creases come out.

I realized my horn pad is the later type so will have to do the research to figure out the best way to recover it - no chrome outer ring, no tabs for center piece. 

 Doesn't look too difficult if I can get the correct glue.   Didn't Andy Burns do one with pictures in his thread. 

[RobSirg]

I'm hoping to change mine from Black to White and avoid purchasing the entire horn pad. I see you can purchase the centre emblem and I can have the vinyl easily colored. The part I can't work out is how to remove the centre emblem - it looks glued in. My vinyl is in great condition so I was hoping I could retain it. I know they can paint the wheel itself as I saw one done recently and you couldn't tell it was previously black.

Rob

[Bonnyboy]

I went looking and lo and behold - the Andy Burns monster thread had the process of pad refurbishment on pasts 485 and 486.  Appears to be an earlier pad with the chrome ring.

Is there instructions anywhere for later pads?  With no chrome rings?

[KevinC]

The center emblem with the three-pointed star logo is clear plastic (plexi-glas?) and is painted from behind. You can strip the black color off and repaint in ivory and it will look like it was meant to be that way.

[RobSirg]

Good point Kevin,

That would be ideal - worth a try as long as we don't damage the silver paint.
I assume we need to remove the emblem to do that? (cant see how to access the back of it otherwise?). If so, how to remove the emblem from the pad? (from a late model horn pad)

Rob

[tel76]

Has anyone refurbished the later type pad ?
Do I take it that the later type has not been re-covered

[Larry & Norma]

I covered one in leather over the cracked original material, looks pretty good.

[Bob G ✝︎]

I have the original round horn pad in mint condition. I went to and Ivory wheels ans shift knob and the little back seat adjusters in Ivory too. Looks great. I like to have the seat s done and carpeting before I  sell it. I took the A/C out of jtge engine and the passenger compartment and have the last Hirschman electric antenna for the right fender but I ought I will have the back antenna leaded in sice I am not going to pay out ragious  prices because it is a classic. I wil most likey buy a mini cooper s and and some fun with that.

Bob Geco

[RobSirg]

Thanks Bob,

Yes, I have seen those small white seat adjustor knobs - forgot about those.
So, if you selected the "white wheel" option when ordering the car new, did it automatically come with white gear/transmission shift knob and white seat adjuster knobs?

Whilst I agree the white looks better with my colour combination I don't want to go changing component colours if they were not a factory option.

Incidentally, I'm still not clear about whether or not the emblem can be removed on a later style steering wheel.

Rob

[450sl]

Rob, the later style emblem is glued to the pad with 2 or 3  dots of glue , When removed , there is substantial risc that parts of the Black-Ivory-Silverpaint is damaged, so take care.

[RobSirg]

Thanks - not too bothered if it breaks as you can buy the emblem separate - as long as I dont damage the pad itself as mine is in perfect condition (whilst you can by the whole pad I prefer to keep what was originally on the car).....except for the black emblem 


As for my previous questions about shift knob and adjsutor colours - I found my answers in a post by Achim of Germany back in 2006 - see below (how good is this site!)

Ivory color admirers,

As to my knowledge, the ivory-colored shift knob was not available via data card ordering but you could get it from the dealer's shop if desired.

The ivory-colored seat levers are definitely not original, the SLs always came with black ones.
These parts are no typical SL parts but the tip of the turnsignal lever from the Ponton. Since that older car generation was typically delivered with ivory steering wheel (in the 50ies), the gear & turnsignal levers just matched.
The ivory ones might still be available - I don't know, the black ones (128 545 04 35) are definitely not.

On the SLs (stick shift or automatic) you have just to pull off the knob. A little difficult perhaps but works.

[andyburns]

I have tried to refurbish a latter pad for my 72 W108 which uses the same pad.  I gave up.   I dont think these particular pads would have ever been manufactured in leather and were always mbtex.

The issues that you will run into if you try and recover them is at the factory all the edges were joined up using injection molding techniques which you would be hard pressed to reproduce in any way shape or form in your garage.

This edge is a very well defined precise almost 90 degree corner which is highly visible when your sitting in the car or looking at it sidewards through the drivers window.   

The beauty of the old pads is the chrome ring around the outer circumference which not only hides any stretch leather but also acts to clamp or hold the leather in place.

The nature of leather as you try and stretch it over and around the outer curves of the pad ends up in various creases and imperfections which would also take a long long time to try and fettle out.

Even if you managed to do this you would have the problem of trimming off the leather perfectly around the 90 degree outer edge I referred to earlier.  You cant wrap it around the back as the pad needs to sit flush hard up against the steering wheel boss to look correct.  If you pulled the leather around the back all the folds and creases would probably hold the pad at least 2-4mm off the boss which would look horrible.

If you managed to trim the leather exactly to that outer 90 degree edge then you would also have to find some reliable way of gluing it which would be neigh on impossible as it would need to be under constant tension to hold shape over the outer curve.

The rest off the inner badge side of things might be able to be worked out but you would also have to reduce the thickness of leather significantly to get it to shape well.

If you dissect an old pad you will discover that the old MB tex shell is incredibly thin.  I think the only way you could do this is with a similar material which you could heat up and form over the exiting pad.  Synthetic materials once heated are much easier to shape and will hold that shape permanently once cooled.

I would just buy a new pad.  Luckily they are not quite as expensive as the older ones.

[RobSirg]

I agree Andy,

My '69 280SL had parchment leather glued over the horn pad - which looked tacky. Fortunately I could simply peel it off and the black vinyl was pristine underneath. For my '70 280SL I intend to make a colour change only (black to ivory) and plan on having the vinyl recoloured  - but only if I can replace the emblem without damaging the rest of the horn pad. If I do damage it  - then I will be up for a new ivory horn pad instead of just the emblem.

Rob

[andyburns]

Rob,

What you might want to do with the center emblem is to use a very fine craft knife with a long blade and actually slice down the side of the emblem and cut the mb tex that the emblem is glued onto.  This might let you pull off the mb tex which is glued onto to emblem intact with the emblem.  This way you get to try and separate them from the side with a scalpal which would drastically reduce the risk off pulling off the silvering.  When you have finished with the emblem you could simply glue it back down and you would never be the wiser.   The only issue is if the mb tex is itself glued to the underlying foam pad which would cause issues.  If your prepared to replace it with a new pad anyway this might be the way to go.

[RobSirg]

Sounds like a plan - will let you know result.
I'm on a business trip so will have to wait until I get back. I could ask my interior guy who has the horn pad now (who is quite skilled), but when it comes to potentially damaging an original component - he usually leaves that me
Oddly enough - I would also rather be the one who does that.

[Bonnyboy]

I have a 1969 car with no chrome ring on the horn pad and decided to try to recover it myself.    It turned out not so bad.   Not the greatest - I'll redo it just for fun on another pad but not all that bad.  

I started by breaking all of the plastic off the foam with a pick (pretty easy)
Then cut a piece of kid leather to fit and stretched the center by placing leather over a roll of electrical tape the right size as hole in center
Then I made a large tube out of a strip of aluminium that was the same size as the horn pad without leather so that when I put leather on there would be some tension.
Then I got GORILLA GLUE and filled in the chunk taken out of the foam pad - when dry I ground it smooth with my bench grinder
Then I just glued it all together and placed it in the metal tube and let it sit for a morning under tensions while the glue dried - the tube applied pressure on the edge as it is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the pad.
Went back at lunch and cut the leather off the edge with scissors and painted the back black to hide where I cut too close (ooops) and installed on car
Put on some leather conditioner and done.    I like it.

What I would do different
There is room to fold the leather over under the pad to make a nice edge - don't know how I would apply pressure yet but should be able to make a template.  Maybe with a balloon on top and bottom???

Overall took longer to strip the old covering than to to do all the rest but it was a three day job as I had to wait for the Gorilla glue dry, grind and then refill with more glue and then put the leather over and found more imperfections wheich I filled up with more glue and then ground down.

[Bonnyboy]

Here are a couple more pictures of during and after. 

First is the GORILLA glue after it dries.  The pad I played with had a couple large chunks that needed to be repaired and the GORILLA Glue really held.

Lasdt picture - finished product. 

....and yes that is a stain from glue on my pad where I touched it accidentally

I think the next time I do this I will spread GORILLA Glue all around the edge and grind a new profile as there were still a couple soft spots after I recovered it. 

[RobSirg]

Well this morning we gave it try and popped off the centre emblem by pushing it with a fine screwdriver from behind. There was a single dab of glue in the centre holding it. Unfortunately, a small piece of the silver star stayed behind but otherwise it came off clean. We will not attempt to restore it but at least I only need to buy a new emblem (correct for an ivory wheel). I didn't like our chances of changing the black emblem to ivory anyway. The vinyl is in good shape and can easily be re-coloured as will be done to the wheel itself. I didn't bother taking a photo but can send a photo or two if anyone wants.

Rob

[merrill]

hi
I was able to replace the old MB tex on my horn pad thanks to this post


I used MB tex not leather so I had to deviate from the procedure when re assembling the horn pad.

i tried to follow the leather process but mb tex does not stretch like leather and I would pull the emblem out of place when trying to re assemble.

what i did was
Glue the fabric to the center circle of the horn pad base plastic.
Then i cut the slits for the emblem chrome ring and installed the emblem and ring.

Next I carefully put the foam ring in place making sure not to put too much tension on the emblem and material

from there i put the whole assembly with the crome ring in my press.  I had a large socket on top holding the emblem in place and one below supporting the assembly.

lastly while keeping gentle pressure on the arbor i carefully installed the chrome ring .

see photos attached.   I have already massaged out 2 of the wrinkles.

I also installed a wheel skin steering wheel cover