View single post by Mark Rosenbaum
 Posted: 11-01-2005 07:57 pm
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Mark Rosenbaum



Joined: 03-12-2005
Location: Kingman, Arizona USA
Posts: 532
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 Unfortunately, the escutcheon sits in a groove in the wheel, and as far as I know, the only way to remove or reinstall the thing is to use leverage (for me, it was always a bit easier to do this from the short side).  Probably this wouldn't have caused much of a problem 30 years ago when the steering wheel plastic was new and still resilient, but nowadays that's unlikely to be the case.  Using a thin tool like a putty knife or a really tiny crow bar might be less damaging overall than using a screwdriver.  A really smooth polished metal surface on the tool should also help.

To deal with existing damage to the steering wheel, you might try smoothing down any dents or notches with a sanding block or sandpaper, followed by one of those fluids used to leave vinyl fabric with a semi-gloss or glossy finish.

As an alternative, consider sanding away the entire rim of the escutcheon mounting area so that the escutcheon will drop right in without force.  You can then secure the escutcheon to the car by epoxying a suitably spaced magnet to its rear.