DIY - Steering wheel trim paint process w/pics

[four.8is]

Tonight I decided im gonna start prepping and priming my ugly steering wheel trim, finishing up tomorrow with the painting process.
Ofcourse some folks think buying a new one for 60$ and not having to deal with the painting process is easier but eventually down the road you'll have to deal with the peeling rubber and then you have to replace it once again.
I've used this technique on my E39 steering wheel and I can tell you its a durable finish.
So here it goes...
Unhook your battery,take your airbag out and unscrew the 5 torx screws in the back of the steering wheel.You'll also have 2 torx same size in the back of the steering wheel controls...unscrew those too..now the trim is out.






I've started by using a product called Smart Strip.Its about 20$ for a quart at Sherwin Williams...you can use it for other projects around the house and for this particular rubber covered trim was the best solution.(sanding would have been messy and time consuming)



Apply it with a brush and let it sit for 15 min.



After that, youll notice how it starts to shrink.Wipe it off with a rag.Wash with water.





Make sure you dry it out completely after you wash it(i used a hair blower)
Light sand with a 600Grit sand paper.



Make sure you get all the edges too for a clean looking paint job.

I used this primer to fill in the fine nicks/scratches and it is great at doing that.



Spray 2-3 light coats of primer with 5 minutes dry time in between them.



The rest of the process coming tomorrow after the primer is completely cured.