Suede or leather rim?

[robert green]

I have a suede rimmed race tec wheel which is looking a bit tatty. I am considering a leather rim as it may last longer, but find the suede quite grippy and nice to the touch. Should I stick with the suede? Any thoughts on a trivial matter?

[not a Postman Pat]

Robert, I know quite a few racers who have gone the other way, from leather to suede. I have just done that - the level of grip is far superior with the suede.

 

Pat and his not quite black and white cat

[Stelios]

You could go for the leather rim and get a pair of driving gloves too to compensate for any lack of grip - that's what I did. It's probably all a matter of personal preference.

 

Stelios the Bubble

 

Click here for my Caterham 7 page

[Shaun_E]

Robert,

Apparently if you scrub your suede wheel with some soapy water, rinse and dry it should look a lot better. I know a couple of people with suede rims who do this. The leather wheel can be a bit slippery if you're not wearing race gloves.

Shaun

 

Yellow SL #32

[Sheds Moderator]

After cleaning and drying it, give it a scrub with a nylon pan scrubber used dry, this raises the nap on the suede.

[Chelspeed]

What about flocking......? This is a treatment for putting a suede effect on dashboards in rally cars to reduce reflections. I wonder if you could scrub off all the suede then get it flocked? Details in an advert in the back of muttering nudes. Go on, get flocked.