How to restore Alcantara Rims

[Scaff]

I've just finished my semi-regular rig clean, part of which includes a refresh of the Alcantara on my 599x rim.

A lot of people mistake the way Alcantara goes flat and a kind of grey colour for it having worn away, unfortunately, the reality is a bit ickier than that. Its simply you sweat, oils and dead skin cell flattening and discolouring the Alcantara.

Nasty as that sounds (and is), it does mean it can be recovered, and I use an old detailing trick I picked up years ago.

You need.

• A small bowl
• Warm water
• a microfiber cloth
• a couple of drops of washing up liquid

Pop the warm water and washing up liquid in the bowl, soak the microfibre cloth and wring it out as much as you can. I strongly suggest you then remove your rim from your wheelbase and using the microfibre cloth wrapped around the discoloured area grip the rim firmly and rotate your hand to give it a damn good scrub. For a smaller area, you may need to wrap the cloth around a fingertip and give it a good going over.

You will notice the colour return and the texture pop back up.

Give the rim a good dry with a clean dry cloth and then let it air dry.

The end result is a nice clean refreshed Alcantara rim.

 

[PzR Slim]

Will be trying this at some point this weekend. Thanks Scaff.

 

[Mad1723]

Will try on my P1 Elite. Hate alcantara for sim racing honestly, but apparently, Fanatec can't help themselves

 

[Daz555]

A tooth brush can be used to work in the water/soap solution into the most grimy areas and helps restore the nap of the Alcantara cloth.

My top tip though for Alcantara is to wash your hands before every use.

 

[shoemaker]

One finds that a pair of hand stitched gentleman’s driving gloves will suffice.

 

[Jeka_djonik]

Sorry, to bring up the old topic. But it is relevant and how to clean the wheel Fanatec, so as not to dunk the elements! Who can know whether it is possible to remove the handles and wash them.

 

[DomB_Fanatec]

Sorry, to bring up the old topic. But it is relevant and how to clean the wheel Fanatec, so as not to dunk the elements! Who can know whether it is possible to remove the handles and wash them.

I recommend that you try to clean the grips without removing them. Also if you are using any kind of cleaning fluid, avoid getting this on the rubberised parts of the grip or any other part of the wheel.

 

[Jeka_djonik]

I recommend that you try to clean the grips without removing them. Also if you are using any kind of cleaning fluid, avoid getting this on the rubberised parts of the grip or any other part of the wheel.

is the motor in handles? right. And if it gets: moisture, water, you can say goodbye to the wheel

 

[DomB_Fanatec]

is the motor in handles? right. And if it gets: moisture, water, you can say goodbye to the wheel

It would require an excessive amount of liquid and careless application for that to happen. A foam-based cleaner would be best, applied to a sponge or towel first (instead of directly to the grips). It's best to contact support if you have concerns about your grips.

 

[Roots57]

I always thought it was going a bit too far using gloves for SIM racing, but after spending close to $200 USD on a Sparco rally rim with Alcantara, I didn't want to ruin it. So now I get why some wear gloves, they eliminate any cleaning/restoring of the Alcantara by keeping your dirty greasy mitts off it altogether. These are a great cheap option for SIM racing gloves that won't break the bank at $40 USD. The reverse stitching is great for comfort and retaining all the FFB feeling. They're just karting gloves, but have held up good so far after a few months of use. And get the next larger size than what you think, they run small!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014ISHLOW/?tag=gtplanet-20

 

[F1Aussie]

I used to laugh when I saw people wearing gloves when Sim racing but now I am one of them since I got an Alcantara rim. Would rather protect it than have to maintain it.

 

[Jeka_djonik]

I’ll upset you, I’m wearing gloves and the steering wheel must be cleaned

 

[Z Crazy]

I have a set of Sparcos and quickly realized, you either clean both the gloves and wheel, or just the wheel more often when bare-handed. Needless to say, I don't worry about the gloves any longer as I believe my grips can be reordered and easily replaced, but honestly its a pretty durable material. I wash my hands before use and the wheel maybe once or every two months with heavy use.