So the other day I decided to completely refinish my poor beat ass version 4 wheel.
Its a fairly straight forward process but there are some tricks you can do to make it look great.
First off choose if you want to take the wheel off or not. I left mine on because I am lazy but it would be easier if you took it off.
Next grab some 1500 grit wet sand paper. You need this to sand the well used areas down to an even finish. DO NOT USE THIS ON AREAS THAT HAVE HOLES OR EDGES.
On mine it was the top portion. It is now as smooth as a baby's ass.
You can also see the discoloration that the sanding produces. Do not worry about this, it's normal. Once you get the sanding as nicely as you feel it should be, move on to the next step.
Get yourself a box of those outdoor Mr. Clean sponges at Cosco. These things are awesomeness in sponge form.
Grab a bucket'o'water and soak the sponge, then wring it out. Now clean the shit out of the wheel. It will look like dye is coming off but that is normal. You can't remove the oils and grime from it with out some dye coming off as well. Deal with it. Keep cleaning until the sponge does not get that dirty. My water was almost black by the time I was done. It will make the rough spots more visible. The leather should take on a matte appearance as you are stripping oils from the surface.
Pic during the process.
Leave the wheel in the sun so it dries thoroughly. You want that shit bone dry.
Next use rubbing alcohol to rub the wheel down. This will dry the leather out and make it thirsty so it will suck up the tasty dye you will use. Check the rag you use to make sure the wheel is clean as well. Dual duty.
Once this is done the wheel should look like shit. That is the point.
I chose this dye/leather restorative to use. Bikers swear by this and Harley sells it in their booth at bike shows. It was expensive and a pain in the ass to find but it is awesome.
It comes with a sponge and a rag. Splooge some of the dye onto the sponge and smear it across the surface of the leather. You want to get an initial coat down. Don't worry if you get it on the plastic, no problem.
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. Put more of the stuff on the sponge. Now dab the sponge over the leather and especially the parts that aren't black anymore. You want to leave a fuzzy like appearance with the dye over the section. The leather is going to soak this shit up. Make sure you get a nice coating on the worn areas. I did the top of my wheel three times.
The box says you can wait an hour and use it but I let the stuff cure overnight and into the afternoon. I find that the heat from the sun helps it bake in. Take your rag from the box or grab a lintfree cloth and wipe the wheel down. The rag should get black from excess but that is normal. Your hands might get black for the next few days, just keep a rag in your car to wipe them. The stuff doesn't stain clothes so it's not a problem.
AHHHHHH SHIT!!! The wheel looks almost new.
The leather should have an appearance between shiny and matte. It will get shinier after you use it from your oils but that is normal. Enjoy you dope ass new wheel.
Its a fairly straight forward process but there are some tricks you can do to make it look great.
First off choose if you want to take the wheel off or not. I left mine on because I am lazy but it would be easier if you took it off.
Next grab some 1500 grit wet sand paper. You need this to sand the well used areas down to an even finish. DO NOT USE THIS ON AREAS THAT HAVE HOLES OR EDGES.
On mine it was the top portion. It is now as smooth as a baby's ass.

You can also see the discoloration that the sanding produces. Do not worry about this, it's normal. Once you get the sanding as nicely as you feel it should be, move on to the next step.
Get yourself a box of those outdoor Mr. Clean sponges at Cosco. These things are awesomeness in sponge form.
Grab a bucket'o'water and soak the sponge, then wring it out. Now clean the shit out of the wheel. It will look like dye is coming off but that is normal. You can't remove the oils and grime from it with out some dye coming off as well. Deal with it. Keep cleaning until the sponge does not get that dirty. My water was almost black by the time I was done. It will make the rough spots more visible. The leather should take on a matte appearance as you are stripping oils from the surface.
Pic during the process.


Leave the wheel in the sun so it dries thoroughly. You want that shit bone dry.
Next use rubbing alcohol to rub the wheel down. This will dry the leather out and make it thirsty so it will suck up the tasty dye you will use. Check the rag you use to make sure the wheel is clean as well. Dual duty.
Once this is done the wheel should look like shit. That is the point.
I chose this dye/leather restorative to use. Bikers swear by this and Harley sells it in their booth at bike shows. It was expensive and a pain in the ass to find but it is awesome.

It comes with a sponge and a rag. Splooge some of the dye onto the sponge and smear it across the surface of the leather. You want to get an initial coat down. Don't worry if you get it on the plastic, no problem.
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. Put more of the stuff on the sponge. Now dab the sponge over the leather and especially the parts that aren't black anymore. You want to leave a fuzzy like appearance with the dye over the section. The leather is going to soak this shit up. Make sure you get a nice coating on the worn areas. I did the top of my wheel three times.
The box says you can wait an hour and use it but I let the stuff cure overnight and into the afternoon. I find that the heat from the sun helps it bake in. Take your rag from the box or grab a lintfree cloth and wipe the wheel down. The rag should get black from excess but that is normal. Your hands might get black for the next few days, just keep a rag in your car to wipe them. The stuff doesn't stain clothes so it's not a problem.
AHHHHHH SHIT!!! The wheel looks almost new.



The leather should have an appearance between shiny and matte. It will get shinier after you use it from your oils but that is normal. Enjoy you dope ass new wheel.