How to leather the steering wheel with your own hands

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The steering wheel is the part of the car that is most prone to abrasion. Usually the braid "nourishes" up to two hundred thousand. However, this does not happen with all car models. After 3-5 years, the steering wheel becomes flabby and scratched. Naturally, when selling a car, the buyer’s eyes rush to the steering wheel braid. Therefore, it is important to preserve its factory condition as much as possible.

Today's article will be useful not only for car owners, but also for those who sell cars on the secondary market. So, how to sheathe the steering wheel with leather with your own hands? Consider below.

Material

The first problem the owner faces is the choice of material. There are many finishing options. In our case, it is required to sheathe the steering wheel with leather. Moreover, its quality should be at a high level. Steering wheel restoration work is prettycomplex. Our goal is to restore the material to its former state for the longest possible time.

Which is better to sheathe the steering wheel - leather or eco-leather? It all depends on the preferences of the owner. Of course, genuine leather will cost much more than a substitute (that is, material with the prefix "eco"). Note that eco-leather of good quality is not inferior to the characteristics of natural. It is elastic and fits the steering wheel well. The material has a homogeneous structure. This steering wheel looks very organic and presentable. The main thing is to make a sketch correctly.

Important moment! The most comfortable leather to use is only perforated. This is the softest, most elastic, pleasant to the touch material. It is very easy to work with him. The coating takes any shape (especially for those who want to sheathe the steering wheel with complex configuration, with notches).

What thickness to choose the material? The optimal value is from one to one and a half millimeters. The main requirements for leather are resistance to temperature extremes, mechanical damage and, of course, abrasion.

There are still smooth skin. According to the characteristics, it is no different from the previous one. Here, as they say, a matter of taste.

Tools

Before you skin the steering wheel yourself, you need to prepare a small set of tools and materials. We will need:

• Rubber glue.
• Construction tape.
• Pattern.
• Stationery knife.
• Marker.
• Pencil.
• Awl.
• Pliers.
• Nylon thread (work requires at least one meter).
• Two gypsy needles (semicircular recommended).

Work should be done in a well-lit room.

Getting Started - First Step

First you need to dismantle the steering wheel. It is almost impossible to leather the steering wheel without removing it. This is a very labor intensive process. Dismantling will significantly reduce the time of work performed. To remove the steering wheel from the column, use a special puller. It looks like this:

Without it, dismantling will be quite difficult, especially if the steering wheel is removed for the first time. The fastening nut itself is also unscrewed (use the “27” key). Do not try to pull the steering wheel by force, and even more so use extraneous tools. So you only damage the interior elements.

Note! Before removing the steering wheel, make a small mark with a pencil on it and on the column shaft. So when installing the element will not stand crooked.

Step two - make a sketch

Having removed the steering wheel from the car, we start making a sketch, according to which the material will be cut out for further application. As a layout, you can use construction tape. We glue it around the perimeter of the steering wheel and cut out the pattern strictly along the lines with a knife. To make the sketch of high quality, apply adhesive tape in several layers (three to five are enough).

Now we remove the layout from the steering wheel and transfer each marked sector to the material (leather).

Note!Cut the skin is required with a small margin. Leave 1-1.5 centimeters from the edges of the sketch for a seam allowance. You can cut off the excess later, but it will be impossible to restore the missing piece.

Step three - fitting

Now attach the cut material to the steering wheel.

Making sure that all the lines correspond to the real size, cut off the excess edges. Next, soak the material in warm water for 20 minutes. With the help of an awl, we make small holes every seven to eight millimeters.

Fourth step - overcasting

Now carefully fold all the details in the order in which the overcasting will be done. For stitching the skin, it is recommended to use nylon threads (since they are the most durable). Try not to make too much effort so as not to tear the material. Leather, especially perforated, is not only easily stretched, but also torn. Try not to leave wrinkles.

Next, we tighten the edges of our material. It is necessary to fix the wheel so that it is securely held on the surface when stitching. Leather upholstery isn't that easy. The part tends to slip out of hand. Take care in advance that the steering wheel does not move from side to side.

Important point: before the final tightening, check the condition of the material. It should be evenly stretched. Sagging and creases are excluded. They greatly spoil the look of the steering wheel even with new leather.

Which seam to pull together

There are three kindsseams:

• Sporty.
• Macrame.
• Pigtail.

To say that only a specific of these types should be used for steering wheel trim is impossible.

Everyone chooses according to their taste. All seams look very organic on the steering wheel. The main thing is to smear the steering wheel with rubber glue when tightening the edges. So you prevent premature peeling of the material in the event of a seam break. Although the threads are quite strong.

Step five - installation

After the new material has been successfully applied, you need to wait until the glue dries. After an hour, you can install the steering wheel in place. Do not forget to put it strictly according to the marks that were made in pencil. A washer is put on the nut. Next, the steering wheel is assembled according to the standard scheme.

If the car is equipped with an airbag, disconnect the terminal on the battery, otherwise the airbag may shoot. Also connect all sensors so that their signal does not light on the instrument panel at startup. That's all. After installation, you can start full use.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to properly sheathe the steering wheel with leather. It is worth noting that the process is quite laborious and not everyone can cope with it, especially if the steering wheel has a non-standard shape and wooden inserts.

There is always a big risk of improper skin fit. Therefore, many motorists entrust this work to professionals.

Where to sheathe the steering wheel with leather? They often turn to specialized workshops. They alsoengaged in hauling seats, door cards and other interior details. The price of work is from three thousand rubles (including material).