Steering wheel tuning: braid or leather upholstery

Car tuning allows you to change the standard equipment of the vehicle so that the car differs from factory counterparts. Moreover, motorists carry out either a number of technical changes or change the appearance of the car. One upgrade makes the car faster, while the other makes it more comfortable and presentable.

We recently considered installing a sports steering wheel. There is separate review... Now let's look at another of the budget options for tuning the interior - steering wheel cover. How to make it yourself and what material to choose for this?

Let's take a closer look - what is a steering wheel cover and why is it needed

The main task of the steering wheel constriction is to make this interior element original. In addition to the decorative function, this modernization also has a practical side. The fact is that some types of surfaces are too smooth, and when the palm is fogged up, the driver needs to exert more force to turn the wheels. Using a different material will make it easier to grip the handlebars.

Another practical reason for such tuning is to hide the real state of the car. When a car is purchased from the secondary market, the appearance of the steering wheel is the very first thing that indicates its age. Also, if thick material is used, the thickness of the steering wheel can change significantly.

Another practical factor that prompts some motorists to think about steering wheel constriction is the safety of the car. Using a special polyurethane material, the braid becomes softer. In the event of a collision, the impact on the steering wheel is absorbed.

And finally, for the driver during the trip, comfort is no less important than for the passengers. When the steering wheel is pleasant to the touch, the driver enjoys driving. If the material is of high quality, then the hands will confidently hold the wheel with less effort than using a cheap analogue.

Removing the steering wheel. Do I need to shoot?

In short, you can do all the work without removing the steering wheel. However, for a beautiful performance, you will have to tinker. The reason is that the hauling requires a finishing seam, which for aesthetics is best placed on the inside of the wheel. This can be done beautifully only if the steering wheel is removed.

Here are the factors that need to be considered in order for this process to proceed without damaging the vehicle:

1. Before removing the wheel, it is necessary to de-energize the on-board system of the machine. This is important if the vehicle is equipped with airbags. After disconnecting the terminal from the battery, you need to wait about 5 minutes, and then proceed to dismantling.
2. We unscrew the fastening of the steering wheel cover (these are two bolts that are on the back side). It will be easier to do this if it is rotated 90 degrees to the side.
3. We return the steering wheel to its original position. Disconnect the airbag contact.
4. We unscrew the central nut. Before removing the wheel, you should mark in which position it will be installed back.
5. A little advice to help you keep your teeth. Do not completely unscrew the center nut. It just needs to be weakened.
6. On the back side, simultaneously hit the steering wheel with our palms so that it moves from the column splines. Some car models require a puller for this procedure.
7. To make it convenient to hold the wheel in one position while the braid is being sewn, it can be fixed in a vice (only small wooden blocks should be placed between the surface of the product and the metal lips of the vice).

Ways to tighten the steering wheel

There are only two ways to tighten the steering wheel:

• Partial. This option involves covering only some parts of the steering wheel.
• Complete. This option is considered the most time-consuming, because the shape of the wheel can have several protrusions for a comfortable grip. It takes some skill to get around all these elements beautifully. You will also need material that will take into account all the irregularities of the product.

For partial constriction, you can purchase a steering wheel trim kit from an automotive accessories store. If you want to be creative, then you should make a template before cutting out the leather inserts.

The fastest way is to use a pre-made braid. In such modifications, holes for lacing have already been made. If you have doubts about the reliability of the supplied thread, you can additionally use a fishing line. The most important thing when choosing a casing is to measure the diameter of the steering rim first.

Leather steering wheel padding

This tuning option looks best. However, the maximum effect from it is possible if the work is done by a specialist. The fastest way to cope with such a procedure in the studio, which provides such services. True, the price of such modernization will be much higher than if the motorist had done it himself.

Advantages of steering wheel constriction with leather:

The advantages include the following factors:

• First of all, the skin looks decent. If the interior is leather, then a steering wheel with an identical trim will be in harmony with the overall style of the car.
• The material stretches and deforms quite well. This allows the leather upholstery to be used on non-standard handlebars.
• You can choose the color or shade of the material.
• With proper care, the leather constriction will last for a long period.

Disadvantages of steering wheel constriction:

So that no one thinks that leather upholstering is an ideal option for ennobling the steering wheel, we draw attention to the disadvantages of such a procedure:

• The price is much higher than the usual steering wheel covers. Since the work must be done by a professional, approximately the same amount will be required that was spent on the purchase of the material. In many cases, it is cheaper to go to a car dealership and buy a new steering wheel.
• The skin does not "breathe" well, so the surface it covers is steamed. If the trim is subsequently dismantled, the steering wheel itself cannot be operated without an additional cover.

Steering wheel braid

The steering wheel cover is considered a budget analogue of the previous procedure. This is a ready-made cover, which is created for certain sizes of steering wheels. The set will also include lacing, with which the center seam is made. Many people prefer such materials, since they are made from cheaper raw materials, and also have a wider palette of colors.

Even not a professional can handle the installation of a cover on the steering wheel. For this, it is also not necessary to remove the wheel itself. However, the work still needs to be done efficiently. Otherwise, the flaw will be more conspicuous to the driver every time, which is very annoying. Although, there are motorists who do not pay attention to such trifles.

Benefits of steering wheel cover

The advantages of this type of refinement of the car interior include:

• Reasonable price;
• Fast assembly / disassembly;
• You can install it yourself;
• There is no need for additional work to remove the steering wheel and deactivate the airbag.

Disadvantages of steering wheel cover

• Often such models are universal, which means that in most cases it is not possible to take into account the individual characteristics of the steering wheel shape.
• If you want to hide the defect of the spokes with a standard braid, this will not work, because such sets do not have elements for spokes. Basically, they only cover the rim.
• In the case of a complex rim shape, the universal braid will not look as attractive as originally intended.
• Despite the variety of palettes, the store may not stock the covers of the desired color.
• Although no professional installation is required, the work done for the first time will be immediately striking.
• Due to the poor quality, the casing quickly deteriorates, from which the driver will experience more discomfort. But even the new material spoils the driving pleasure noticeably. After a short period of time, the braid is twisted, which is why it must be constantly corrected, and during movement it can be dangerous.

Care

If the artificial material quickly deteriorates, regardless of its care, then the situation is different with the leather analogue. Its resource can be significantly extended if you use a simple procedure for the maintenance of natural products. Read more about caring for leather elements in the car in a separate article.

Unlike seats, a leather steering wheel gets dirty faster, as it is in constant contact with human hands. Dust, sweat, dirt - all this contributes to the clogging of the pores of the leather material. Subsequently, not only the appearance of the wheel will suffer. Such contamination is unpleasant to the touch, so do not delay in removing them.

In this case, you can use any leather cleaner. The cheapest option is to dilute the car shampoo in warm water. For the period when the car will be parked or in a garage, the steering wheel should be treated with a special agent that moisturizes the skin and also prevents dust from accumulating in its pores.

Where is better to tug the steering wheel

In order to do the leather-tightening work beautifully, the steering wheel will need to be removed anyway. This will make it more convenient to make a beautiful inner seam. There are no special requirements for the selection of the premises in which the procedure will be performed. The main thing is that it is well lit, and the skin is not tanned from the cold.

Some motorists trim the steering wheel directly in the car. If the work is done by a non-professional, then this is wasted money. It is better in this case to contact a car repair shop.

Do-it-yourself steering wheel padding

So, if the decision has been made to complete the handlebar trim, here are some practical tips. First, you should decide on the design of the skin. The first option is simpler. A continuous piece of leather is taken, a pattern is made, which is then fixed on the rim (and, if desired, on the needles).

The second way is to use a composite material with multiple inserts. This method is more suitable for professionals, so it is better to order it from a studio. Let's dwell on the first method. While it is easier to complete, it has several important nuances to consider.

We choose the material

The very first thing is to decide on the sheathing material. Skin is ideal for this. Some people use the alternative Alcantara, but it is more expensive and requires more craftsmanship.

Here are some important rules to follow when choosing a leather cut:

• Requires natural material, not leatherette. The leather is more durable, and the surface is more tight. It doesn't need to be changed as often, and it feels more pleasant to the touch.
• Thick and coarse material (although more reliable) is very difficult to work with. Such leather is difficult to puncture and does not fit the rim surface as effectively. With a thin analog, everything is exactly the opposite - it stretches well, but will quickly break. For this reason, it is necessary to focus on the middle option. The optimal thickness is 1,3 millimeters.
• The skin should be well groomed. Otherwise it will be rough and not stretch as well. In order for the material to clearly follow the contours of the steering wheel, it must be elastic.
• It is easier to work with perforated material. It also creates more comfort while driving. However, an analogue without perforation will last much longer.

Tools and materials

In addition to the main material, you will need consumables such as nylon thread, masking tape, medium density cardboard, as well as cling film.

As for the tools, you will need:

• Thick gypsy needle. Its thickness must be selected in accordance with the thickness of the thread;
• Thimbles;
• Marker, pencil or pen. The main thing is that the marks can be deleted later;
• Construction knife.

Pattern

The first step in beautifying the steering wheel is to create the correct pattern. Let's consider how to do it in case of removing the steering wheel from the column:

1. We dismantle the steering wheel in the sequence described a little above. It is difficult in this case to create an exact instruction, since the fastening of this control is different in many car models. For this reason, it is better to play it safe and look at the operating instructions for the machine;
2. Dismantle the old skin (if any). To do this, it is enough to carefully walk along the seam with a knife;
3. Using cling film, we wrap the entire rim. This will be the basis for the pattern. The thicker the layer, the better;
4. Wrap masking tape over the cling film. On the finished surface, draw the markings where the central seam should be. By the same principle, you can apply markings for inserts of leather of a different color, which will subsequently be stitched into a single canvas with the main segment;
5. We make a neat cut according to the markings. For this reason, the knife should be as sharp as possible;
6. We put the finished model under the load so that it levels out. This usually takes about 8 hours;
7. Now thick cardboard comes in handy. We put the blank on a flat sheet, and draw around the perimeter with a pencil or pen. However, this step is optional. If you work carefully, then scotch tape will be enough;
8. The pattern is applied to a piece of leather. If it is a solid product, then the workpiece will be solid, but most often symmetrical seams are made for originality. There are usually four of them: two at the 10/14 level, and the other two at the 8/16 level, if we conditionally divide the rim into a classic hour dial. It is better to number these patterns so as not to sew inappropriate sections. It is also worth considering that it is better to sew the details so that the seam is on the back of the cover. For this reason, a small margin should be made, which should definitely be marked with a pencil. Otherwise, the product will turn out to be large, but most often it becomes smaller due to the additional seam.

At this stage, the pattern is ready. Now let's start creating the cover.

Wrapping procedure

To get the details sewn beautifully, you need basic sewing skills. It is better not even to start this work without them. Otherwise, there is a high probability of spoiling the purchased material.

First, on the front side of the pattern, we make symmetrical marks along the perimeter where the thread will pass. They should be done at a distance of about two millimeters from the edge. If you start to sew closer, the material will tear, which will ruin the final result if pulled.

Next, we carefully sew all the details together. Do not be afraid that the crease may be slightly larger. This will allow the cover to be pulled tight, which will allow the braid to fit the rim better.

After that, the procedure is performed in the following sequence:

• We put the finished leather ring on the rim;
• We distribute the material evenly over the surface of the steering wheel, so that folds do not form later. The spoke cutouts are aligned to the shape of the steering wheel;
• To prevent the cover from turning during the sewing process, epoxy or glue can be applied to the rim. Subsequently, the material will harden, but while it is not dry, the casing can be displaced if necessary;
• We sew the edges with one of the types of seams, which are described in the video below. For accuracy, the marks that we made in advance are useful;
• In the process of joining the edges, carefully pull the leather so that the thread does not break the material;
• Do not be afraid that small folds are formed during the stretching process. When the material "shrinks", these irregularities will be smoothed out.

Here's how to make a beautiful decorative seam while tightening the steering wheel:

Do-it-yourself steering wheel padding. Learning to sew a macrame and sports stitch. Master Class.

So, if the car is equipped with an exclusive steering wheel, an analogue of which is extremely difficult to find, then you can use a more expensive procedure - tightening the steering wheel with leather. In other cases, you can either use a budget option - a universal cover or install a different steering wheel.

Finally, watch a short video on how to properly cover the steering wheel with a ready-made braid:

5 mistakes when replacing the steering wheel cover. ... How to braid a steering wheel. Chinese braid on the steering wheel