Steering Wheel Recovering

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

I'm looking for some ideas or thoughts on recovering my steering wheel (outside only) because it's becoming worn. Has anyone else done theirs? If so did you change anything? What did you do and can you post pics to give me some ideas?

I was thinking I would like to wrap it in a thicker suede/microfiber type of fabric but add something to make it thicker like the new sports car (e.g. this CTS-V steering wheel shown here)

I was thinking even doing a two-tone mix of color. I have a gen 2 Ultra Red w/ Mocha full leather interior. Maybe adding a section of red on the bottom and/or top? Or maybe a darker brown to offset the lighter tan?

And if I do that, how would one go about adding "girth" to the steering wheel without making it too squishy and soft/flimsy?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pictures?

Thanks!

 

[Rubix]

I'd go with a wheelskin, they are ftw. Have a professional do the stitching if you can't yourself. If you don't believe me...

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=105279

Check out the ********* that guy got from his wheelskin, post 23, yea she's hot look at them legs.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

I'd go with a wheelskin, they are ftw. Have a professional do the stitching if you can't yourself. If you don't believe me...

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=105279

Check out the ********* that guy got from his wheelskin, post 23, yea she's hot look at them legs.

Have you tried a wheel skin? Do they look nice? How hard are they to install?

Does anyone have any pics of a wheelskin they have installed on their SHO wheel?

 

[zach44102]

i just bought this to go with my black and grey two tone
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0426723134&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[the4biddendonut]

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&sid=130

 

[DDakRT]

I'd go with a wheelskin, they are ftw. Have a professional do the stitching if you can't yourself. If you don't believe me...

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=105279

Check out the ********* that guy got from his wheelskin, post 23, yea she's hot look at them legs.

That guy's wheel was custom and wasn't a wheelskin Jamie. They did a great job.

 

[DDakRT]

Have you tried a wheel skin? Do they look nice? How hard are they to install?

Does anyone have any pics of a wheelskin they have installed on their SHO wheel?

I have installed 4 of them and they're very nice for what they are. Leather is of good quality and is quite thick. Just take your time and wear work gloves to pull the twine tight; I've seen many pics of Wheelskins where people didn't really pull that tight and it just doesn't look right.

Below are pics of the ones I've done, all using the baseball stitching method:

The colours might not be the greatest (I know I know, the blue is way over done lol), but they feel great.

 

[Rubix]

i just bought this to go with my black and grey two tone
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0426723134&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Wal-mart slap on's FTL.

Kris, you are right about The Russian's. Yours are beautifully done, as usual

 

[luigisho]

Wheelskins are easy and affordable. You will be pleased when you're done.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

mine, wheelskin

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Looks good kikkin Did you do the stitching yourself or have someone do it? How hard was it to do? Can you tell me the exact colors you used that match so well?


On a side note, these all look pretty good but unfortunately they don't get me what I was hoping for originally----> that thicker soft suede-type steering wheel as in the CTS-V pic I showed above. I checked with a good local upholstery shop & they said they could do it but it would be about $400 because they do it all by hand. They said if you could find someone with the right kind of sewing machine (they told me the type but I can't remember the name) they could make it like that Russian guy for a lot less $$ but they said no one in the region around had one.
Does anyone know what machine that would be & if anyone in the Minneapolis area would have one?

 

[luigisho]

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=570659

 

[kikkinasphalt]

Looks good kikkin Did you do the stitching yourself or have someone do it? How hard was it to do? Can you tell me the exact colors you used that match so well?

i did it myself.

i will redo mine eventually and use the baseball stitch style vs the standard.

on a scale of one to ten on the hard scale this was likely a 4 or 5. its just time consuming

i think i used black and oak.. but it might be tan.. i cant remember

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=570659

Luigi, Have you tried this Alcantara yourself or do you know anyone that has?

 

[Phoenix]

Same deal , wheelskins

 

[jonheese]

I put one of those cheap Walmart wheel covers (flat, no stitching, etc.) over my wheel, then bought the next thickness (I think) of Wheelskin and did it on top of that. It gives a nice thick wheel, and a nice new soft cover for it. I absolutely love it and think it's 10x better than the stock wheel feel, even when new.

 

[DDakRT]

i did it myself.

i will redo mine eventually and use the baseball stitch style vs the standard.

on a scale of one to ten on the hard scale this was likely a 4 or 5. its just time consuming

i think i used black and oak.. but it might be tan.. i cant remember

I did all mine using the baseball stitch and it feels pretty cool, I also like how it looks better than the regular style too. Just know that you need to pull really tight or it won't look right; for some reason they stopped putting the baseball stitching on the instructions though.

The colour of your is Oak, and that's the best match to the factory mocha interior. In my green car it was Sand and Charcoal, the Sand is too light but the Charcoal matches the black interior plastic well.
I got the Oak colour for the blue car and as you can see it matches the mocha far better than the Sand.

BTW the regular leather feels more like leather than the dimpled/fake perforation.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

I did all mine using the baseball stitch and it feels pretty cool, I also like how it looks better than the regular style too. Just know that you need to pull really tight or it won't look right; for some reason they stopped putting the baseball stitching on the instructions though.

The colour of your is Oak, and that's the best match to the factory mocha interior. In my green car it was Sand and Charcoal, the Sand is too light but the Charcoal matches the black interior plastic well.
I got the Oak colour for the blue car and as you can see it matches the mocha far better than the Sand.

BTW the regular leather feels more like leather than the dimpled/fake perforation.

yeah your right, after looking at the site, it was oak.

i like perforation lol. even have it on mah shift boot lol

 

[luigisho]

Luigi, Have you tried this Alcantara yourself or do you know anyone that has?

Nope. Don't know anyone personally who has. I just found it on the web while I was checking for a wheelskins type product in alcantara.

I did the wheelskins in 2 of my SHOs and I love them for the price. It takes a little time to do but it's not difficult. It's cheap enough to do again after several years if you want to change the color or stitching. I'll do one on my GTP if I still have it and the leather wears.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

jonheese,

Can you send me a pic of your steering wheel showing the extra thickness?

For those that use this "baseball stitch" what exactly is it? Are there instructions somewhere?

So the wheelskins kit does not include the stitching or what?

Thanks for everyone's info

If anyone knows of an Alcantara style let me know!