Any tips on steering wheel cover install?

[CharlieS]

I picked up the Amazon leather steering wheel cover recommended by others here and am hoping to install it this weekend.

This one: Loncky Genuine Leather Auto Custom steering wheel covers for 2008-2015 Toyota Land Cruiser

The instructional video on youtube is not that great, any tips from people that have done it first hand?

Also, it seems like it would be better for the install to remove the trim (around the steering wheel switches) and the airbag. Any advice or tips for how to do that?

Updated after a better search - airbag removal: 2016 200 series steering wheel removal

 

[KLF]

I did mine and I *REALLY* like it. Sooo much better than that phony plastic wood.

Take your time, it will take about 1.5-2 hours. There will be plenty of string for sewing. Maybe wear some thin gloves to keep the string from cutting your hands as you tug on it. Pay close attention to getting it perfectly centered on the wheel, use the double-stick tape. Once you start sewing, it can't be moved.

I didn't take the switch panels and air bag off, but I wish I had. They do give you a plastic tool for tucking the leather, but having them off would make it much easier. Make sure you disconnect the neg terminal from the battery before you mess with the air bag, wait a few minutes. I think @Taco2Cruiser posted in one of the threads how to get the airbag off.

 

[Markuson]

/\ Good advice up there from @KLF /\

Took me a good 3 hours doing mine.
Maybe I’m just slow...but I was being crazy-careful on the stitching to make sure it was tight, even and following g spoke countours. Also slower because I did it with the wheel center fully intact.

**Before you apply the adhesive strips, make sure to pull it fairly tight all the way around the wheel to be sure it’s evenly spaced—specifically matching up the edges of each “spoke” on the wheel.

**The adhesive is not what attaches the leather, of course. It’s there only to help avoid any rotational slip/movement when the weight of your arm hanging off the the wheel.

One NOTE post-install...
The FEEL of the leather is perfect...but when new, it might seem a bit slippery. This
improves big time with use though. It’s just like high quality leather baseballs or American footballs. Players or officials spend time rubbing the leather with their hands until the surface becomes more supple/grippy.

LOVE this mod & I forget how much I hated the original plastic wood top...

 

[CharlieS]

Thank you both.

It's not hard to remove the steering wheel - do you think it would be easier to stitch the cover on outside the car? Or is it helpful having it mounted?

 

[Markuson]

Thank you both.

It's not hard to remove the steering wheel - do you think it would be easier to stitch the cover on outside the car? Or is it helpful having it mounted?

I’m thinking the steering wheel is solidly perched right in front of you...in a comfortable seat...and you can turn/ position it as you work your way around. Perfect “work-bench.” I used a head-lamp.

(Thankfully I did my wheel before my weird eye problem or it would have been nearly impossible for me to see what I was doing...)

 

[KLF]

I agree, leave the wheel mounted in the truck. You will need to tug on the thread as you stitch, so use the mount where it is, and sit in a comfy seat. Headlight is key, yes.

 

[CharlieS]

Cool, thanks! This is tomorrow afternoon's project. (I put on spidertrax spacers tonight...)

 

[CharlieS]

So, not so much a tip as advice. Disconnect the battery as you would for any airbag related work. Wait... Remove the two plastic covers on the back of the steering wheel with a small flat bladed screwdriver (or a trim tool, such as a bone tool), loosen the two T30 screws, pop off the airbag. Disconnect the electrical plugs (airbag plugs have locking tabs) . Remove two Phillips screws (one left, one right), pop the left and right switch/trim assemblies off (they have male plastic nubs that fit into the steering wheel female castings). Four additional philips screws hold the back side plastic cover on - remove those and you can easily tuck the cover behind the plastic trim. From here, you have clear access to continue the steering wheel cover installation.

I may wrap the silver trim in flat black as I have with other trim bits. They appear to remove from behind with three tiny Phillips screws each side.

 

[CharlieS]

I am ready to go for it, but I have two questions, first:
1) how long does the string need to be? If I need to stitch 10", do I need 10", 15", 20" or more? Edit: 3x the length.

2) can someone help me understand this instruction for finishing each segment?

 

[CharlieS]

Success!

 

[NDizzle]

Looks like you're done already, but my advice would be to have your crafty wife do it for you... Worked for me!

 

[DirtNap]

Haven't done mine yet, but I am planning to use low strength spray adhesive (3M 77?) instead of the included tape. Somebody said the tape can be felt through the leather. IDK, but why not!

 

[Markuson]

Haven't done mine yet, but I am planning to use low strength spray adhesive (3M 77?) instead of the included tape. Somebody said the tape can be felt through the leather. IDK, but why not!

I honestly wouldn’t worry about that in this case. I’m super picky about things like un-even surfaces (like OCD)...,and I can assure you that no perceivable bumps were created by the strips included with the wheel kit. I’d find it really annoying if so...but my steering wheel leather is as smooth as can be.

Could actually be counterproductive if the full surface is sticky... because if it is, then the process of stitching won’t be able to **tighten & stretch** the leather as you go. Leather that’s stuck down doesn’t evenly stretch. The included strip allows the rest of the leather to stretch taught as you go & that’s what you want.

Pretty sure the adhesive is really there to prevent the “tube” of leather from slowly twisting around the wheel over time as we hang the weight of our arm while grabbing the leather. The strips rasily prevent that.