Covering the steering wheel with leather is one of the types of car tuning. Often, car owners update their steering wheel after many years of use to improve the appearance and driving comfort.

It also sometimes happens that a car is perfect in all technical characteristics, but... appearance I'm not happy with the interior. This is where tuning comes to the rescue, capable of remaking the car interior to suit all the taste preferences of the owner, as well as threads.

The steering wheel cover is creative process and it must be approached responsibly.

After all, the steering wheel is what is closest to the driver and with which he is in direct contact while driving.

When making a tight fit, you can independently choose the type and color of the leather, as well as the type of seam and the color of the threads. Any combination is possible: it all depends on what kind of steering wheel the driver wants to hold in his hands.

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

The steering wheel cover not only plays a decorative role, but can also improve the appearance of the car.

By the appearance of the steering wheel you can usually determine how old is the car, but if it’s new and beautiful steering wheel, then it will not give out all the details about the car that it can. Also, one of the most important characteristics is the thickness of the steering wheel, which, by the way, is discussed in this video:


Thanks to the constriction, this parameter can be adjusted to the individual preferences of the driver. It will not be possible to make the steering wheel thinner, but it is possible to make the steering wheel thicker 4-8 millimeters. It seems that the difference is not significant but this is 12%-24% of the usual steering wheel thickness.

Another reason for tightening the steering wheel may be the desire to make it soft. Before covering the leather, the steering wheel is covered with porous, soft polyurethane. Soft steering wheels are used in all BMW E65 and M-series.

Tactile sensations play an important role when driving. By choosing high-quality material for covering, you get a guarantee that it will not slip and will hold well in your hands. This will definitely give you confidence when driving.

Let's summarize. Steering wheel reupholstery is not only a tuning element to improve the appearance of the steering wheel, but also a process that can improve driving performance.

Types and options of covering + materials

    • Steering wheel rim reupholstery

      The BMW E39 steering wheel rim is perfectly covered in white leather using a herringbone stitch.

      The most in a simple way is the steering wheel rim cover. In this type of work, only the rim itself is covered with leather or leatherette, and where it connects with the knitting needles, the material is sheathed and glued.

    • Eco-leather steering wheel upholstery

      Eco-leather is an excellent material for covering the steering wheel. The main thing is that it is environmentally friendly.

      Eco-leather is an innovative environmentally friendly material.It is very difficult to distinguish it from genuine leather. The material is not very expensive, but high quality and reliable. Eco-leather is very elastic and fits the steering wheel perfectly, and the homogeneous structure of the material looks expensive and organic.

    • Original steering wheel reupholstery, choice of threads

      If you are very creative and not like everyone else (and also love a blanket and coffee), this type of close-fitting is for you.

      The original (standard wrapping) is an absolute duplication of the factory wrapping of the car's steering wheel. This is an ideal option for those who are completely satisfied with their car and need a cover only for updating.

      Typically, when re-tying the steering wheel this way, it is used Genuine Leather. Don't forget that there is automotive leather and it cannot be replaced by leather for furniture or shoes.

      Automotive leather has special characteristics, such as:

      1. resistance to temperature changes;
      2. resistance to various types of mechanical and chemical damage;
      3. abrasion resistance.

      Upholstery is also possible according to your own sketches using complex geometry and expensive materials. For example, inserts made of expensive wood, which will make the car exquisite and unique of its kind.

      • The types of seams play a special role

      It all depends on how I trim the steering wheel. Asian and American car manufacturers cover the steering wheel with four pieces of leather, resulting in four seams. German manufacturers do the same from one piece of leather, and there is only one seam.

      Germans use macrame seam, it looks very aesthetically pleasing, smooth, it uses thin threads, and it does not lift the skin.


      But Korean and Japanese manufacturers most often use a seam "herringbone" or "braid". These seams raise the skin, causing it to become slightly convex; thick threads are usually used.


      In principle, it is not particularly important which seam will be used, the main thing is that the work is done efficiently and painstakingly, and then the result will be high quality and beautiful.

      Types and options of seams. Click to enlarge

      Instructions for reupholstering a steering wheel with leather at home

      There is another option for re-upholstering the steering wheel. By using step by step instructions It's not that difficult to make it yourself. In order to get started, you need to arm yourself with all the necessary materials and tools.

      You will need:

  1. 2 strong semicircular gypsy needles;
  2. nylon thread;
  3. stationery knife;
  4. pencil or pen;
  5. awl;
  6. pliers;
  7. roofing scissors;
  8. cardboard;
  9. marker;
  10. a convenient place to work where you can secure the steering wheel.

To ensure everything goes well, follow the step-by-step instructions!

      • To get started, we remove the steering wheel from the car, disassemble it, wash it and dry it to perfect condition. Before starting work, of course, you need to decide on the seam that will be used.
      • The next step is to make markings. To do this, take cling film, wrap the steering wheel, then wrap it with mounting tape. We apply markings with a marker and carefully cut along the contours with a stationery knife. We remove and carefully smooth out the elements - this is our sketch.
      • We attach the sketch to the skin, make markings along the edges, retreating 5 millimeters. This 5 mm will be used to tighten the skin. We cut out the elements and sew them into one large round ribbon.
      • Soak the resulting product in warm water for twenty minutes. We wipe it, dry it, but not completely, and put it on the steering wheel. To avoid making mistakes, we handle the leather carefully, as it is wet and elastic and can be easily damaged.
      • The next step will be marking. We apply it to the cardboard through every 8 mm lines. We apply it to the leather on the steering wheel and make holes every 8 mm with an awl.

        The work must be done gradually so that the seam is even. It is advisable to sew 10 holes on each side and then continue. Treat your work responsibly and slowly, otherwise you will get dressed up and redo the work.

That's it. Share, like, tell your friends,
Ask questions and suggest your options in the comments!

Keep reading
otherwise HE will stop you:
  1. Zoya

    My review

    I never thought that covering the steering wheel with leather is so important for men... now from my own experience I can say that most men do it for their image - they want to show the level of their well-being and the solidity of their car. My husband did this out of necessity when he bought a less than new vehicle. I had to use my sewing experience and cover its steering wheel, it’s good that there were examples of various techniques in the article... now, instead of the usual suits and dresses, I make good money from this business. By the way, men really like soft leather, but seams don’t matter to them!

  2. Natalia

    My husband reupholstered the steering wheel with leather himself. I used the instructions given above. It's good that there are such educational sites. The entire re-upholstery process is clearly outlined.
    Did it easily and simply. It even turned out very beautiful, and most importantly, it was comfortable. The steering wheel does not slip, the hand does not sweat. We would like to reupholster the interior in the future. This process is described on the website page.

  3. Svetlana
  4. Andrey

    We did a reupholstery last summer on the E60 in the M package. The steering wheel was trimmed. I chose the original leather as it was, but the color of the threads is in the M range: blue and red. It looked good. It looks like in the first video. And it was very pleasant to the touch, I didn’t want to let it go from my hands. I’m definitely in favor of re-upholstery!

    Oh, why didn’t I come across this article earlier! ?My husband likes it leather steering wheel, says nice to the hand. And we recently did the fitting, but without instructions. I sat and sketched the steering wheel to scale, and then drew the patterns. It worked the second time. But since I found the instructions, I will do “work on the mistakes.” But somehow it turned out rather clumsily.

  5. Laura

    Our Lada Eight was about 10 years old when my husband started thinking about re-upholstering the steering wheel. The plastic has become very worn out during use! Found soft black leather, we have an old one sewing machine Zinger, who writes well leather goods. We carefully stitched according to a pattern we had made ourselves and made a mistake. We wanted to make it more beautiful, so we took it to a workshop, where we put metal rivets on the holes for the lacing. The case turned out beautiful! But when we removed it a few years later, it turned out that the rivets had severely scratched the steering wheel. Now they have reupholstered it with new leather, without rivets.

    Covering the steering wheel with leather yourself is not a very complicated process, which will save on hiring specialists. The first covering can cause some trouble.

The steering wheel is the element of the car with which the driver comes into contact most often. This leads to wear on the steering wheel coating and the appearance of abrasions, which not only spoil the appearance, but also make driving less comfortable and convenient. In order to restore coverage, many drivers buy from automobile stores. The disadvantage of having a foreign object on the steering wheel is the inconvenience of driving.

In order to give your car's steering wheel a stylish appearance, as well as replace the often poor-quality factory coating with a more comfortable one, it is recommended to reupholster the steering wheel with leather. The best option will do this manually - this way you can not only save on the finished leather covering, but also re-tighten the steering wheel according to your preferences for convenience and beauty. Leather covering not only looks better and lasts longer, but also improves the handling of the car.

Selecting material for steering wheel reupholstery

Nowadays, there are many types of ready-made steering wheel products available in stores. However, the most profitable option would be to create the leather covering yourself. The advantages include not only cost savings, but also the ability to create a unique cover for the steering wheel of a specific car.

The best material for creating the coating is genuine leather. The optimal thickness is 1.3 millimeters, since thinner ones will wear out quickly, and thicker ones have low ductility during processing. In addition, it is desirable that the skin be taken from the sides or back of the animal - this material has the best degree of stretch.

An excellent option for a car steering wheel is perforated leather. It has a more stylish look and is also more comfortable to drive due to better friction. At the same time, it is less resistant to damage than smooth.

Before purchasing leather for steering wheel covers, you need to inspect the material for cracks, tears and other defects, as they will manifest themselves during the creation of the cover or already in use. It is necessary to choose the color and texture of the leather so that it matches the style of the salon. In addition, it is recommended to buy leather with a reserve or make sure that the seller has more material, since errors may be made during the process of creating the covering.

The least suitable materials for wear-resistant coating are leatherette and other artificial species materials. They quickly become unusable and have little elasticity. That is why leather, despite its relative high cost, is the most popular option.

Materials and tools needed to create a leather steering wheel cover

In order to make a high-quality steering wheel coating, you need to use several simple and affordable tools and materials:

  • high quality upholstery material;
  • a bobbin of durable synthetic thread in the color of the covering material;
  • hardened steel needles for working with leather;
  • 2 thimbles for pushing the needle;
  • a roll of mounting tape;
  • A3 sheet of cardboard paper;
  • roll of cling film;
  • a marker that gives a thick line;
  • small scissors;
  • two-component strong glue or epoxy resin for working with leather;
  • an industrial or powerful household hair dryer for drying glue.

Creating a steering wheel cover template

In order for the steering wheel to be wrapped in leather accurately and of high quality, a pattern is needed. This, in turn, requires the correct template, which will allow the shape of the steering wheel to be transferred to a plane - a pattern for cutting out the leather.

The first step in creating a steering wheel template is to dismantle it. You need to remove the signal cover, and then unscrew the nut holding it on the shaft. Next, you need to swing it to the sides.

The steering wheel is wrapped in cling film, and several layers of masking tape are applied to it (this way, the tape will stick only to the film). The steering wheel must be divided into several conventional parts - along the joints of the existing coating. As a rule, there are four of them - one central and three with rounded sides. It is important to number or label each item as they are different from each other. To create a pattern, a layer of tape must be pressed onto thin cardboard. Preferably at night.

Creating a pattern for a leather steering wheel cover

The next step after the template is the pattern drawing. The tape mock-up, pressed onto heavy paper, may end up being slightly larger than the size of cover required for the handlebar. However, during use, the leather will first become wrinkled and then smooth out. In addition, an overlap of material is necessary in order to sew the parts - it should be 2 millimeters from the edge. Next, you need to trace the template unfolded on the plane of the cardboard, and then trace it, leaving an overlap.

Sewing leather cover for a car steering wheel

To create the finished steering wheel cover, you need to lay out all the parts on the table so that they will come into contact during use. Next, you need to firmly sew the parts together with strong threads that will withstand a long period of use without wearing out. That is why it is important that the leather, threads and glue are of high quality - ideally, such covering is made for years of use.

After the cover has acquired its shape and volume, you need to try it on the steering wheel. It is important that when putting it on the steering wheel, the folds are not too large, since they will not be able to stretch during use and can greatly deform the entire coating when directly exposed to the sun.

To smooth out the seams of the covering against the overall background of the covering, it is recommended to cut grooves on the steering wheel. You can do the same with the edges of parts of the material.

Leather-covered steering wheel

At the stage of fixing the covering on the steering wheel, it is important to give the coating maximum adherence to the surface and the best connection between each other. You need to stitch the material crosswise. In this case, the threads at the junction of the steering wheel spokes are passed through and come from the back side. You can secure the stitches with a double knot at the start of the constriction.

For car enthusiasts who are doing this procedure for the first time and have no experience in reupholstering, it is recommended to use glue or epoxy resin. This will make the fit more reliable and durable, as well as correct certain errors. The glue must be dried with a hairdryer and allowed to dry. Car owners who have previously reupholstered prefer to soak the leather in water - this way, as it dries, the coating fits better due to the reduction in size.

After the glue or the coating itself has dried, you can put the steering wheel in place. The same applies to all parts - alarm covers, buttons, airbags and other devices.

Bottom line

Do-it-yourself reupholstery is a painstaking and monotonous task. However, it allows for a stylish and practical steering wheel cover in a simple and affordable way.

Hello, dear friends! Hope you're in good mood and are ready to receive a portion of new useful observations from your humble servant. After all, today we are discussing such an issue as re-upholstering the steering wheel.

Agree that the standard steering wheels on many cars can only be called squalid. Either they were normal, but time left marks on them in the form of scratches, cuts, torn seams, and so on.

Leather reupholstery is a fairly common service. In cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar or Belarusian Minsk, for example, there are a number of studios where you can remake your steering wheel in just a couple of days, breathing new life into it.

Yes, of course, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod and any other, even small town in Russia and the CIS, will offer at least one master who can do such work for you.

But ordering a service is too easy. Yes, and you need to pay more. Therefore, I propose to talk about how the fitting is done with your own hands.

Choosing material

Of course, leather for the steering wheel will be most preferable. This material is natural, strong and durable, plus it fits well in the hand. Alcantara can be an alternative.

But start with the skin. Its price is not so high, plus there are many design options. To choose the leather from which the steering braid will be made, follow several rules.

  1. Naturalness. Faux leather won't fit, wrong properties. And in general, once you get to work, do everything efficiently.
  2. Thickness. We don't need thick skin. Otherwise, you will be tortured to pierce. Thin ones wear out quickly. The optimal size is considered to be 1.3 mm.
  3. Extensibility. Strictly average. The elasticity should ensure a tight fit to the wheel.
  4. Perforation. Its presence is not necessary, although it is more pleasant to work with perforated leather. At the same time, wear and tear is higher than that of ordinary leather. Decide for yourself. I chose smooth leather when wrapping the steering wheel.

In addition to leather for your car steering wheel, you will need a number of auxiliary materials and tools.


Tools and materials

The steering wheel trim kit for Mazda, Nissan, BMW and any other cars, even a Ford Focus, will always be the same.

You need to put together:

  • skin;
  • a strong needle with which you will stitch the material;
  • strong nylon thread;
  • a pair of thimbles to protect your fingers;
  • masking tape;
  • cardboard of normal density;
  • cling film;
  • marker or pencil;
  • sharp knife (buy at a building materials store).


Everything is ready. Now your car can be transformed. Start small - the steering wheel. Covering it with leather is not the easiest task for a beginner, but it can be done. I myself once decided to suddenly do something similar. The result exceeded my expectations, so you will definitely do no worse. I'm still a jack of all trades.

The whole process can be divided into two stages:

  • pattern making;
  • tight.

If you do everything correctly at the first stage, reupholstering will be much easier.

Pattern

I will give sequential instructions to put everything on the shelves and convey to you the main idea.

  • Remove the steering wheel. I don’t know what kind of car you have, so I can’t give specific instructions on how to remove the steering wheel. Look in the repair manual if you don't know, watch a video or simply act instinctively. No, I was joking though. We work only strictly according to the instructions;
  • Get rid of the old braid. It's not difficult. You can simply cut the seams and remove the worn material;
  • Wrap the steering wheel with cling film. Do not skimp on the material, but wrap it carefully so that there are no differences in height or unevenness;


  • Painting tape is wound on top. Be sure to use a marker to mark the places where the seam will go;
  • Cut the previously wound tape along the marked lines. Essentially, you will have several elements for the layout. Since they are curled up, straighten the tape and place something heavy on it. Leave it overnight. The next day the layout will be smooth and neat;
  • The tape components can serve as a template for making a more durable cardboard base. That is, attach the tape to a sheet of cardboard, circle it strictly according to size and cut it out. Although this is not necessary;
  • Now the leather is cut out according to the pattern of 4 layout elements (usually there are 4 pieces) required sizes. Here, try to cut carefully, without violating the dimensions. Otherwise, you will have to trim, level, and so on. Why do you need extra trouble;
  • Number the pattern elements so you know which piece of leather will go where.

In principle, the base is ready. Not as difficult as it seems at first glance. But then an equally important stage awaits you - sewing. If you have ever sewed, then you roughly understand what we are talking about. Those who have never even darned their own socks in their lives should not approach tight socks. I'm serious! Otherwise, the result may be very disappointing. Basic skills are a must.


Wrapping procedure

If you are careful and consistent in your actions, you will succeed and your car will have a truly beautiful handmade steering wheel.

  • Take a strong thread, insert it into an equally strong needle;
  • You need to retreat about 2-3 mm from the edge of the skin. If you sew too close to the edge, it will simply tear under tension;
  • All the blanks need to be connected, resulting in a ring. This is why it is important to mark your patterns with a marker;
  • The inner seam will be on the inside, so don’t worry about this;
  • When the ring is ready, place it on the steering wheel, align all the edges so that everything matches;
  • The leather will “walk” around the wheel if it is not secured. Here I solved the problem this way - I treated the steering wheel with epoxy resin. It held the skin firmly, but at the same time allowed the material to be slightly shifted until drying;
  • Sew all edges neatly. If you are good with thread and needle, you can get a beautiful decorative seam;
  • Stretch the skin evenly so that the tension is approximately the same everywhere.


The formation of small folds on a new case should not scare you. This is normal for the skin. In a few days everything will smooth out and look perfect. Be patient.

I told you what the process of covering the steering wheel looks like. Yes, the task is not the easiest, but it is doable. If you are not ready for it, take the steering wheel to a workshop. They will do everything for you there at its best, although for a decent amount of money.

Share your stories about re-upholstering the steering wheel yourself or an unsuccessful experience using a workshop, if you have one. To do this, write in the comments.

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To make driving comfortable, many drivers buy special covers for the steering wheel. This modification creates convenience and makes your hands less tired. Plus, the interior of the cabin is changing for the better. Today there are a lot of different offers on the market. However, you can tighten the steering wheel yourself. The most practical and convenient material for tuning a steering wheel is genuine leather. The use of artificial substitutes is not recommended. Since they do not have proper elasticity and wear out quickly.

Tools and materials for reupholstery

Covering the steering wheel with leather yourself involves using the following materials and tools:

    To make a template (pattern), it is best to use cling film and wide masking tape.

    Thick paper or cardboard.

    A stationery or other sharp knife, marker or pencil.

    Durable and high-quality thread, preferably nylon.

    For safe and convenient sewing, you will need two thimbles for the middle finger.

    Durable sewing needles made of hardened steel.

    High quality soft genuine leather.

    A screwdriver and a wrench to remove and then install the steering wheel.

To cover the steering wheel with leather yourself, it is advisable to use two types of material, perforated and smooth leather. Combination of two different textures will not only create an original and pleasant aesthetic appearance, but will also provide comfort for working with the steering wheel.

Perforated leather has increased elasticity. It is soft and comfortable to work with. Smooth skin, in turn, is more resistant to wear. Therefore, if you combine them together, you get a durable, soft and quite abrasion-resistant material. Experts believe that leather with a thickness of 1.2-1.4 mm is optimal for steering wheel covers. You can choose any skin color, it all depends on your taste. As a rule, the most popular cases are made of leather in dark shades. The most commonly used material is black.

Leather steering wheel template

In order for the steering wheel to be reupholstered with your own hands to a high quality, you must first make a pattern. To do this, first make a template from film and tape. First of all, remove the steering wheel, having previously removed the signal cover. Then unscrew the nut securing the steering wheel to the shaft and remove the steering wheel from the splines, swinging it in different directions.

After that, using cling film and masking tape, we make a model of the steering wheel and a template for the pattern. We wrap the steering wheel with film. We glue paper-based masking tape on top. Mark the places where you plan to make seams with a marker or pencil. Then carefully cut out the tape along these lines. The result should be four elements, one rectangular and three cross-shaped. We unfold and number all the details for the template. After this we place them on cardboard or thick paper and make patterns of a similar shape for the pattern.

Leather pattern

To make an original case, you first need to look through various sketches and choose the most suitable one. Of course, only four solutions can be implemented. However, you can make each sector from two or more elements, combining different textures or skin tones. Naturally, this will require more time and effort, but the end result is worth it. You can search on the Internet various options and choose the most convenient and practical. After you have decided on the design of the case, we place the pieces of leather on the table and make patterns using a stationery knife.

When making patterns, it is very important not to miss the next essential point. Each sector of the template is transferred to the skin not strictly according to its shape, but with a small margin. That is, after you have laid the template on the leather, you need to cut it out by 1.0-1.5 cm from the edge of the sector. This margin will be needed to ensure the necessary strength of the seams. Otherwise, after a short period of use, the seams will come apart, and you’ll just have to throw the cover away. As a result, you will need to reupholster the steering wheel with leather yourself.

After the pieces of leather are cut, attach them to the steering wheel and check that all sectors are cut correctly and match in size, taking into account the seam allowance. If necessary, all excess can be trimmed, because all patterns are made with sufficient margin. Once you are sure that all the elements are prepared and correspond to the design intent, you can start sewing.

Preparing a leather case

First, we lay out all the parts on the table in accordance with how they will be located in the case and begin to sew them together in the given order. The edges of the sectors must be swept to avoid tightening of the skin during use. The parts must be sewn together with strong nylon threads, departing from the edge at least 3 mm. All parts are sewn together completely in the form of a ring, with the exception of those seams that you previously marked with a marker.

After the workpiece is completely sewn and all edges are sewn, carefully pull the cover onto the steering wheel so that the joints of the seams are in the places of the cuts. We smooth out the material and eliminate sagging. Some experts advise “setting” the skin on glue or epoxy resin. However, in any case it is necessary to sew the edges.

Video - Covering the steering wheel with leather

So, now the most important thing to do is to tighten the edges of the cover so that it is securely fixed to the steering wheel. This procedure is very troublesome, time-consuming and requires a lot of time. First of all, you should decide on the place where the seam will begin. Here you first need to secure the thread, and then you can carefully sew. When tightening the edges of the cover in the area of ​​the signal cover, it is recommended to coat the edges of the leather with rubber glue.

There are many types of seams. However, the most popular are braid, sports and macrame. They look beautiful and form the most durable connection.

Once the cover is completely ready, you can install the steering wheel on the car. The cover may have minor creases. There is no need to worry about this. If you used genuine leather, then due to the increased elasticity of the material, all these flaws will completely disappear over time.

I work in a car workshop, we reupholster car interior elements. We are me and my childhood friend and part-time master. By the way, he also loves his job (at least he says so). So, I want to tell you about our most popular service - steering wheel reupholstery. I will not only tell you, but also show you the whole process step by step.

So let's begin.


Here is the steering wheel that we will re-tighten today. Steering wheel from a 2012 KIA Rio (I could be wrong about the year)

The steering wheel on the Rio is standard, most of them are like that. There are steering wheels with wooden inserts or with non-standard spokes, which are more difficult to tighten. And there are steering wheels with both, such as, for example, from Nissan MURANO

The Rio steering wheel was not re-stretched from the factory. Simple plastic steering wheel. There is also a Rio with a steering wheel wrapped in genuine leather from the factory. But the factory leather on most cars is of lousy quality; factories skimp on materials, so a steering wheel, for example, from a Kia, can wear out after just six months of use. I know what I'm talking about, because... We cooperate with car dealerships - we re-tighten the steering wheels under warranty. As proof, here is a photo of the work order indicating the mileage. Total 6,237 km.

We will pull our steering wheel in eco-leather with a smooth texture. Immediately a small retreat before they threw slippers at me. Many clients shy away from the word “eco-leather” because they believe that this is a newfangled name for leatherette. And they can be understood. Probably all people associate genuine leather with wealth and durability, and leatherette with cheapness and poor quality. But eco-leather is not the same dermantine that is used to upholster sofas in clinics.

Firstly, really high-quality eco-leather is made from 80% real leather scraps. And eco-leather contains such a thing as polyurethane. This very polyurethane coating provides automotive eco-leather with strength and durability.

Eco-leather is not afraid of temperature changes, high wear resistance (resistance to abrasion, tearing, creasing), in appearance and to the touch it is indistinguishable from real leather: soft, elastic, warm, even its reverse side is the same as that of real leather, high characteristics abrasion resistance, fire resistant, does not ignite from a spark, is not burned by a cigarette, environmentally friendly.

And another advantage is hypoallergenic. The material does not cause irritation to the skin, has no odor (in the heat the cabin does not smell of chemicals).
Nowadays, clients have already more or less heard about eco-leather, they mostly choose it. Three years ago it was more difficult. I recommend it because it is important for me that the client travels longer. Some say that it is simply more profitable for us to “sell” eco-leather - nonsense .We are happy to pull the steering wheels and not the steering wheels in natural leather, and it costs much more.

Let's return to our steering wheel. We disassemble it, remove everything unnecessary.

We measure where the slots for the seams will be

We make the slots ourselves

Is it possible not to damage the steering wheel and not make slots? Can. But even with the edges of the leather softened, the seam will protrude by a millimeter, which means it will wear off much faster than the rest of the steering wheel. When reupholstering, you can make any number of seams. On steering wheels with non-segment heating, unfortunately, it is impossible to deepen the seams.

We transfer our measurements to the skin

Cut and check

Sew all 4 parts (trying the braid on the steering wheel four times)

We put it on the steering wheel and trim off all the excess. This is the most difficult part, since you need to take into account a lot of factors - the stretchability of the skin, the protrusions under the fingers.

If you leave an extra millimeter, the skin will overlap. Like this.

If you cut too much, there will be a gap. Pay attention to the seam - on this steering wheel there were no slots for the seams, it turned out to be such an unpleasant protrusion.

Let's sew our braid.

When reupholstering the steering wheel, the threads used are strong, with a high breaking load and resistance to friction, providing a very strong seam that does not get dirty. The thread must be able to withstand car interior washing and dry cleaning. We use Gütermann, excellent German threads.

The next step is to apply glue to both surfaces in two layers. We use thermoactive glue. In summer, the heating temperature, for example, of a torpedo in the southern regions of the country can reach 150 degrees. Thermoactive adhesive peels off at temperatures above 300 degrees.

Glue from leather and plastic is easily wiped off with a special solvent, which does not damage either the leather or the plastic.
When the glue is completely dry on both surfaces, we put the braid on the steering wheel and the master sits in this position for about 30 minutes.

We tighten the steering wheel with a decorative “macrame” seam. The seam should be beautiful and even, the skin should be well tightened so that there are no folds, and not overtightened so that there are no wrinkles. It remains to tighten the last knitting needle

Next, we tighten the skin where necessary and glue the braid to the steering wheel. Thermoactive glue plays into its favor here too. Pasting is done after the glue has dried. The parts to be glued are connected only after heating. This does not prevent the master from working, allowing him to glue section by section. Activation is carried out with an industrial hair dryer at a temperature of 300 degrees.

And now, almost ready

We put the plastic and horn in place
Ready!

This steering wheel will last 5-8 years.

Reupholstering the steering wheel takes on average 3-5 hours.

That, in general, is all.