Angelo
Member
My hands have always eaten through steering wheels within a couple of years so I decided to preemptively cover my wheel. I was thinking I'd probably just go with the nicest cheapo I could find and call it a day, I didn't really care for the Wheelskins versions that I'd seen due to the expense paired with the non-OEM look. However, I USED THE SEARCH FUNCTION :behindsofa: and shazam, someone had installed a great looking cover that seemed to fit the 4R wheel perfectly for slightly less cost than a Wheelskin!
Haha.
Anyway, I know it's not as exciting as a suspension or lighting mod but this is one of those small things for me that really matters when driving, I hate the gritty / dirty feel of disintegrating leather or plastic. So here it is. I'd add the following notes to the great writeup from [MENTION=114267]Kelbad[/MENTION], kudos to you for taking the plunge and doing the work and then writing it up for all of us...
- Start your threading at the ends closest to the inner curves (marked appropriately as difficult in the OP pictures) whenever you can, I felt like it set me up for success at the end of the run not to have to tie the thread off in the tight curve.
- Take your time and make sure to go back and tighten your stitches at least every 5 throws or so. The blunt end of the needle is pretty slick to use as a tightening aid that won't poke through the leather. I did NOT use the double sided tape included with the Xuji / Lonckey kit since the whole point of this excerise was to try to preserve the original wheel underneath.
- Allow plenty of time, my install took me 3.5 hours counting my redo of the first section.
- Try to arrange the cover so that the most extra "tuckable" material is lined up at either side of the points behind the light and turn signal / windshield wiper and stalks; this is where the trim gap is the largest and seems to need more length to stay tucked neatly. I also didn't remove the airbag or trim and I don't think it is necessary.
Haha.
Anyway, I know it's not as exciting as a suspension or lighting mod but this is one of those small things for me that really matters when driving, I hate the gritty / dirty feel of disintegrating leather or plastic. So here it is. I'd add the following notes to the great writeup from [MENTION=114267]Kelbad[/MENTION], kudos to you for taking the plunge and doing the work and then writing it up for all of us...
- Start your threading at the ends closest to the inner curves (marked appropriately as difficult in the OP pictures) whenever you can, I felt like it set me up for success at the end of the run not to have to tie the thread off in the tight curve.
- Take your time and make sure to go back and tighten your stitches at least every 5 throws or so. The blunt end of the needle is pretty slick to use as a tightening aid that won't poke through the leather. I did NOT use the double sided tape included with the Xuji / Lonckey kit since the whole point of this excerise was to try to preserve the original wheel underneath.
- Allow plenty of time, my install took me 3.5 hours counting my redo of the first section.
- Try to arrange the cover so that the most extra "tuckable" material is lined up at either side of the points behind the light and turn signal / windshield wiper and stalks; this is where the trim gap is the largest and seems to need more length to stay tucked neatly. I also didn't remove the airbag or trim and I don't think it is necessary.
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