Steering Wheel Cover Fail! | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Steering Wheel Cover Fail!

BigNutz

Well-Known Member
Joined
September 16, 2012
Messages
128
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City, State
Southern MD
Year, Model & Trim Level
2006 Ford Explorer EB
So the steering wheel in my 06 EB Exploder looked like hell when I first bought it. Looked like it was peeling or somingthing. I wanted to cover it immediatly so I bought a $15.00 cover from AutoZone. It worked but still looked out of place and made the steering wheel pretty thick.

So I looked elsewhere and thought I'd give the Wheelskins brand a try. If you're not familiar, it is a one piece leather cover that is sewn on. One needs to be very careful when installing it though. At the stems, you stop the normal sewing process and do what the call dummy stitches, and continue with the sewing after you reach the wheel again. Welp when you do the dummy stiches, make sure that you skip the exact amount of hols on the back side of the cover as you do on the front.

I wasn't as careful as I should have been. The problem is, you don't realize it until you get close to the end and the cover starts to wrinkle. Suck! So after spending ~ 2 1/2 hours on it, I decided to cut it and tie despite the amatuerish look.

So I decided that I could not deal with that and would always be frustrated about it. So I wrote Wheelskins a quick e-mail to see about getting another roll of thread for a re-do. They actually sent me one at no cost to me!!! That is what I call good customer service!!! Anyway, I'm going to try again tonight and see how it goes.

Bottom line - If you do it right, it looks great! If you screw it up, Wheelskins will take care of you.
 



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Get us some picture too. Mine looks nasty
 






I have installed 2 one on Icarus and one on Mr Mud. Removing the horn cover makes it much easier and it comes out much neater.
 






Alright! Success, fixed my error. Wheelskins sent me a new thread and needle, and this time I took my time and included some tricks.

I HIGHLY recommend that before you start, using a red Sharpie mark every 5th hole on both sides (Front and back) on the inside of the cover. When you go around stems with the dummy stiches, when you come around the other side, the hole you need on the back does not line up with the hole on the front, and you need to use the right hole for it to come out right other wise you get big wrinkles (See picture below).

Anyway, the second time I did it, it took 1 1/2 hour, so I guess I got better at it. There are still a few shallow wrinkles at the stems, but MUCH better than the first job. I think it has to do with where you start the dummy stitch on the stems as well as the positioning of the cover laterally.

Anyway, probably WAY more information about a steering wheel cover than anyone ever wanted!
 

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I've installed 3 of them on 1st gens. I opted to skip the holes & not do dummy stitches. Yours ooks very wrinkled around the spokes. Did you pull it really tight?
 






Dude, I pulled it tight as hell. I'm telling you, the wrinkles are there because I started or stopped the dummy stich either too early or too late. They are actually not as noticable in perason as they are in the pictures. Either way, I did it twice, I'm done!

Hey, can you post a pic of yours? I want to see what it looks like without the dummy stiches.
 






Looks good regardless...
 






How bad was your wheel in the first place? mine looks as if the "paint" is wearing off it where I commonly hold... I know its not paint but some sort or dye... I found a link on re dying leather seats in a lincoln and wondering if anyone has ever attempted that... I cant fint that write up again, it was a pretty good one too... dealt with repairing holes and all... before and after pics made the old torn seat literally look brand new...
 






Yeah, that's exactly what it looked like. Looked bad.....I like thios leather wrap, very comfortable to drive with and looks halfway stock. I'd be worried about the dye thing getting all over my hands after I did it...Seems messy!
 






Yeah, that's exactly what it looked like. Looked bad.....I like thios leather wrap, very comfortable to drive with and looks halfway stock. I'd be worried about the dye thing getting all over my hands after I did it...Seems messy!

I found it lol http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00167.html

I was curious if the dye would come off too but if it dosnt on the seats it shouldn't with your hands...
 






Bignutz, I wonder if the reason for your wrinkles is the cover is too big? I carefully measured the diameter and circumference of my wheel and ordered mine custom from wheelskins. I probably spent 45 minutes sewing it on and it turned out as perfect as possible the first time. Didn't have to carefully measure dummy holes and the like.

ry%3D480


ry%3D480
 






steering wheel cover

I like what you did Cam327. Do you still have your measurements for the steering wheel? ALso, what color did you pick because it matches perfectly and I have the same interior.
 












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