Stitching a leather cover on a 69 rallye steering wheel.

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Shameless plug here, but I really like the looks of ours. Its not like wheel skins, but suits the car better. Would look great on your wheel Matt.
moparmat2000 said:
Interior is going black, I was thinking either brown, or black, but probably black.
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Sorry Steve, no can do on one of those. Glad you like it, but my dad used to put those on his cars. He used to get em from the local auto parts store. I hated the look of em even as a pre teen. My 68 charger I bought when I was 15 had one, to my dads dismay, it was the first thing I removed LoL. I want something that appears as factory made/installed as I can get it.
 
dartfreak75 said:
I would try to do it this way. And if it don't turn out the way you want then do the wheelcover.
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I have repaired cracked rims like the one in the article, v notching, sanding, and JB weld to fill the cracks, but this one is a bit more toasty than the usual cracked rims. Too many smaller cracks in the plastic.

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This was a beige La Perra wheel in my 37 Pontiac. I cut the cover off and replaced it with a grey leather cover after redoing the interior. Pretty easy to do with the wheel off, sitting in my recliner in the AC!
As for adding thickness to a wheel, there are various tubing thickness' available in the box stores. Buy a few samples and decide what feels best, then order your cover to match the new profile.

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dartfreak75 said:
Ouch yea that's pretty bad that's what my dart wheel looks like I got a replacement for it.
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I figure if I can fix the biggins in it with the usual sanding, v notching, and JB weld to hold it all together, then covering it up with a nicely stitched leather wrap would be the best way to hide it. The rest of this wheel is remarkably nice. The spokes, horn contactor etc. look like new under the repop horn cap. I took the measurements they wanted from my wheel and emailed them for a custom cover in black. I guess if I have time to file and fill these big cracks I can get a cover stitched on shortly. Of course with everything I got going on, I may get to it and show pix of it on here 6 months from now, that is unless we are all starved to death or embroiled in a civil war by then lol.
 
I had a genuine wood wheel that came on a car i bought. It would have needed a lot of work done to the wood to look good, so my girlfriend at the time wrapped it with red leather. It could have been a wheelskins kit, but my memory says it was just some cloth-lined leather that she made work from scratch. It still looks good, maybe 15years later.

The ex girlfriend, not so much.
 
Well, I measured the steering wheel how wheelskins wanted me to, sent them an email with the dimensions, and i ordered a kit in black leather to cover it. They requested me to take a picture of it for them when its installed. I guess i am on my way with this. Just have to tape off the spokes, clean up and fill the cracks up with JB weld so it's ready to go when I get the kit.
 
moparmat2000 said:
Well, I measured the steering wheel how wheelskins wanted me to, sent them an email with the dimensions, and i ordered a kit in black leather to cover it. They requested me to take a picture of it for them when its installed. I guess i am on my way with this. Just have to tape off the spokes, clean up and fill the cracks up with JB weld so it's ready to go when I get the kit.
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I’m sorry Matt, but I don’t recall if you said why you didn’t just buy another wheel that was in better condition. I bought one for a 1968 B body for only $100. Is this an option, instead of trusting such a crumbled and then repaired original wheel? If you post what you’re looking for here, you might be surprised.
 
I bought this wheel from a member here. The spokes and center were in great shape. I saw the large cracks knowing I could fix those as I have done on other wheels. The sale pix did not show all the small crazing cracks on the rim which I found when I unwrapped it, nor did I have any idea that they crack like that. I will JB it back together, and stitch a leather cover on it. Its all good.
 
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I laced this leather cover on, back in 2005, on the race car. I’ve been sweating on it for 15 seasons. It’s dirty,but still looks decent.
 
I have wrapped 3 wheels, 1 tuff wheel, 1 99 Dakota wheel and 1 98 Dodge 3500 wheel. Not rocket science and well worth the effort.
 
I have never done a wrapped wheel, and admit I have not taken the time yet to watch the how to videos. But I have done lots of leather work as in saddle repairs, tooling and saddle stitching lots of small stuff. You have already bought your kit and maybe it was reasonable pric but I will mention this s a source maybe to those looking to such as you.
Tandy Leather or Springfield Leather as place to get the leather, straight or curved harness needles, thread, cotton ir nylon ( I would bet on the nylon). I would get very thin and supply grain cowhide leather. These places have all types of leather and from all the various parts of the hide to full ides of all kinds of critters.
Springfield Leather in Mo is a huge store and Tandys are scattered all around. Key is a talking to the right salesman!!
 
moparmat2000 said:
the large cracks note pix below. Is there a good way to seal those up?
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A lifelong mopar guy I know uses the below on his steering wheel restorations.
He told me it works great, but dries hard so don't put too much on or you'll be sanding forever.
His steering wheels do look amazing.

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Did the steering wheel on my 52 coupe with a Wheel Skins kit (1983 Mirada wheel) Looks good and not hard to do. Order it with an extra needle and cord so that you can do a "baseball stich" which i did not do and should have.
 
I asked them for extra thread so I could do a baseball stitch. That was the plan from the get go Thinking back I should ask for an extra needle to do that. I just emailed them back and requested a second needle.
 
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^^^^^ Just wondering if the leather is cut out in a circle??? I assume they use harness needles, maybe curved ones?? I too have a terrible steering wheel on a 64 Belvedere I will have to work on, looks likes yours!
 
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