Steering Wheel Recovering
03-31-2003, 04:30 PM
#1
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Steering Wheel Recovering
I just bought and installed a new shift boot from Alan Gun Leather Accessories and am quite pleased with the fit and finish.
Now my steering wheel looks quite ratty and I am wondering if anyone here has had experience with AGLA's do it your self wheel covers?
Thanks, Steve Frew
'86 951 Mostly stock and full of fun.
Now my steering wheel looks quite ratty and I am wondering if anyone here has had experience with AGLA's do it your self wheel covers?
Thanks, Steve Frew
'86 951 Mostly stock and full of fun.
03-31-2003, 05:55 PM
#2
Set to Full-Auto
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Bump, I would like to know too, mine was crap when I bought the car so I just cut it off. I need to get it recovered and was thinking about buying one of those do-it-yourself kits mentioned above.
03-31-2003, 06:01 PM
#3
Big thirst, Sore Thumbs
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Napoleon
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Napoleon
I bought one that is a lace up kind that worked well. (sorry can't remember the name) But rather than wrapping around with a cord, it has holes drilled and comes with a needle and thread to lace up the same place where it is laced stock. If you buy the standard width and cut off the old covering it should give a real good fit, and it feels great. Only thing it doesn't cover is the spokes.
Oh and don't forget to check your grounds while your at it.
Oh and don't forget to check your grounds while your at it.
03-31-2003, 06:26 PM
#4
Three Wheelin'
hmm my steering wheel sux as well, what are it's dimensions? In the mean time I'll check the grounds to see if it helps any <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />
03-31-2003, 08:28 PM
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I recently had my wheel recoved by AGLA. I bought the kit to do it myself, but couldn't get it to stretch enough to fit correctly. I tried it a few times and sent the wheel back to AGLA for them to do it. They finshed the wheel and THEN called to tell me that the original kit they sent was too small - the wrong size. So, if I would have had the right kit, I may have been able to do it myself after all.
The overall fit and finish is not as good as factory, but probably a lot better then I could have done myself. Worth it if you are 'sewing challenged' like me. Hopefully, the sun will shrink the cover to fit a bit better over time.
The overall fit and finish is not as good as factory, but probably a lot better then I could have done myself. Worth it if you are 'sewing challenged' like me. Hopefully, the sun will shrink the cover to fit a bit better over time.
03-31-2003, 08:36 PM
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I also got a shift boot from AGLA and was very impressed with quality. I have decided to let them do my steering wheel as well. I sent it off and should have it back by April 11. I can let you know how it turned out then
03-31-2003, 08:39 PM
#7
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by SidViscous:
<strong>
Oh and don't forget to check your grounds while your at it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />
It seems EVERY problem should start with checking the grounds first!
<strong>
Oh and don't forget to check your grounds while your at it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />
It seems EVERY problem should start with checking the grounds first!
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04-01-2003, 12:44 AM
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i recovered mine with the AGLA kit, i love it. they sent me one for an 85.5 and after wheel, but i cut the middle strips to fit right. its a little big in some areas, but overall great. i too am hoping the sun will shrink it... i love the new leather feel! yay for 4-spoke steeing wheels 
04-01-2003, 05:56 AM
#10
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Here's a write up I did on this on the E-Mail lists last year:
After 19 years of service, a small hole developed in the leather covering of the 3-spoke early steering wheel on my 83. I had delayed this by using driving gloves when the car and I lived in the Midwest, but here barehanded in the tropics it didn't take long to come apart and the "black palms" didn't quite match my work clothes, so I knew it was recovering time.
Shipping my steering wheel from here to be recovered was complicated so I decided to try doing it myself and ordered a kit from AGLA. Before taking on this project I searched the list archives and Internet extensively, but nowhere could I find EXACTLY how to reproduce those "X" shaped stitches on Porsche steering wheels. I found some useful information on this link:
<a href="http://www.stuttswap.com/stuttswap/recover/stages4.html" target="_blank">http://www.stuttswap.com/stuttswap/recover/stages4.html</a>
but this fellow is in business for himself, so the site doesn't go into excessive detail about the process itself.
Nevertheless, after much trial and error I have succeeded and am posting my experience as a future reference for others.
RECOVERING EARLY 3 SPOKE STEERING WHEEL
AGLA sends you what looks like a cut-open bicycle inner tube with 6 ears, a roll of waxed thread, and ONE needle. First off, you are going to need TWO needles, so before doing anything get yourself an inexpensive needle kit. I got one at Walgreens for $2.79 with an assortment of heavy needles that worked very well. It is very important that you use appropriate needles, or it is practically impossible to do the stitching correctly.
You will also need an Exacto knife or sharp blade, a sewing thimble, a ruler, scissors, and your car key.
The two biggest problems you can encounter are a) "coming up short" on leather after having sewn half way around the steering wheel, and b) running out of the waxed thread.
To avoid the first problem, it helps to begin sewing at the bottom spoke (6 o'clock) and work your way upwards on both sides. You can use 4 needles for this, but I found it easier to use only two and re-thread for each side. To minimize the need to stretch the leather, I was told after the fact that it also helps to moisten the entire cover before sewing it on. I wish I had known this beforehand because I think it might have made things easier and resulted in an even better finished product.
Ideally, you want to sew the full length between spokes without any interruptions in the thread, but should avoid reusing thread if you make a mistake and have to start over, so it helps to measure the length of thread beforehand with the ruler. Something like 120" for the 2 short runs of stitches between spokes should be about right, and for the long top run you can use a proportionately longer amount, or all that's left.
A. REMOVING THE OLD COVER
1) Park the car in a permanent position for the duration of the repair. People recommend to remove the steering wheel, but in my experience I found it easier to perform the stitching with the wheel on the car, turning it as I went along, because I needed a support anyway.
2) Use the blade to cut open the stitches on the old cover and separate it from the rubber foam material underneath. NOTE: DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT THE LEATHER COVERING, OR THE STEERING WHEEL MAY COME APART. Especially if you have an early car with manual steering... Once the old cover is off, cut or tear off 2 square inches of the leather and keep it handy.
3) AGLA makes the new cover with holes, but it's still good to take the time and run a needle through each and every hole before doing any stitching. After doing this, you may want to moisten the leather with water as it might make things easier. I did not and had to do some stretching at the third spoke which was not fun.
B. FITTING AND SEWING THE NEW COVER
1) Fit the new cover over the bare wheel and conform the leather to the circumference, matching the tabs on the cover with the spokes. These tabs will appear long, but do not trim them. This is done at the end. Sewing the cover is tedious, but with some basic dexterity and observation you will soon develop a rhythm and as the new wheel cover begins to take form you will be encouraged to persist.
2) To accomplish the classic "X" shaped stitching, the secret is to use thick needles that are NOT TOO SHARP, or they will compromise the stitching process. Put the key in the ignition and turn the steering wheel to where you have comfortable access to one side of the bottom spoke, taking care to match the "spoke turn" edges of the cover. Run a threaded needle through the two holes closest to the end of the spoke, facing the horn pad, and pull the thread all the way to where both ends are equal in length. Run the needle through the same two holes again and pull the stitch tight to anchor the thread.
3) Now you have a threaded needle out of one hole, and a bare thread out of the other, both the same length. Put a needle on the bare thread and you are ready for the X stitches. Every X stitch will have a left stroke and a right stroke. Decide which goes first and be consistent throughout the entire wheel. As the cover turns, this will require some observation, but results in a much cleaner finished look.
4) With the bottom spoke to the left (turn signal side), say the thread closest to you will be the left stroke. This needle will cross DIAGONALLY OVER the edges of the cover and enter the next available hole on the opposite side, and then cross STRAIGHT UNDER the edges of the cover to the hole DIRECTLY ACROSS. Pull out the threaded needle and and leave it where you can see it. You can use a thimble to push the needle through, but I found it easier to use that piece of leather cut off from the old cover. Now you are ready for the right stroke.
5) The other needle, farther from you, will now cross DIAGONALLY OVER the left stroke and enter THE SAME HOLE in which you left the first threaded needle last. Pulling on the first thread, you allow the second needle to enter that same hole and cross STRAIGHT UNDER the edges of the cover to the hole DIRECTLY ACROSS. Tug both threads gently and you have accomplished your first "X" stitch. The needles have basically switched sides to form the "X" shaped pattern and you are ready to create more "X" stitches by repeating the process successively throughout the cover.
C. PROGRESSING TOWARD THE OTHER SPOKES AND FINISHING TOUCHES
1) As you work your way toward the other spokes, keep track of the amount of leather you are taking up, pulling occasionally to ensure symmetry. Every time you reach a spoke, run a needle twice through the same last two holes to anchor the stitching and cut the ends off with scissors leaving a few inches.
2) When you are finished stitching the entire cover, use the blade to cut excess leather on the spoke tabs flush with the spoke ends and use super glue under leather to attach it permanently. You may have to use the excess thread to secure it, but otherwise you can simply cut it all off and cement the ends with glue. Super glue may leave a tiny white stain that is easily removed with a black marker.
Enjoy your new steering wheel! As an added bonus, the next time you get in your car you will be greeted with the alluring scent of new leather.
After 19 years of service, a small hole developed in the leather covering of the 3-spoke early steering wheel on my 83. I had delayed this by using driving gloves when the car and I lived in the Midwest, but here barehanded in the tropics it didn't take long to come apart and the "black palms" didn't quite match my work clothes, so I knew it was recovering time.
Shipping my steering wheel from here to be recovered was complicated so I decided to try doing it myself and ordered a kit from AGLA. Before taking on this project I searched the list archives and Internet extensively, but nowhere could I find EXACTLY how to reproduce those "X" shaped stitches on Porsche steering wheels. I found some useful information on this link:
<a href="http://www.stuttswap.com/stuttswap/recover/stages4.html" target="_blank">http://www.stuttswap.com/stuttswap/recover/stages4.html</a>
but this fellow is in business for himself, so the site doesn't go into excessive detail about the process itself.
Nevertheless, after much trial and error I have succeeded and am posting my experience as a future reference for others.
RECOVERING EARLY 3 SPOKE STEERING WHEEL
AGLA sends you what looks like a cut-open bicycle inner tube with 6 ears, a roll of waxed thread, and ONE needle. First off, you are going to need TWO needles, so before doing anything get yourself an inexpensive needle kit. I got one at Walgreens for $2.79 with an assortment of heavy needles that worked very well. It is very important that you use appropriate needles, or it is practically impossible to do the stitching correctly.
You will also need an Exacto knife or sharp blade, a sewing thimble, a ruler, scissors, and your car key.
The two biggest problems you can encounter are a) "coming up short" on leather after having sewn half way around the steering wheel, and b) running out of the waxed thread.
To avoid the first problem, it helps to begin sewing at the bottom spoke (6 o'clock) and work your way upwards on both sides. You can use 4 needles for this, but I found it easier to use only two and re-thread for each side. To minimize the need to stretch the leather, I was told after the fact that it also helps to moisten the entire cover before sewing it on. I wish I had known this beforehand because I think it might have made things easier and resulted in an even better finished product.
Ideally, you want to sew the full length between spokes without any interruptions in the thread, but should avoid reusing thread if you make a mistake and have to start over, so it helps to measure the length of thread beforehand with the ruler. Something like 120" for the 2 short runs of stitches between spokes should be about right, and for the long top run you can use a proportionately longer amount, or all that's left.
A. REMOVING THE OLD COVER
1) Park the car in a permanent position for the duration of the repair. People recommend to remove the steering wheel, but in my experience I found it easier to perform the stitching with the wheel on the car, turning it as I went along, because I needed a support anyway.
2) Use the blade to cut open the stitches on the old cover and separate it from the rubber foam material underneath. NOTE: DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT THE LEATHER COVERING, OR THE STEERING WHEEL MAY COME APART. Especially if you have an early car with manual steering... Once the old cover is off, cut or tear off 2 square inches of the leather and keep it handy.
3) AGLA makes the new cover with holes, but it's still good to take the time and run a needle through each and every hole before doing any stitching. After doing this, you may want to moisten the leather with water as it might make things easier. I did not and had to do some stretching at the third spoke which was not fun.
B. FITTING AND SEWING THE NEW COVER
1) Fit the new cover over the bare wheel and conform the leather to the circumference, matching the tabs on the cover with the spokes. These tabs will appear long, but do not trim them. This is done at the end. Sewing the cover is tedious, but with some basic dexterity and observation you will soon develop a rhythm and as the new wheel cover begins to take form you will be encouraged to persist.
2) To accomplish the classic "X" shaped stitching, the secret is to use thick needles that are NOT TOO SHARP, or they will compromise the stitching process. Put the key in the ignition and turn the steering wheel to where you have comfortable access to one side of the bottom spoke, taking care to match the "spoke turn" edges of the cover. Run a threaded needle through the two holes closest to the end of the spoke, facing the horn pad, and pull the thread all the way to where both ends are equal in length. Run the needle through the same two holes again and pull the stitch tight to anchor the thread.
3) Now you have a threaded needle out of one hole, and a bare thread out of the other, both the same length. Put a needle on the bare thread and you are ready for the X stitches. Every X stitch will have a left stroke and a right stroke. Decide which goes first and be consistent throughout the entire wheel. As the cover turns, this will require some observation, but results in a much cleaner finished look.
4) With the bottom spoke to the left (turn signal side), say the thread closest to you will be the left stroke. This needle will cross DIAGONALLY OVER the edges of the cover and enter the next available hole on the opposite side, and then cross STRAIGHT UNDER the edges of the cover to the hole DIRECTLY ACROSS. Pull out the threaded needle and and leave it where you can see it. You can use a thimble to push the needle through, but I found it easier to use that piece of leather cut off from the old cover. Now you are ready for the right stroke.
5) The other needle, farther from you, will now cross DIAGONALLY OVER the left stroke and enter THE SAME HOLE in which you left the first threaded needle last. Pulling on the first thread, you allow the second needle to enter that same hole and cross STRAIGHT UNDER the edges of the cover to the hole DIRECTLY ACROSS. Tug both threads gently and you have accomplished your first "X" stitch. The needles have basically switched sides to form the "X" shaped pattern and you are ready to create more "X" stitches by repeating the process successively throughout the cover.
C. PROGRESSING TOWARD THE OTHER SPOKES AND FINISHING TOUCHES
1) As you work your way toward the other spokes, keep track of the amount of leather you are taking up, pulling occasionally to ensure symmetry. Every time you reach a spoke, run a needle twice through the same last two holes to anchor the stitching and cut the ends off with scissors leaving a few inches.
2) When you are finished stitching the entire cover, use the blade to cut excess leather on the spoke tabs flush with the spoke ends and use super glue under leather to attach it permanently. You may have to use the excess thread to secure it, but otherwise you can simply cut it all off and cement the ends with glue. Super glue may leave a tiny white stain that is easily removed with a black marker.
Enjoy your new steering wheel! As an added bonus, the next time you get in your car you will be greeted with the alluring scent of new leather.
04-02-2003, 01:57 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
You're welcome, threesticks1. I assume you have a non-airbag 4-spoke wheel.
In that case, the exact procedure may vary a bit, but the stitching is the same and the added spoke may actually reduce the risk of having to stretch the cover towards the end.
Good luck with it and post pics if you can when you're finished.
In that case, the exact procedure may vary a bit, but the stitching is the same and the added spoke may actually reduce the risk of having to stretch the cover towards the end.
Good luck with it and post pics if you can when you're finished.
04-02-2003, 09:43 AM
#13
Done With Sidepatch
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Great write up Luis...My son has an AGLA kit but guess who will probably end up attempting it...
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ringo951:
<strong>The best way to recover the wheel is to replace with 968CS/930S wheel.....
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I side with ringo...I picked up the 930S wheel from AJUSA...I'm very impressed...I can defintely recommend it to everyone!
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ringo951:
<strong>The best way to recover the wheel is to replace with 968CS/930S wheel.....
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I side with ringo...I picked up the 930S wheel from AJUSA...I'm very impressed...I can defintely recommend it to everyone!
04-02-2003, 11:20 AM
#14
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I'm too much the Scotsman to go and buy a new wheel when I can recover the wheel that I have for a lot le$$.
I have seen the 930S wheel in cars like mine and would love to have one but....
I only paided $4K for the car. I have taken care of most of the mechanical issues (engine fire) and am now working on the aesthectics, slowly.
Thank you again Luis de Prat.
Steve Frew
'86 951 Mostly stock and all fun!
I have seen the 930S wheel in cars like mine and would love to have one but....
I only paided $4K for the car. I have taken care of most of the mechanical issues (engine fire) and am now working on the aesthectics, slowly.
Thank you again Luis de Prat.
Steve Frew
'86 951 Mostly stock and all fun!
04-02-2003, 11:26 AM
#15
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ERAU944:
<strong>i recovered mine with the AGLA kit, i love it. they sent me one for an 85.5 and after wheel, but i cut the middle strips to fit right. its a little big in some areas, but overall great. i too am hoping the sun will shrink it... i love the new leather feel! yay for 4-spoke steeing wheels </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Yeah Mike we all remember you here at my house sewing that thing on all night long! <img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" /> It does look really good though. Definately an improvement over using old faded ones. Eventually when I have to do mine I'll probably use this kit or a similar one.
<strong>i recovered mine with the AGLA kit, i love it. they sent me one for an 85.5 and after wheel, but i cut the middle strips to fit right. its a little big in some areas, but overall great. i too am hoping the sun will shrink it... i love the new leather feel! yay for 4-spoke steeing wheels
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Yeah Mike we all remember you here at my house sewing that thing on all night long! <img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" /> It does look really good though. Definately an improvement over using old faded ones. Eventually when I have to do mine I'll probably use this kit or a similar one.