Maxie
Well-known member
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2007
- Messages
- 8,436
If you have the multi-function steering wheel and miss the fact there are no thumb grips and that it's also rather thinner compared to the non-MFSW wheel, then you can add a leather cover for it to increase the girth and hence the grip and feel of the wheel. This is one of the few gripes I have of my own car so I ordered this item after having stumbled across it:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140755956297
Not unreasonable for the price with it being genuine leather. I went for the black perforated option with grey stitching (to match my grey stitched perforated black sports seats).
Having done this job from start to finish, it took me approximately 3 hours as I was trying to achieve a 'factory' finish.
This is what the optional MFSW wheel looks like:
This is what you get in the pack when it arrives:
It already has black stitching around the sides (you will stitch the supplied material through this). The supplied instructions are pants as it all consists of is a handful of photos and no explanatory notes whatsoever except to state it takes 45 mins from start to finish to complete the job. This is info pants too.
Start by putting the cover around the circumference of the wheel. I positioned my cover so the join was at the very top of the wheel.
And then straighten it up so it's all uniform around the wheel.
Thread the supplied needle and draw through approximately half the length of the stitching and then tie a knot with the free ends.
Start stitching from the join and through the existing black stitching in a uniform manner (I started clockwise). Ensure that the open ends of the leather cover meet up so as to enclose the surface of existing wheel. When you come to the first spoke, try and stitch as far as you can before taking the stitching behind the spoke and continuing again ensuring that the leather around the spoke is as tight as it can be.
Inspect your work as you move along:
Continue all the way round whilst periodically straightening up the cover (as it can shift whilst stitching) before commencing once again. This is half way:
Three-quarters:
Approaching the join:
When you are back to the join, ensure you finish the last stitch behind the wheel before you tie another knot and cut off the excess material.
Once completed, it should look like all tidy and neat like this:
Trim off any excess stitching (you can see I have yet to do this at the very top of the wheel).
Of course, this is a reversible mod so if I don't get on with it I'll take it off at a later date. I am hoping the folds you can see in my photos will smooth out after a few turns of the wheel as well as the stitching to settle in so it looks OEM.
Thanks for looking.
~ Maxie
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140755956297
Not unreasonable for the price with it being genuine leather. I went for the black perforated option with grey stitching (to match my grey stitched perforated black sports seats).
Having done this job from start to finish, it took me approximately 3 hours as I was trying to achieve a 'factory' finish.
This is what the optional MFSW wheel looks like:
This is what you get in the pack when it arrives:
It already has black stitching around the sides (you will stitch the supplied material through this). The supplied instructions are pants as it all consists of is a handful of photos and no explanatory notes whatsoever except to state it takes 45 mins from start to finish to complete the job. This is info pants too.
Start by putting the cover around the circumference of the wheel. I positioned my cover so the join was at the very top of the wheel.
And then straighten it up so it's all uniform around the wheel.
Thread the supplied needle and draw through approximately half the length of the stitching and then tie a knot with the free ends.
Start stitching from the join and through the existing black stitching in a uniform manner (I started clockwise). Ensure that the open ends of the leather cover meet up so as to enclose the surface of existing wheel. When you come to the first spoke, try and stitch as far as you can before taking the stitching behind the spoke and continuing again ensuring that the leather around the spoke is as tight as it can be.
Inspect your work as you move along:
Continue all the way round whilst periodically straightening up the cover (as it can shift whilst stitching) before commencing once again. This is half way:
Three-quarters:
Approaching the join:
When you are back to the join, ensure you finish the last stitch behind the wheel before you tie another knot and cut off the excess material.
Once completed, it should look like all tidy and neat like this:
Trim off any excess stitching (you can see I have yet to do this at the very top of the wheel).
Of course, this is a reversible mod so if I don't get on with it I'll take it off at a later date. I am hoping the folds you can see in my photos will smooth out after a few turns of the wheel as well as the stitching to settle in so it looks OEM.
Thanks for looking.
~ Maxie