Best steering wheel fix and/or cover?
July 18, 2023 4:33 PM Subscribe
The pleather (I think) on my 2016 Prius steering wheel has developed a wrinkle / crease and it's driving me nuts.
It's 1mm tall and I can push it around a little bit but I can't seem to flatten it. I was maybe thinking I could wrap the whole wheel with hokey tape or something. Or have steering wheel covers gotten any better in the past 20 years? Any suggestions for repair or covering would be greatly appreciated.
It's 1mm tall and I can push it around a little bit but I can't seem to flatten it. I was maybe thinking I could wrap the whole wheel with hokey tape or something. Or have steering wheel covers gotten any better in the past 20 years? Any suggestions for repair or covering would be greatly appreciated.
Best answer: I don't have a solution, but an anti recommendation against hockey tape. If your car ever gets hot inside (and I'm guessing you live on Earth, so probably) the tape will eventually get really goopy. I'm not sure which tapes don't do that, but maybe gaffer tape?
Does the bump flatten with an iron?
posted by Acari at 7:11 AM on July 19, 2023
Does the bump flatten with an iron?
posted by Acari at 7:11 AM on July 19, 2023
Best answer: If I'm reading this right it's a bulge rather than a fissure, so you could try softening it with a heat gun or similar to see if you can smooth it out that way, but I'd worry about making it worse or damaging other areas in the process. Especially if it's solar heat that caused it in the first place.
Wheel covers have improved some, including the ones that slip on; but the lace-up/stitched variety will look nicer and be less bulky. They're only a little more expensive, if at all.
Depending on where you live, you can try taking the car by an auto upholsterer (or failing that, a body shop) to see if they think they can fix it (and to find out what they would charge for installing a stitched cover, if you don't think you can do it neatly).
Don't put grip tape on a steering wheel unless you're ready for the car to turn into a visible beater, it will wear terribly and the adhesive may damage the surface further.
The paracord hack is good if you want something removable. It will look nicer than a lot of the slip-on covers, too.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:34 AM on July 19, 2023
Wheel covers have improved some, including the ones that slip on; but the lace-up/stitched variety will look nicer and be less bulky. They're only a little more expensive, if at all.
Depending on where you live, you can try taking the car by an auto upholsterer (or failing that, a body shop) to see if they think they can fix it (and to find out what they would charge for installing a stitched cover, if you don't think you can do it neatly).
Don't put grip tape on a steering wheel unless you're ready for the car to turn into a visible beater, it will wear terribly and the adhesive may damage the surface further.
The paracord hack is good if you want something removable. It will look nicer than a lot of the slip-on covers, too.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:34 AM on July 19, 2023
my 2017 did the same thing. I gave up and grabbed whatever wheel cover Target had on sale the day that I remembered it was driving me nuts. That promptly had a loose thread that was ALSO driving me nuts, but I think once the initial burn-in period expired, it's been pretty stable. And it's thick enough that I can't feel the bumps in the pleather.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/g38943887/best-steering-wheel-covers/ looks like suggestions with some reasonable prices and some detailed pros and cons; that's where I'd start if I was in your shoes today.
posted by adekllny at 8:02 AM on July 19, 2023
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/g38943887/best-steering-wheel-covers/ looks like suggestions with some reasonable prices and some detailed pros and cons; that's where I'd start if I was in your shoes today.
posted by adekllny at 8:02 AM on July 19, 2023
That article is about slip on covers. And I doubt its rigor. It's an affiliate link listicle.
For a lace-up/stitched cover see wheelskins.com. The perforated version will probably look the cleanest after install.
Amazon has some too.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:23 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
For a lace-up/stitched cover see wheelskins.com. The perforated version will probably look the cleanest after install.
Amazon has some too.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:23 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
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