mcgrison Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Hello everybody. I recently bought a leather steering wheel cover for my Tr4A. My wife thinks that we should sew it on the old worn leather. On the contrary, I think that we should first peel the old one off and fix the new one later. Who's right? Thank you for anyone's help Alberto Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Not sure what is wrong with the existing cover. The existing cover seems more like a proprietary cover on an original steering wheel. I would be tempted to keep it and fit the new 'cover' on top. In fact, I would definitely fit the new cover on top - not sure what you will find underneath! Not sure of the origin of the original steering wheel but it looks nice. I think Les Leston used to make one, also the factory made one, for the Vitesse, I think (not sure) AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcgrison Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Not sure what is wrong with the existing cover. The existing cover seems more like a proprietary cover on an original steering wheel. I would be tempted to keep it and fit the new 'cover' on top. In fact, I would definitely fit the new cover on top - not sure what you will find underneath! Not sure of the origin of the original steering wheel but it looks nice. I think Les Leston used to make one, also the factory made one, for the Vitesse, I think (not sure) AlanR Thank you Alan. The problem with the original leather is that when weather is wet it becomes really very sticky, otherwise it is still OK. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 OK, so it gets sticky in wet weather. But - if that's the only problem, then I would suggest some tlc to clean the original cover, plus some leather oil/preserver or whatever. This takes time to achieve a proper result. Overnight success should not be expected. AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 (edited) Hi Alberto, I also have a leather covered steering wheel. I wear fancy 'leather' gloves when driving. They are actually a left and right golf gloves for 'wet' play. They hold the wheel very nicely but with a degree of slip. Yes, I have 'limited slip gloves' (sorry about that one). A couple of years ago my son was co-driving with me. Before the run he tried the car and complained how sticky the S/wheel was. I never noticed this with the gloves. So I had to try and clean it. Warm soapy water and a flannel. It took ages but sort of worked. I still prefer the gloves. Many stores n ow do them in L&R pairs apprx £20. Back to your question. If there is enough spare material on the new cover I would put it over the top of the old. However that will increase the diameter of the rim and may take some getting used to. Roger Edited October 22, 2016 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcgrison Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Hi Alberto, I also have a leather covered steering wheel. I wear fancy 'leather' gloves when driving. They are actually a left and right golf gloves for 'wet' play. They hold the wheel very nicely but with a degree of slip. Yes, I have 'limited slip gloves' (sorry about that one). A couple of years ago my son was co-driving with me. Before the run he tried the car and complained how sticky the S/wheel was. I never noticed this with the gloves. So I had to try and clean it. Warm soapy water and a flannel. It took ages but sort of worked. I still prefer the gloves. Many stores n ow do them in L&R pairs apprx £20. Back to your question. If there is enough spare material on the new cover I would put it over the top of the old. However that will increase the diameter of the rim and may take some getting used to. Roger Thanks Roger....I see it is a common problem! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saggy Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Oh my............. mine is just black enamel paint (very chipped at that) on the rim made in what I'm guessing is the bakelite? Have I been missing a nice leather cover for all these years? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Hi Saggy, I don;t think they are bakelite. You can get them repaired to a very high level. Leather covers have a nice feel and give the rim a little more bulk. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 (edited) I recovered my plastic wheel rim with a leather kit from eBay at less than £25. The stitching takes a bit of practice but I'm very pleased with the result. Edited October 22, 2016 by peejay4A Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I've got one of those lace-up leather covers that were available in the sixties. What was the make - Alfa? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcgrison Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I recovered my plastic wheel rim with a leather kit from eBay at less than £25. The stitching takes a bit of practice but I'm very pleased with the result. Hi Pete, do you mean that if I peel the old/worn original leather off, I find the hard plastic rim beneath, isn't it? After that, I will fix the new one. Correct? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 (edited) Your wheel looks like an original plastic one with a leather cover added. It looks like the cover fits very well so I suppose it could be a factory fitted item but afaik it wasn't an option on the TR4/4A. If it were mine I would get a new one from ebay and remove the old one. I got my cover from these people: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-TRIUMPH-TR4-1961-1965-BLACK-BEST-QUALITY-REAL-LEATHER-STEERING-WHEEL-COVER-/260736236930?fits=Car+Make%3ATriumph%7CModel%3ATR+4&hash=item3cb5173d82:g:IJ0AAOxyzHxRNjHa If you choose the low risk route and apply a new cover over the old one you can message the above supplier and they will ask you for measurements and make a custom cover for not much more money. I did that on a no-name 13 inch wheel that came with my car which I refurbished and now alternate with the old big wheel just for fun. Edited October 23, 2016 by peejay4A Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcgrison Posted October 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 Your wheel looks like an original plastic one with a leather cover added. It looks like the cover fits very well so I suppose it could be a factory fitted item but afaik it wasn't an option on the TR4/4A. If it were mine I would get a new one from ebay and remove the old one. I got my cover from these people: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-TRIUMPH-TR4-1961-1965-BLACK-BEST-QUALITY-REAL-LEATHER-STEERING-WHEEL-COVER-/260736236930?fits=Car+Make%3ATriumph%7CModel%3ATR+4&hash=item3cb5173d82:g:IJ0AAOxyzHxRNjHa If you choose the low risk route and apply a new cover over the old one you can message the above supplier and they will ask you for measurements and make a custom cover for not much more money. I did that on a no-name 13 inch wheel that came with my car which I refurbished and now alternate with the old big wheel just for fun. Pete, you are right. I cast a glance over the "Original TR" by Bill Piggott and eventually discovered that under my worn leather there must be the original black plastic rim. As I have already bought through ebay the leather replacement I will now remove the old one and subsequently my wife will sew it on the rim. Thank you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 (edited) You're welcome. When your wife sews on the new cover you might want to leave the room - it's quite fiddly and you need to keep a lot of tension on the thread which can cut into your fingers, then when you miss one of the holes and have to unpick a whole section the air can go a bit blue. Also on balance if I should do another one I would do it with the wheel on the car. They are quite unwieldy and take on a life of their own if you do it on the dining room table. Edited October 23, 2016 by peejay4A Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcgrison Posted October 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 You're welcome. When your wife sews on the new cover you might want to leave the room - it's quite fiddly and you need to keep a lot of tension on the thread which can cut into your fingers, then when you miss one of the holes and have to unpick a whole section the air can go a bit blue. Also on balance if I should do another one I would do it with the wheel on the car. They are quite unwieldy and take on a life of their own if you do it on the dining room table. Pete, I peeled off the old leather cover without any problems and in the attached pic you can see the original rim in perfect condition. Now, it is in my wife hands. Best regards from Lago Maggiore Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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