How to put on a steering wheel cover - Complete Guide

A good steering wheel cover is a crucial necessity for the control and aesthetics of your beloved vehicle. It’s a quick and convenient to customize your default steering wheel. But, how to put on a steering wheel cover on the car's steering wheel may be a confusing task now, and then as different types of covers require different kinds of methods to fit it adequately.

The chances are that you have the same confusion, or maybe you've bought the exact size but can't manage to adjust it properly. In either case, you need not to bother because we're here to the rescue. Here we have added a detailed insight on fitting a steering wheel cover. So, stick to the very end of this writing, and hopefully, you'll succeed in having this perfectly. 

How to Put on a Steering Wheel Cover: The Correct Way

The entire procedure categorized into three central and crucial parts that are –

A. Measuring your steering wheel

B. Choosing the best cover that fits your steering 

C. Installing the wheel cover

For your ease of understanding, we have broken them into some straightforward steps. Follow them accordingly and you will learn how to install a steering wheel cover.

A. Measuring your steering wheel

The steering wheel covers are not made to fit all sizes of steering wheels. Some fit 14.5-inch steering wheels, some fit larger than that, and so on. So, knowing the exact diameter of your wheel is the initial condition for the cover to fit in perfectly. To do that, follow these steps -

Step#1. Clean your steering 

•  External particles or dusts can give you incorrect measurements of your steering wheel dimensions as well as cause a misfit. Hence, it’s wise to clean the wheels first.
  

• You can simply use a rag and a cleaner like isopropyl alcohol to wipe away the external particles from the steering wheel before you apply the new steering wheel cover. Doing so will remove any unwanted particle of dust that would otherwise stay under the new cover hampering the overall fitting process.

Step#2. Measure out the outer diameter of the steering wheel

• To measure the outer diameter of your steering wheel, you need to stretch a tape measure across the front side of the wheel, and take the reading from one side to the other. Steering wheels are very likely to be anywhere from 14–17.5 inches in diameter.

Step#3. Measure the thickness of the steering wheel's hand grip

Now that you have the necessary dimensions of your wheel, you can advance to the next part of the procedure.

B. Buying the best cover that fits your steering wheel

Choosing the best steering wheel cover can boost your driving experience, giving you more control and comfort over your vehicle. You can choose the Valleycomfy or Motor Trend steering wheel Cover for your vehicle. Go through its specs and see if it matches the dimensions of your vehicle's steering. Don't choose a cover that is either a loose or over tightened fit as a loose fit will slide over the steering, causing you to lose sufficient grip and an over tightened one get cracked or damaged very quickly. So, always chose one with the exact match of your vehicle's steering wheel dimensions.

C. Installing the steering cover

Installing the steering wheel cover will take different measures depending upon what kind of cover you have chosen. It can be a stretch style or a stitch style cover, and you can't just install them the same way. You can also make steering cover according to the requirements.

Stretch type steering covers have elastic properties, so you have to stretch them in order to fit them on the steering . On the other hand, stitch type or sewing type covers will require you to sew them manually on the steering wheel.

Note that, stretch type covers often require a heavy force to install them, but on the other hand, installing stitch type covers may take more than an hour as you have to sew them all around the steering wheel. So, if you don't have time to spare, we suggest installing the stretch type ones.

Follow these steps to do the trick -

Stretch style covers: Installation method

Step#1. Unpack the steering wheel cover

• Your new steering covers should come with a cardboard at the center of the cover. Remove the cardboard along with other tags on the cover before you install it.

Step#2. Use a blow dryer to slightly lose the stretch style cover

• The stretch style covers may require some extra force to fit in. However, to ease the hassle, you can simply use a XPOWER blower or hair dryer to blow air into the cover. Doing so, the cover will tend to get softer, and thus, it'll be way more comfortable just to fit in.
  

• Hold the blow dryer or hairdryer about 1 inch away from the interior side of the stretch type cover. Blow hot air on each section of the cover for about 5-10 seconds. This should make it looser and hence, easier to install.
  

• However, keep that in mind, you have to install the cover just after the warm-up. If it gets colder, then it will be stiff and hard to stretch again. So, don’t let it cool off before installation.
  

• Note that if your stretch type cover fits easily without the heat applied, then there is no necessity to apply any heat.

Step#3. Position and Install the Stretch Style Steering Wheel Cover

• Start by fitting the top of the stretch type cover over the top of the steering wheel. Don’t forget to center and stabilize the steering wheel before starting to install the cover. Slide the top of the cover over the top of the steering wheel as much as you can.
  

•  Now, stretch out both sides of the cover so that it fits over the steering wheel. Then, using your fingers to stretch the cover over one side. Then, do the similar to the other side of the cover.Keep doing this until the entire cover is attached to the steering wheel.Sometimes, it may require some extra force, but that will also mean that it'll fit snugly enough.
  

• Lastly, pull the bottom of the cover over the steering wheel. Doing so, you’ll probably feel a resistance near the bottom of the steering wheel. In that case, apply as much force as you can to fit the final part of the cover firmly over the wheel, and that should fit your stretch type steering wheel cover.

Sewing style covers: Installation method

Step#1. Unpack the steering wheel cover

•  Start by centering the steering wheel. Then, place the cover over the steering wheel. Make sure to line up the flaps with the spokes in the steering wheel. Some covers may come with an adhesive tape that will help you attach it to the wheel better.
  

• The next step is to thread the needle using a lacing string. You stitch-required steering cover is most likely to come with lacing string. You’ll need about 3–5 feet of string and lace one end of the string through the needle. Then, leave a knot at the end of the lacing string to finish threading the needle.
  

• Now,start sewing near the top of one of the steering wheel’s spokes. Run the needle through an existing sewing hole on the interior of the cover. Pull the needle until it stops at the knot. Keep doing this over the spoke.
  

• When you have completed sewing for a spoke and reached another one, tie a knot at the end of the thread. Pull the string tightly, and then make a knot.Cut the extra string when you reach a spoke. Doing so correctly, your stitching should be uniform.
  

• Finish by stitching the rest of the sewing style cover together until the entire cover has been appropriately stitched. Sewing style covers are a little time consuming to install but fit excellent if you can do it correctly.

Conclusion

Installing your new steering cover is just as important as choosing the right one in the first place. A misfit cover will either slip or crack; either way, that's not something you'd expect from your new wheel cover. A loose cover can't provide you the grip necessary to keep your hands snugly over the steering wheel. You may even lose control due to this minor defect. On the other hand, over tightened covers will crack quickly, ruining the comfort and ergonomics that you require, especially for subsequent long drives. Thus, you should remain alert and also keen to know how to put on a steering wheel cover.