Now a steering wheel without a braid is like a man without clothes. After buying a car, every car enthusiast strives to give the cabin the best design. And the braid on the steering wheel is one of the most prominent criteria for a cozy and comfortable cabin. To top it off, as evidenced by surveys of motorists, the thicker the “steering wheel”, the more convenient and easier it is to turn. In our article, we will analyze how to choose the right one and how to put on a braid on a car steering wheel.
Such different braids
Braids vary in color, texture, material, width and design. And on the steering wheel, different models can hold differently. Some are made on a rubber base, others are laced, and others require that they be sewn up from the inside. Next, we will look at how to put on the steering wheel braids of various modifications.
Why buy braids to fit your handlebar?
If you buy the wrong size braid,especially the one that does not tighten around the steering wheel rim, that is, on a rubber base, the driver may experience problems of the following nature:
- Too small braid size will result in you not being able to physically pull it onto the handlebar. I'll have to go back to the store and change to a larger size.
- Too much braid will cause the steering wheel to slip. In the event that you suddenly need to maneuver sharply, quickly turning the steering wheel can cause only the braid to turn instead of the steering wheel, and this threatens to create an emergency.
The braid should be pressed tightly against the outer rim of the steering wheel or completely wrapped around it. Therefore, before learning how to properly put on a steering wheel braid, you should first figure out how to buy it in size.
Measure the size of the steering wheel
If you don't know the diameter of your handlebar, no problem. You can measure it with any tape measure or sewing centimeter. When buying, it is important to know two main parameters:
- steering wheel diameter;
- rim coverage.
In order to find out the diameter, we measure the distance between two points of the steering wheel, mentally drawing a line through the center.
To measure the width of the rim, measure it by circumference.
Now that we know all the values we need, we can safely go to the store for a braid. You can learn more about how to choose a braid for a car from the following video.
Criteria for selection by security rank
The safest type of braid is the one you needsew along the inner edge of the steering wheel rim. Such a braid will be akin to the steering wheel itself and will not turn under any jerks. In addition, the internal "ribs" of the steering wheel will interfere with turning. The lacing will prevent the braid from physically slipping past them.
The second safest, but at the same time the most budgetary and common type of braid is with an elastic band. That is, the braid is not that rubber-based. It is simply elastic and can stretch for a certain number of centimeters. Such a braid is also safe, but only on the condition that it is bought by size.
Put on an elastic braid
Now we are getting close to the question of how to put a braid on the steering wheel. Let's start with a simpler option - elastic. Since you can put a braid on a steering wheel without lacing without resorting to any improvised means and tools, just get behind the wheel and take out your new braid from the case. Further instructions will be as follows:
- If the steering wheel has a lock, put the car on the handbrake, turn off the engine and, removing the ignition key, turn the steering wheel until it locks. If the lock on your car model is not provided, it's okay. The main thing is not to let the "steering wheel" spin in our hands when we begin to pull the braid on it.
- Find a seam on the braid. It is the only one and should be located at the bottom exactly in the center. Attach our new braid to the handlebar so that the seam is exactly opposite of the front center section.
- We put on the cover of the braid on the steering wheel in the upper (front) of itparts and then pull it symmetrically on one side and the other.
- We make sure that the seam is constantly even in the back of the "steering wheel".
- At some point, the braid can stretch so that it looks like it's too small for your steering wheel. It's OK. Here you just have to make some effort, and it will definitely stretch if it was bought in size. This tension will ensure you safety when maneuvering. The tighter it sits, the less risk of slippage.
- After we align the braid so that its inner cut falls exactly in the center of the inner part of the circle.
Everything. Process completed. You can hit the road with a new braid.
We put on a braid with lacing
Now let's figure out how to put a braid with lacing on the steering wheel. Here you have to be patient and tinker longer. The braid should come with its own nylon cord and needle. If not, you can choose the needle of your choice, as long as it is long enough. 7 cm is the best option, the main thing is that a nylon cord can crawl into the ear. It would be better to dull its tip a little so that it does not damage the material of the braid.
Usually laced braids are made of leather or quality leatherette. Such material will further increase the safety of driving, and not only because of the lacing. The leather does not slip in the hands themselves, and driving a car will become more comfortable.
Here is an instruction on how to put on a leather braid with lacing on the steering wheel:
- Lock the steering wheel.
- We have (we put on) the braid on the steering wheel. It will look unsightly, but that's only until we pull it off.
- We make sure that the seam, as in the previous case, is in the back of the steering wheel. To do this, we put the braid on the steering wheel and start pulling it from the back (on the driver’s side) side of the steering wheel.
- Let's align the braid so that the junction of it, which we will sew, is exactly in the center of the circumference of the inner rim.
- We thread the cord into the needle and make a knot at the end of the nylon thread so that the thread does not slip at the beginning of sewing through the hole in the stitching of the braid.
- We begin to tighten from the side of the seam in the back of the steering wheel, and we make the first seam from the back side of the braid stitch, passing the needle through one of the stitch holes for the only time so that the knot remains inside the future cover and fixes tightly there.
- We do all subsequent stitches only through the stitches of the stitching and first we pass the needle under the stitching stitches of the upper and lower edges of the braid, located strictly opposite each other.
- We drag the thread, pull it together. And then we proceed in the same way. Next stitch. Insert the needle under the next line of stitching from the top and bottom. We tighten. Until we reach the inner "edge" of the steering wheel.
- Skip the thread under the edge and continue to stitch (tighten) the edges of the braid further, behind the edge.
- When the entire circumference of the braid is tightenedand we again returned to the lower part of the braid to the longitudinal seam, we tie a knot. Everyone can do it differently. The main thing is that it is not very noticeable. After tying, the edge of the nylon thread should be sealed inside the braid by inserting it there with the tip of the needle.
That's it, the wrapping process is complete. Those who are interested in taking a look at the process from the outside can watch the video.
We hope that our article on how to choose and how to put on a steering wheel braid was useful to you. All the best to you.
