[nyvram]

1) Leather-wrap another Honda steering wheel
2) Leather-wrap another Honda steering wheel

When you say 'tedious'; how about instead "mind-numbing water-torture". My fingers ache...oh so painful...Chuck? What were the needle-nose pliers for? Just to get a better grip on the lace from time to time?

I hope it looks ok (it was dark when I finished) but I can tell you before you start if you decide to do it yourself
1) you will honk the horn about 60 times
2) the lace will catch on both the driver's & passenger's seat-belt connectors about 60 times
3) the lace will wrap itself around the steering column, keys and the buckle on your shoe about 60 times
4) the holes will get harder & harder to thread as you go causing you to poke yourself endlessly with the needle

Ow. How can I even type w/ fingers that feel like pin cushions and pinkies that are lacerated from lace-whuppins'?

Well, I guess I'll get a good look in the morning & decide if it was all worth it!

[This message has been edited by nyvram (edited 06-30-2001).]

 

[nemogira]

I know what you mean. I wish someone told me before hand to use gloves when installing. OUCH! It's funny though after all that hard work I eventually ended swapping the entire steering wheel with an Acura TL-S.

But don't worry though, that leather cover served it's purpose WELL while I had it on.

-Nestor

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2000 CCS EX-NAVI

 

[Intrepid175]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by nemogira:
I know what you mean. I wish someone told me before hand to use gloves when installing. OUCH!

-Nestor

</font>

Did your leather steering cover come with directions? I don't know about yours, but mine "did" recommend wearing a light set of gloves for this job. It was a recommendation I didn't heed and paid the price with a very deep blister on the outer edge of the last joint of my little finger. It's taken that about two weeks to finally heal up.

Other than that, I've been pretty happy with the results.

Drive Safe,
Steve

 

[Jim F]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by nyvram:
Ow. How can I even type w/ fingers that feel like pin cushions and pinkies that are lacerated from lace-whuppins'?</font>

You girly-man. Just wait until Odythedog hears about this. He'll blame your sensitivity on Ody ownership.

One word ... GLOVES!

You're going to love driving with the cover on the wheel. Honda should have included a leather covered wheel with the EX.

------------------
Jim

'01 GG EX

 

[Jim F]

Ok, ok ... I admit I didn't use gloves either. LOL Ouchies ...

------------------
Jim

'01 GG EX

 

[CPSDarren]

My biggest problem was that I'd get it through the next hold and start to pull tight when I'd realize I forgot to pass it through the loop. So, unthread, re-loop, re-thread...Ugh. I thought I'd learn after doing that a few times, but I just kept doing it...

 

[nemogira]

Intrepid175, I THINK it came with instructions? I honestly can't remember. Seeing how the installation was pretty straight forward - I probably didn't even bother reading them carefully. Oh well...live and learn, I guess?

caviller, I went through the exact same thing.

-Nestor

 

[ckonarske]

Sheesh! Now I feel left out!

I don't remember having any trouble and I think I did it at about midnight the night I picked up the van.

------------------
Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes.

 

[nyvram]

Ok, redux.

I'm gonna have to redo it. I thought I had read the instructions plenty of times; but my 'holds' kept coming undone as I went...when Jim mentioned the 'loop under' I looked at it again and realize I must have done it wrong...I couldn't hold each seam tight enough before getting through the next hole without it coming loose a little. The whole thing looks bad in the daylight (I too did it at midnight under a streetlight though...doh!) and its obvious I didn't pull it tight enough (even though I've got like 4 big white puffy blisters). I'll just order another lace from Honda, unthread the old & start again.

Also; I noticed my lacing thread became 'frayed' and dental-floss like because I was pulling so hard; now in the daylight there are little strings everywhere. Anyone else have this problem?

Sheesh...it looks like I just did the whole thing all wrong...and it took me a good 2 hours the first time around.

Well, live and learn. Now my leather will be slightly 'conditioned' so hopefully I'll get a really good tight seam the next time around.

Course that's going to be at least 2 weeks away while my hands heal & yes I plan to put on gloves next time.

 

[rollie66]

This was a very tedious mod but also very rewarding. I read a post that said go slow and pull very tight. I spent about an hour doing the cover. Did not wear gloves however I used pliers to pull the needle through. did not have sore hands just a sore neck.

 

[E ticket]

I luckily did not experience of pain putting the leather wrap on the steering wheel.
It was my wife’s mod and she did it.

 

[huntlarry]

I used the extra-wide Pep Boys leather wrap. It worked perfect and fit my 1st gen Ody like it was from the factory. The holes must have been larger (or my hands tougher

because I did not have to wear gloves. Cost $15 Pep Boys vs. $35 from Honda. Couldn't be happier with it.

 

[DDakRT]

Yes, it was a pain to puit the dang thing on, but the end results was rewarding. I actually had gloves on but they proofed to be too clumsy, so I took them off. I spent about 2 1/5 hours because I really pulled TIGHT, to make matter worse I started at about 4 o'clock and the sun went down at about 4:45.

The worst thing was that the twine snapped and I punched myself in the nose

, oh well, no pain no gain I guess.

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by DDakRT:
The worst thing was that the twine snapped and I punched myself in the nose

, oh well, no pain no gain I guess.</font>

LOL

I'm sorry, but that gives me such a funny visual. If that happened to me I would've punched it right back. HONK!

-Nestor

 

[Mel]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by nyvram:
...if you decide to do it yourself
1) you will honk the horn about 60 times
2) the lace will catch on both the driver's & passenger's seat-belt connectors about 60 times
3) the lace will wrap itself around the steering column, keys and the buckle on your shoe about 60 times
4) the holes will get harder & harder to thread as you go causing you to poke yourself endlessly with the needle
</font>

I think I was cheated

! My experience last night:

1. I only honked the horn about a dozen times. (My wife thought I finished a lot sooner than I actually did because the noise stopped.)

2. I only caught the seat belts four or five times.

3. My shoes don't have buckles! And, since I couldn't stand the key alarm, I left the keys out of the ignition.

4. Even though I got out some gloves, I decided not to use them-too bulky. Nevertheless, no blisters this morning.

All in all, it took me about 2 1/2 hours. It even looks pretty good this morning

Now for the fog lights...

Mel


[This message has been edited by Mel (edited 07-04-2001).]

 

[s2ktaxi]

Having done a few of these over the years, I was glad when I found out that you can use the same wheel from a TL or MDX or CL. Just go to your Acura dealer and ask them for those leather wrapped wheels that are just sitting around from when people upgraded their steering wheels to the ones with the simulated wood tops and bottoms.

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by s2ktaxi:
Having done a few of these over the years, I was glad when I found out that you can use the same wheel from a TL or MDX or CL. Just go to your Acura dealer and ask them for those leather wrapped wheels that are just sitting around from when people upgraded their steering wheels to the ones with the simulated wood tops and bottoms.</font>

Actually the MDX uses a different wheel hub. So those won't work as well with our airbags. But the CLs and TLs should be fine!

-nemogira


------------------

2000 CCS EX-NAVI

[This message has been edited by nemogira (edited 07-04-2001).]