Suzuki Sidekick Steering Wheel Cover
This job is scattered over several days with 2-3 days that you can’t use your truck, due to glue drying and curing. For a while, I tolerated a thick (Walmart) slip-on steering wheel cover that looked just okay. But as I began making other improvements to the truck, I wanted something more. I did some research and ended up covering the steering wheel with foam, notching the spokes and then a stitched-up leather cover.
First I tried slip-on universal Carbon fiber looking SW Protectors, but they fell off the skinny steering wheel. So, I decided to cover my Sidekick Steering Wheel with real leather using the leather steering wheel cover I found on Amazon (along with the other parts). There are infinite styles and colors available.
The leather is made for a 15" diameter steering wheel. It is 3 7/8"-4" wide, being the circumference of the wheel outer ring. A tractor guy described using foam to increase the diameter of the tractor steering wheel in a review and it looked pretty good. It figured out that, with 3 mm thickness EVA foam, the Sidekick steering wheel was about 3 7/8". So, I cut a strip of foam 3 3/4" wide and extra-long. I put it around the wheel and marked and cut it about a 1/2" less than the outside circumference of the steering wheel and glued the end edges together with contact cement and left it sit for a couple days. I put a ring of 2-sided tape around the outside of the steering wheel, LEAVING the paper on. I let it overlap so I could get hold of the paper to pull it off. Then, I centered the foam on the wheel and carefully pulled the paper off the tape. Next day, I put contact cement on the underside of the foam and on the entire ring of the steering wheel and let it dry for a half hour. Finally, I tightly wrapped the whole wheel with painter’s tape and let it set for two days. The tape came off easily and the foam was stuck everywhere.
The leather people recommended letting the leather lay flat on the spokes. Personally, I didn't like that look, so I cut a groove about 3/8" wide in each spoke. I used the cardboard cutout in the picture to mark the spokes and mostly used a utility knife to cut the grooves.
I set aside a whole day to stitch the leather on. But this was the easiest part. It took less than 2 hours. For the spokes, I put two-sided tape before the groove (close to the wheel) and in the groove, poking it in with a plastic putty knife. I left clamps on the spokes overnight. I used a small wood block against the leather. Not too tight, just a little pressure.
All together I spent a bit over $60.
