A worn or damaged steering wheel can ruin the overall look of your classic Toyota truck. It can also make driving a chore. Fortunately, replacing or repairing an old leather steering wheel isn’t that difficult.
First, clean the leather surface thoroughly. Then, research a stitch pattern you like online and print out diagrams to refer to as you work.
1. Leather Cleaner
The quickest and most affordable way to upgrade your Toyota’s steering wheel is with a custom cover. These are available in a wide range of materials including leather, vinyl, and foam. Custom covers cost only about $100 – a fraction of the price of a new steering wheel.
If the leather on your Toyota’s steering wheel is scuffed or dirty, a good leather cleaner will get it back to its original state. The first step in cleaning is to saturate a clean cloth or rag with water and apply it over the surface. A light rub will remove most scuffs and dirt from the leather surface. Ensure you do not use any wipes that contain alcohol, fragrances, or dye, as these can be detrimental to the life of the leather.
Chemical Guys makes a great, pH-balanced leather cleaner called Lexol that is suitable for all types of leather. This product is non-toxic and contains no conditioning agents, but it is effective in cutting into sweat and grime to leave a smooth, residue-free finish. This is one of the best multi-purpose leather cleaners on the market.
A more abrasive approach may be required if the leather on your steering wheel is heavily damaged or worn. A biodegradable prep agent like Leatherique Super Prepping Agent is an excellent choice for this type of situation. This will break down oils, waxes, and silicone sealers that could prevent an application of color from bonding properly to the leather.
Before you begin working on your Toyota’s steering wheel, it is important to disconnect the battery and wait for about 10-20 minutes to allow all power to drain from the vehicle. This will prevent an accidental discharge of the airbag within the steering wheel.
2. Leather Rejuvenator
If your steering wheel leather has seen better days, don’t just replace it. If you take the time to restore it, you can rework what’s there into something that feels and looks like new. Best of all, this is a repair you can do yourself in your garage.
Leatherique makes a product called Leather Rejuvenator, which is used globally by antique leather restorers and is widely considered to be the best leather restoration product in the business. It’s a deep conditioning treatment that helps leather regain its natural suppleness and softness. It’s great for leather car seats, reconditioned leather seats, and leather and faux leather clothing items (bags, shoes, tote bags, clutch purses, etc.).
To use the Leather Rejuvenator, you need to remove your steering wheel cover and clean it thoroughly with your leather cleaner and paper towel. Once you’ve cleaned it, you need to apply the Rejuvenator Oil liberally to it using a sponge, terry cloth applicator, or paint-type brush, massaging it well into all surfaces and natural folds of the leather.
Allow the leather to soak in the Rejuvenator for as long as practical — a day or more in warm weather would be ideal. If you park the wheel in direct sun, put a black garbage bag over it to help with the heat and protect it from sunlight.
While the leather is soaking in the Rejuvenator, you should use the opportunity to examine it for damage and to create a pattern for sewing your new leather steering wheel cover back together. If you see any holes, snags, or other defects, you’ll need to patch them with the crack filler compound later on in this process.
3. Klear Kote
This is a premium commercial grade clear epoxy resin that has been used for years in bars and restaurants to put a thick high gloss finish on tables and bar tops. It is also used by artists to put a high gloss finish on plaques, paintings, etc. It is easy to use with a 1:1 resin and hardener mixing ratio. It has great UV inhibitors to help prevent discoloring and surface degradation caused by sunlight. It can be airbrushed without clogging the airbrush and works well with enamel weathering products, acrylic paints, and modeling masking tape.
The kit contains 4oz’s of BLACK DYE, 4oz’s of SUPER PREPPING AGENT and 4oz’s of KLEAR KOTE. With this kit, you can RESTORE YOUR LEATHER OR VINYL STEERING WHEEL YOURSELF! Some wheels may require a Crack Filler, which DOES NOT come in the kit. NOTE: ORM-D, Consumer Commodity Product. Additional HazMat fees apply for AIR SHIPMENTS. See our terms and conditions for more information. THIS PRODUCT WILL NOT SHIP PRIORITY MAIL OR FIRST-CLASS MAIL – ONLY UPS GROUND OR USPS GROUND ADVANTAGE.
4. Super Prepping Agent
If the steering wheel has a lot of glaze, oil, old dye, and other contaminants coating it, you might need to go through an abrasive sanding process. Begin with 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper, followed by 1000-grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface that is ready for new dye. Soak a sanding pad with Leatherique’s Super Prepping Agent before rubbing the steering wheel’s rim. This biodegradable prep agent is safe for leather fibers, yet it removes silicone sealers, petroleum distillates, wax, and grease.
After a little work, your Toyota truck’s steering wheel should be as good as new! If you’re looking to restore a hard plastic or rubber steering wheel, check out our full line of steering wheel restoration and repair products. Also available for purchase are complete kits for both types of steering wheels that include all the necessary tools and supplies!
5. Crack Filler Compound
You’ve spent countless hours on the bodywork, the engine and interior are spotless, but the steering wheel has cracked. Finding a good used one is difficult, and reproduction wheels (if available) are expensive. If this is the case, you have several options – live with it, find a way to remove the cracks, or repair the wheel.
Eastwood offers a selection of steering wheel restoration kits that come with detailed instructions and the filler compound needed to restore the wheel. The filler compounds come in two containers – a filler and hardener which you mix to make a paste and then spread over the repair area. Use a plastic body filler applicator to push it into the cracks and troubled areas of the wheel. Once dry, sand with wet sandpaper starting at 1,000 grit and working up to 2,000 grit to smooth the repaired area.
Leatherique representatives say that crack fillers can also be mixed with their dye to match the original color of the steering wheel. It’s quick drying and dries to a dark black finish.
