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Hate the steering wheel 2010 Prius Gen III

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by bandito, Jul 21, 2010.

  1. cairo94507

    cairo94507 Active Member

    Joined:
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    Shop for a leather wrapped wheel off a wrecked package V. At the same time try to get another one of those silver pieces and see if a leather shop can cover that silver piece to match the steering wheel. Just a thought. Do a search for Hybrid wrecking yards. I bought a leather wheel for my Gen II from a Hybrid wrecking yard in Sacramento, CA for $100 and it was in brand new condition. Cost me $50 to have it installed by an air-bag repair guy. Made a big difference in my driving comfort and appearance in the interior. I do not like the aftermarket steering wheel covers.
     
  2. cobradb

    cobradb Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2010
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
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    seats and arm rest are going fast,,
    just put seat covers on and looking for arm rest cover for the blizzard pearl /tan interior
     
  3. sti-nkr

    sti-nkr Prius Ricer

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    For some reason the steering wheel reminds me of a crudely drawn walrus.... Maybe I'm wierd but it amuses me.
     
  4. practica

    practica Junior Member

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    Re: Vinyl steering wheel covers

    I do not like leather steering wheel covers even if they look fancier. The material is archaic and neither durable, waterproof, thermally insulating, nor cushioned. It's what people used for rugged materials before plastics and required frequent labor applying oil. It is cold in winter and hot in summer. I would pay just as much as the leather companies charge for one made of high-tech modern cushion vinyl. They would last the life of the car without any maintenance.
    Unfortunately these do not come in the required size, though some can be used. They cost practically nothing, however. They give a cushioned feel to the wheel which relieves strain on fingers, and have a different frictional feel. The surface features vary to give different grips, sporty aspects, and decorations.
    One of these in plain black matching the original wheel is from Superior Automotive in the Sport Grip line (www.sup-auto.com), widely available. There are two types, lace-on and fully formed, for lack of a term. Only the latter will be found in retail stores except PepBoys because of limited acceptance of the lace-on, which is available on-line, mail-order a few dealers. These do not lace up a seam like the leather ones, but spirally wrap a flat stretchy cord around it, for quick installation. They come in three widths for narrower-to-thicker wheels (the "grip" not diameter across the wheel), and the largest size C, also dubbed super-wide, at 3 7/8" is still not big enough for the Prius. Even though the measured grip circumference seems to be 4", due to thickness of the material there is still a 3/4" gap on the inside of the wheel. It can be attached but doesn't look all that good. The wheel diameter fits well though.

    The fully-formed model made to fit wheels from 14.5 to 15.5" looks better and while leaving a larger gap inside the wheel seems to fit the hand well, and makes the wheel much thicker. The diameter is not correct, with the circumference requiring removing about an inch from the length. These have a stiff rubber inside lining which grips the wheel well without being tightly fastened.
    A better made version is under the Pilot label, lacking any breaks around the edge covering, overlaps that can tear open, and no outside stitching of the main joint.
    To use this on Prius it should be sliced open across a seam where ends of the outer tube covering are sewn together, and the break positioned at the bottom of the wheel. Lay the two ends over each other, where there will be about an inch over-lap. Then cut again at the over-lap, using the lapping edge to guide a utility knife or razor blade; this can be just to mark the cut, which can be completed with scissors.
    The butted ends can be fastened by wrapping a strip of black duck tape around the grip at that point. If you tried sewing the ends together, you might not be able to stretch the tube easily to get it on, though this is how it is normally supposed to be installed on standard wheels in the original size. A lot of stress would be applied to the joint when that is done.