Fix for loose steering wheel wrap?

The vinyl/rubber/whatever "wrap" around the steering wheel on my '99 Pre has come loose. Roughly between 10 and 2 o'clock, the cushion around the metal ring that is the steering wheel seems to have lost its connection to the wheel itself, and you can twist it, like the throttle on a motorcycle. There are no tears; the wrap is still in one piece. But as I normally drive one hand at 12 o'clock, I can't grip the wheel as tightly as I'd like, and this has been getting on my nerves lately. Has anyone seen this before? I'm kinda scratching my head coming up with a fix.

 

Buy a steering wheel cover.

 

You could try some sort of epoxy !

Drill some holes (1/4" to 3/8") let the epoxy set up then smooth things over and paint match if you need to.

What can it hurt.

A picture would give my more ideas .

 

How does that solve his problem? It's just going to move with what's underneath.....

 

Yeah I was thinking something similar, like:

• drop the steering wheel as far as it goes
• drill two holes toward the top/back, maybe 2" from 12 o'clock on either side
• pump epoxy in through one, until it oozes out the other

But I often think of ideas that absolutely won't work. I was hoping that this issue was common enough that somebody else figured out a feasible fix. I'm not sure how explain it any more clearly, but here's a vid anyway.

 

I would try a cover from Walmart. When I covered my steering wheel, I recall that it was pretty hard to put on, but I managed and it hasn't moved around at all on the steering wheel. It seems to soak up the sweat from my palms (which had begun to eat away at the stock wheel's finish), so that's a plus.

At $15 a cover's a lot cheaper than a new wheel.

Others have wrapped their SW with paracord. Looks nice, but I wonder how the paracord stands up to dirt, sweat, and grime, and how comfortable it would be.

 

It seems so many are not understanding the problem!

 

Let us know how it works if you try epoxy. I’ve got the same problem and have been trying to think of a solution. The reason I haven’t attempted any fixes yet is was worried what ever adhesive I use might have a weird reaction with the steering wheel foam causing it to dissolve, get really hard, break up or something else that would ruin the steering wheel. It functions the way it is, just annoying.

 

if you could find a big needle and inject some Gorilla glue in there ...

 

I cut the steering wheel cover about 8" across on the very top of the wheel (where mine was loose), opened it up, dampened the metal underneath the covered, added some Gorilla glue, and taped it closed with painter's tape. The glue bubbled through the cut in spots, but I cut away the high spots after cure, then I put this $14 steering wheel cover from Amazon on. It takes a bit of patience to stitch it up (maybe an hour worth of work), but the final product is great! That job was one of the first things when I bought my truck a year and a half ago. It has held up great and a huge improvement over the loose cover (and way better than a $700 wheel replacement).

Universal Car Steering Wheel Cover Leather Breathable Design 15 Inch Diameter Cowhide Steering Handlebar Wrap Fit Most Car SUV Gray

$14 Universal Car Steering Wheel Cover Leather Breathable Design 15" Diameter Cowhide Steering Handlebar Wrap Fit Most Car SUV Gray

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JHV9WCZ

 

Several reviews complain and provide photos of color failure in fairly short periods of time. Could be product, could be something on their hands. I mean leather is dyed, so something inexpensive like this is certainly subject to problems. How is yours holding up? My steering wheel is solid, but the top section is starting to surface peel.

 

After about a year I've noticed on the very top (most common resting point for my hand/wrist) has exposed some black underneath the gray coating. Hasn't bothered me enough to take it off and pay for an actual leather wrap, but I'm sure they're out there if you want to spend a bit more. Here's mine for reference (notice the black showing through on the very top not seen looking straight on, or any other angles really):

 

Thanks Sam.