Okay well I finally found some time to attack this project! On one of my spare steering wheels the tan leather top/bottom was GROSS, so instead of installing the paracord over it I simply cut it off, then burned the small threads back so they won't fray on the black leather part.

I had to stop as my little one needed me, but here are some pics of the completed bottom. To me it looks absolutely factory as it's sunk down some vs sitting on top (I pulled it extremely tight).

 

Nice!!

 

I bought a 'new' used one at a Rover graveyard for $25.

 

This was just a spare steering wheel I messed with as the top/bottom Tan Leather was totally GROSS and destroyed. After seeing so many people on Youtube (Especially Jeep JK/JKU Owners) doing it so fat, and so gaudy looking I wanted to see if a simple paracord wrap with the Tan Leather removed would look any good using black paracord.

I think the results are awesome with the old Leather removed. It's countersunk a little bit, and you can wrap it extremely tight off the truck (I did it on my kitchen bar with a towel underneath it to keep the horn buttons from getting all scratched up.

I'm now currently working on the top section and once I get it done I'm going to soak the paracord in hot water, so it will shrink up a little bit, and then I'll have the hard part = figuring out which D2 I should install it in lol.

Sure you can go buy another steering wheel, but I see no reason to toss out a perfectly good Leather steering wheel if just the top/bottom leather is destroyed. Now if the entire thing is messed up yeah I would replace it, but if the top/bottom is messed up, grab some black paracord (or color of your choice), and wrap it up.

I haven't messed with paracord in forever and I've never wrapped a steering wheel, but if you take your time, prep the steering wheel by removing the old leather, then when wrapping it make as tight of loops as possible and it will come out looking very nice.

 

Finished product! Not bad for my first attempt.

 

It certainly makes my attempt look bush league. Well done!

I think if I redo mine, I'll follow your lead.

 

LoL thanks for the compliments. I just took my time and I found it much easier to have it out of the vehicle as I could put the wrap part on the back to begin with without having to rotate it afterwards. With the old Leather gone it barely sticks up past the black Leather. I just wanted it as low as possible and the old Leather wasn't doing me any good being as nasty as it was.

Holding it under hot water in the sink made it truly tight.

 

The hot water thing never occurred to me.

So how are your hands? Man it wore mine out and I've got a pretty evil grip from all those years of hanging on the rim (yes, there is significance to my screen name).

 

Funny you'd mention that lol. I ended up getting a blister on my right index finger. I got it after messing with the lower part the first night. Today when I finished the top it didn't bother me at all and I pulled on it even tighter.

I had it snug for sure by taking my time with each bind/loop, but the hot water certainly helped to seal the deal and make it extremely snug.

I didn't do it thinking I'd install it, but after I got done with it I liked it so much I slapped it into my 99 D2. I'm going to swing by my local Army/Navy Surplus store and see if I can find some grey/black blended paracord. Or just grey and then I'll redo my Kalahari's original Grey/Black steering wheel which is also just sitting on a shelf in my shop.

It's not hard at all just gotta take your time and make the bind/loops tight, but next time I'll wear some fingerless bike gloves to help protect my fingers.

 

OK, now I feel better. No blisters, but definitely tired hands. Again, well done!!

And yes, taking your time is key.