[KhaosKid]

Hello fellas,
I recently had a lot of free time on my hands, so decided to wrap my LCI sport steering wheel. I previously wrapped my old non-sport steering wheel and I really liked how it added some thickness and made the wheel look and feel new again. I was getting tired of the shiny appearance of my wheel, and the fact it was feeling too slippery when turning in parking lots.

So, I decided to do the MeWant wrap again. I don't like the regular steering wheel covers, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money tbh. I definitely did a better job this time, but it did take about 4-5 hours with the wheel off the car.
The Mewant wrap is weird. I had to basically skip a few threads on the side that was closer to the driver close to the bottom spoke for the wrap to line up properly once I got to the spokes at 9 and 3. It was pretty unnoticeable on one side but on the other its a little noticeable as you can see in the pics.
I REALLY REALLY wanted the wrap to line up perfectly at 9 and 3 because it annoyed me when I didn't on my old wheel. i'd always play with the flappy bit at the end which just annoyed me even more lmao.

Overall, for the price I still think this is one of the best mods to do as long as you take your time. It makes the leather on the wheel feel exactly like the new m-sport wheel on my sisters 2019 g20 530i. (I chose the genuine leather one they sell instead of PU, so can't comment on how that one feels).

I'd give myself a 7/10 the first time and on this second wheel, a solid 8-8.5/10 depending on how picky you are. I always liked perforated leather on the sides ever since I was a child. It makes me think the car is fast for some reason

If anyone wants to post their pics, or give reviews on the mewant wrap please do. I know there are already a few threads on this subject, but why not add to the database? Seems like our cars are still quite popular despite how old they are now. And i think people should try this mod because the only really hard part is learning how to tie the knots for the sewing, and having confidence and going slowww (measure once, cut twice type of approach). Also i used two needles so that I could start from either side of a spoke at once to be able to pull the wrap tighter around the spokes. And I removed the wheel from the car. This is honestly necessary to get a good result on the back side near the spokes, unless you want to kill your neck.

Also, when I was done a section, I left a good 5-8 inches of thread at the end of the spokes (so three tails when you're done all 3 sections), so that I could go back later and pull the thread a bit tighter before tying a knot. I let the leather kinda relax for a day or two before doing the final thread tightening so that it wouldn't stretch as much later. If you have time then do this. When you tighten the thread, use a pick tool or a long needle. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]With one hand pull the leather pieces together so that with the other hand you don't have to pull the thread too hard. I broke the thread once because I did not do this[/COLOR] and its super annoying because I had to redo the section otherwise it wouldn't look as good. I did not skip any threads and I used a 'EURO STITCH' or 'DIAMOND stitch' pattern, except I never skipped any threads which you are usually supposed to do with that pattern. This made it come out looking different but I like it, and it makes it fit tighter.

PRO TIP: On the two bottom sections (so between the spokes at 6 9 and 6 3), if you don't skip threads on the side closer to driver, the seams wont line up where the leather changes from smooth to perforated. You HAVE to use the same thread loop on the side close to the dash on 2 or 3 thread loops on the side close to the driver to get everything to line up properly. It helps to make it less noticeable if you do this doubling up closer to the 6 o clock spoke. I wish me want just used 5 or 7 less loops on the side closer to the driver so this wasn't necessary. I hope this made sense. It will make more sense once you get started. I stitched the bottom sections at the same time, but then stopped the bottom right section 30% of the way to finish bottom left. Then when bottom left was almost done, i began the top section at the top left so that I could pull the leather tight over the 9 o clock spoke from both directions.[COLOR="LightBlue"][/COLOR] Then i did the same thing on the right spoke to make it tighter. I highly suggest doing this rather than the way they do it in the mewant video. You only need two needles to do it this way, just don't cut any excess until the very very end so you can pull thread tighter to make up for the material relaxing. Blunt tip needles are best which is what the kit comes with. But I think it only comes with one. You can probably ask them for an extra 1 or 2. I got this two needle idea from another forum member but I forget who (sorry). It made a huge difference IMO.

I used one or two small pieces of the double sided tape at the front snd back of the spokes, but only after I was done the sewing. The pieces on the front of the spokes were to get rid of any bubbles/air gaps. The pieces on the back were for the same thing, and also to stick the leftover thread to after i tied the knot so it wouldn't be visible. I didn't want to burn the ends because I was scared I would burn the leather. If it wasn't clear, I removed the trim by taking out the 3 torx screws. They were t20 i believe. Maybe t25.

I had an entire bundle of the smaller bundle of thread they gave me leftover at the end even with all the excess thread I used. I really wanted to do the cross stitch pattern initially but you have to ask mewant not to sew the steering wheel at all. They just need to make the holes for you. I think it would look cool if you have the time, as this is the pattern used on the BMW performance wheel with the alcantara and the yellow stripe. I settled for the euro/diamond stitch which looked good to me, and is the one used on most euro cars, including the stock sport wheel. I used light gray thread because they didn't have silver, and I wanted it to match my Performance shift knob as much as possible.

I hope this helps someone whose thinking about doing this mod to do it. Our old wheels are definitely starting to show their age by either looking shiny or worn or discoloured, I think. If you have time because you work at home and you like adding personal unique touches to your car, I think you will enjoy the process like I did. It was annoying at times not going to lie, but it was fun seeing it come together with the stitch pattern I chose. The videos mewant puts up honestly Arent super useful, the main videos to watch are ones on how to tie a starting knot to start sewing. And how to tie a finishing knot to finish sewing. Also just how to start sewing a diamond stitch pattern and finish sewing a diamond stitch pattern a.k.a. How to run the thread through the holes when beginning and starting to ensure it can withstand the pulling when tightening the wrap down . Those videos were the most helpful for me.

See pics attached below:

[KKevin]

Looks like you did a 10/10 job- most people will be looking at it from the outside and hardly notice any small imperfections!

Question: Does heated steering go through the wrap?

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by KKevin

Looks like you did a 10/10 job- most people will be looking at it from the outside and hardly notice any small imperfections!

Question: Does heated steering go through the wrap?

Thanks, I appreciate it. If only I didn't mess up the stitching in the bottom right section, but honestly i'm fine with it too . They gave a bunch of extra thread so I can potentially fix it in the future.

As for your question, it will definitely still warm up, but it adds about 1mm on each side of the wheel. So the heat will have to penetrate 1 extra mm of the leathery material.I am not an expert or even a novice on thermodynamics, but I think the heat transfer is affected by the additional mass, and the additional thickness (please someone correct me if I am wrong). I think the material itself plays a role too and leather has a lot of air in it which makes it a better insulator. This would make it heat up slower probably, BUT also make it take away heat from your hand more slowly while it is still cold. So this would FEEL like it's not as cold when its in the warm up phase. (Like compare touching a piece of rubber vs a steel ratchet handle at freezing temps).

TLDR VERSION:
So since the wrap thickness is only 1mm and the weight added isn't much, and leather is a good insulator, I think overall, you will not notice much difference, but there definitely WILL be a slight difference. Maybe 30 seconds extra? I wouldn't be too worried about it, but if anyone else wants to chime in who actuslly has done this then I'm interested too.

If the wrap is applied tightly over the wheel, this will increase the surface area for heat transfer so its important to make sure you apply it tight enough that there are no air gaps to get the best results. (Don't go too tight or you'll get too many wrinkles).

Cheers.

[Luper52]

Nice job. Did mine a few weeks ago.

Before and After are attached. On mobile so I can't format very well.

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by Luper52

Nice job. Did mine a few weeks ago.

Before and After are attached. On mobile so I can't format very well.

Wow. Huge difference imo. Nice. I especially like how it gets rid of that shininess. Did you treat the leather with anything to get it to darken or is that just how it came? I'm thinking about treating it with something to darken it, but I don't want it to get too shiny since it"s still new.

I used mink oil on my old wheel and it darkened it nicely, and made it a little shiny which i liked back then. But now I think I like the non shiny look. Reminds me of the newer M sport wheels leather. But who knows, when I get bored of this I'll probably treat it somehow.

[Luper52]

Originally Posted by KhaosKid

Wow. Huge difference imo. Nice. I especially like how it gets rid of that shininess. Did you treat the leather with anything to get it to darken or is that just how it came? I'm thinking about treating it with something to darken it, but I don't want it to get too shiny since it"s still new.

It came that dark. The shininess in the first picture may be particularly apparent because I probably cleaned the steering wheel before I took the picture. As amazing as it looks, it could be 5% tighter and it would be perfect. The stitching took forever because the thread wanted to spin and would snap. Higher quality thread and this job would be amazing. Still is an improvement in feel and aesthetics for sure. And I got it for $25 shipped.

[KhaosKid]

I feel like mine could be tighter too. It’s like the leather keeps relaxing a tiny amount or something. Really odd. But compared to the 10-year old leather it really does make a nice difference. It refreshes the interior nicely.

Someone once told me the steering wheel is the most important part of the car because you are constantly interacting with it. They said it’s the first modification they do to their cars because of this. I kind of understand why now. However, me, I like a nice sounding exhaust as my first mod.

Thinking about upgrading shocks to Bilstein B6 soon…

[ethanjoon]

Mine didn't come out right on my E92. I regret doing it because now I need to find time to remove it and install a new one. Fingers crossed I do it right this time

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by ethanjoon

Mine didn't come out right on my E92. I regret doing it because now I need to find time to remove it and install a new one. Fingers crossed I do it right this time

Aw shoot. I know how that feels. I had to redo the bottom left quadrant at least 3 times, and the bottom right quadrant at least twice until I was satisfied with how it looked. It got pretty frustrating and I almost gave up. So don't give up. Take a break but come back to it.

What do you think went wrong that you could fix the next time you attempt it? Was it starting the knot, the thread/sewing design, lining up the wrap, getting it too loose around the spokes…? I think it would help people to know what they should look out for.

For me, it was lining up the wrap and making sure to follow the OEM threads. I kept veering off course too much, so I would restart because it was too tight to rotate the leather into place. Another thing, I would pull the thread either too tight or too loose. I think its better to go slightly too loose and go back to retighten with a pick tool or needle, than to go too tight and have creases and make it too tight to make micro adjustments before retightening.

Also: getting it too loose at the spokes. I found using the two-needle method helped a lot. Also if you use the threads mewant wants you to use to tighten the leather, the wrap will end up being too long on the side/half closer to the back of the wheel, and too short on the side/half closer to where the driver would sit.

Thats why I was saying in my first post that you should use around 6-8 of the threads on the side/half closer to the back of the wheel twice, with the same thread on the side/half closer to the driver to even out this discrepancy in thread count on either side by the time you reach the end of the quadrant. By then its too late when you can see that the spokes won't line up properly. I hope that made sense as it is very hard to explain without videos. I dont know why MeWant didn't just match the threads so that there are equal numbers on either side for the bottom quadrants.

At the end of the day, practice makes perfect. You will get it. It gets frustrating sometimes, but patience is key. Try to figure out what you are struggling with so you can focus on that next time around so you are always improving.

[King Rudi]

Well done OP. I wrapped the wheel on my E93 and loved the feel. It made the car seem to handle differently. I somehow managed to get a wrinkle in mine on the left side, but over time it dissipated.


I have found one for the Lexus but the only reason I haven't done it yet is due to the time it takes. The E93 wheel took me about 5 hours. Good rainy day project for sure. I have 2 weeks off after next week. I may go ahead and order mine today and slap it on during my time off.

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

Well done OP. I wrapped the wheel on my E93 and loved the feel. It made the car seem to handle differently. I somehow managed to get a wrinkle in mine on the left side, but over time it dissipated.


I have found one for the Lexus but the only reason I haven't done it yet is due to the time it takes. The E93 wheel took me about 5 hours. Good rainy day project for sure. I have 2 weeks off after next week. I may go ahead and order mine today and slap it on during my time off.

Over time mine also seems to be molding to to contours a little more. I like like feel of the perforated leather. Its super subtle but it adds a little more feedback of where the wheel is in its rotation. Or maybe im just talking shit i don't know .

I feel you on the time. It took me around 5 hours. Including removing and reinstalling the wheel. The worst part is redoing parts several times and getting demoralized because it isn't lines up just right. But you have experience so I bet you'll be fine. Good call on doing it during your week off. It's definitely more enjoyable if you give yourself more than one day to do it. My situation was such that I was able to give myself a good 3-4 days so if I got frustrated I just walked away. If you end up doing it post it here! I bet the Lexus forums are much more dead, or am I wrong?

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by KhaosKid

Over time mine also seems to be molding to to contours a little more. I like like feel of the perforated leather. Its super subtle but it adds a little more feedback of where the wheel is in its rotation. Or maybe im just talking shit i don't know .

I feel you on the time. It took me around 5 hours. Including removing and reinstalling the wheel. The worst part is redoing parts several times and getting demoralized because it isn't lines up just right. But you have experience so I bet you'll be fine. Good call on doing it during your week off. It's definitely more enjoyable if you give yourself more than one day to do it. My situation was such that I was able to give myself a good 3-4 days so if I got frustrated I just walked away. If you end up doing it post it here! I bet the Lexus forums are much more dead, or am I wrong?

You are not wrong. I haven't owned a BMW in 3 years but I'm here daily. I might check in on the Lexus forums about once a month.....for about 5 minutes. Those guys have absolutely no personality. All discussions seem to revolve around the IS 500, wheel/tire fitment and everyone has the same mods in different colors. Occasionally I find a diamond of a thread on there, but it isn't often.

[KKevin]

Hmm, Im assuming you wrapped over the existing leather steering wheel right?

[Luper52]

Originally Posted by KKevin

Hmm, Im assuming you wrapped over the existing leather steering wheel right?

Yes these wraps all cover the existing leather

[ethanjoon]

Originally Posted by KhaosKid

Aw shoot. I know how that feels. I had to redo the bottom left quadrant at least 3 times, and the bottom right quadrant at least twice until I was satisfied with how it looked. It got pretty frustrating and I almost gave up. So don't give up. Take a break but come back to it.

What do you think went wrong that you could fix the next time you attempt it? Was it starting the knot, the thread/sewing design, lining up the wrap, getting it too loose around the spokes…? I think it would help people to know what they should look out for.

For me, it was lining up the wrap and making sure to follow the OEM threads. I kept veering off course too much, so I would restart because it was too tight to rotate the leather into place. Another thing, I would pull the thread either too tight or too loose. I think its better to go slightly too loose and go back to retighten with a pick tool or needle, than to go too tight and have creases and make it too tight to make micro adjustments before retightening.

Also: getting it too loose at the spokes. I found using the two-needle method helped a lot. Also if you use the threads mewant wants you to use to tighten the leather, the wrap will end up being too long on the side/half closer to the back of the wheel, and too short on the side/half closer to where the driver would sit.

Thats why I was saying in my first post that you should use around 6-8 of the threads on the side/half closer to the back of the wheel twice, with the same thread on the side/half closer to the driver to even out this discrepancy in thread count on either side by the time you reach the end of the quadrant. By then its too late when you can see that the spokes won't line up properly. I hope that made sense as it is very hard to explain without videos. I dont know why MeWant didn't just match the threads so that there are equal numbers on either side for the bottom quadrants.

At the end of the day, practice makes perfect. You will get it. It gets frustrating sometimes, but patience is key. Try to figure out what you are struggling with so you can focus on that next time around so you are always improving.

I had a few problems in different areas. First, the starting thread came undone in the lower right portion of the wheel, and that kind of ruins the entire piece. I guess I didn't make the beginning knot large enough on that one. Next, I realized that for a couple of them, I didn't start off the thread using the correct stitch. This made me one stitch off, causing the 12 o'clock stripe to misalign by one tiny stitch (it's off by less than half a centimeter, but it still gets me). Lastly. regarding the portion of suede that you need to tuck behind the steering wheel trim... I didn't align the wrap well enough, so on one side I had too much suede to tuck in, and on one part I didn't have enough suede to tuck in.

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by ethanjoon

I had a few problems in different areas. First, the starting thread came undone in the lower right portion of the wheel, and that kind of ruins the entire piece. I guess I didn't make the beginning knot large enough on that one. Next, I realized that for a couple of them, I didn't start off the thread using the correct stitch. This made me one stitch off, causing the 12 o'clock stripe to misalign by one tiny stitch (it's off by less than half a centimeter, but it still gets me). Lastly. regarding the portion of suede that you need to tuck behind the steering wheel trim... I didn't align the wrap well enough, so on one side I had too much suede to tuck in, and on one part I didn't have enough suede to tuck in.

I'll leave some comments that are hopefully helpful to yourself snd maybe future diyers.

The "starting thread/knot getting pulled out" issue is annoying and happened to me at first. However, you can find Videos online where people demonstrate how to stitch. If you look up the "diamond stitch" how-to's, it will show you a technique on how to start sewing. Basically, you tie a double or triple knot, big enough that it will be difficult for the knot to get pulled through the starting hole as you stitch. However, this isn't all. The way you start, you use the first holes on either side of the wrap. The ones made by MeWant where they threaded their part of the wheel.

So the knot has the resistance of a really tiny hole that now has two threads in it rather than one (Mewant's original one, and now yours). You end up going through the first hole on either side, in a specific way (see video). Only then do you start using the loops of thread to cinch the wrap tight all the way to the end. Also, make sure to tighten the knot S-L-O-W-L-Y so that you can get the second knot to actually double up EXACTLY where the first knot is. If the two knots aren't right ontop of each other, you basically have two SEPERATE single knots, rather than one single DOUBLE KNOT(or triple knot to be safe). If you mess up a knot, just try to get the next one on top of that one and keep trying until you get a large enough looking knot that you feel comfortable it won't pull out easily.

Once you learn this technique for starting the thread, you will find it much easier to sew, and tighten, without worrying about the thread coming loose. If it makes you feel better this is a very common mistake for people who never sewed before to make. I did it when i sewed my first wrap a few years ago. Hell, I even did it once when wrapping my wheel this time around, after I finished the left quadrant, so an hour or so down the drain.

Secondly, you mentioned that the wrap wasn't centred perfectly/close to perfectly on the wheel, resulting in the middle stripe being off centre, among other things. This is the biggest problem with the leather steering wheel wraps in general. You can centre it pretty well, but when you sew it you may inadvertently move it. What I suggest, is when you first centre the wrap, take literally 10 minutes to centre it perfectly. When you are done, It should lay on the wheel such that without MOVING the wrap, you can fold the leather around the wheel rim with your hands, and ALL the leather pieces meet their twin with both of them touching exactly/almost exactly where the THREADS from the ORIGINAL OEM wheel leather wrap is. Take your time on this part and it will pay off really well. Also, the first half of the installation is the most crucial. You should stop, and re-check the centring of the wheel after every 5 or so loops you sew. EXPECT TO HAVE TO UNDO A FEW LOOPS to fix your centring if you dont do this (or even if you do).

FInally, a tip to go along with the last. Sew the thread as LOOSELY as possible while still sewing it properly as you can. Why? Because it makes it easier to twist and pull and slide and shuffle and WHATEVER ELSE to basically maneuver the leather to the correct location once you're half way done and realize that the wrap isn't centred anymore. Right when you can see its not centred close to perfect, you should stop sewing and take a couple minutes to check the entire circumfrence that the flaps meet and touch where the OEM THREADS are. If they don't shimmy/slide/rotate WHATEVER you need to do to get the wrap perfectly centred before you move on.

Fixing it now will be the easiest because there are less threads completed, and because you didn't cinch down anything yet. Ignore the urge to make it TIGHTTTT because you're afraid it will be loose, or you think it will be perfect and no adjustments necessary and you can save time. Yes, it will add time to the install to do it this way because you have to go back later and re tighten once maybe even twice when you could've just done it in one pass. Don't try to save time here or it can bite you in the booty. I can't stress enough how much this tip saved me from having to redo the process more than I did.

At the end of each section (3 sections total right?) just leave excess 4 or so inches of thread. Enough for you to grip so you can pull the thread taut later in between using your pick tool. Once the wrap is cinched tight its very difficult to move and fix any mess-ups with the centring. Keeping it loose until the end gives you that slight amount of lee way that you will be thankful for later. Trust me.

Note: if your wheel is multi material like mine, it helps to know how close to centred the wrap is when sewing. I started at the 6 o clock position and ai think you should too. By the time you hit the perforated section, if the wrap isn't centred perfectly the two sides of the perforated section will be mismatched and win't meet properly lined up. That's how you know to go back 5-10 threads and skip threads on the side that didn't make it far enough.Because of the way the bottom two sections curve, it's quite difficult to get them to line up properly. There's literally quite a few more thread loops on one side than the other for those sections, so knocking them out first will help you see mistakes right away and fix them while you barely have anything to undo.

Thats why i highly suggest you start at the 6 o clock spoke. Do the first 20 pct of the left and right sides together, so that you are pulling the wrap tight and centred from both sides. Once you get far enough on both sides that you've reached the boundary where smooth leather becomes perforated and everything is still lined up, go finish the left quadrant and use the pulling from both sides technique when you get close to the end of the left quadrant. Then do the top quadrant. This way if you royally messed up and weren't paying attention to the centreing as you went and didn't notice, the middle centring stripe Will be your indication, you have only half of the wrap done and don't have to redo the whole thing. If it is centred, then the halfway point is basically the point where you can relax and be certain that it will more or less be centred properly to the degree no one will notice it isn't perfect, because its too hard to tell.

Goodluck y'all. And remember, no one ever does something perfect on their first try. And if you do then start doing it for a living

[Sterling Roadster]

You guys have done really well with this! I need to have it done as my wheel is very worn. I'm not going to attempt it myself as I know I don't have the precision or patience for it. I think I found someone that offers and installation service here in Toronto. Still cheaper than a new wheel.

[timnkoo]

Originally Posted by Luper52

Nice job. Did mine a few weeks ago.

Before and After are attached. On mobile so I can't format very well.

Looks amazing, excellent job!
Where did you purchase your wrap from?

[KhaosKid]

Originally Posted by Sterling Roadster

You guys have done really well with this! I need to have it done as my wheel is very worn. I'm not going to attempt it myself as I know I don't have the precision or patience for it. I think I found someone that offers and installation service here in Toronto. Still cheaper than a new wheel.

Yes. Honesty I thought about it and, if you don't have something to practice on at least a little, I think it may be worth it to simply pay someone to do it. This was my 2nd attempt, 1st one was on my old wheel and it wasn't that good. I used black thread because I knew it was going to look uneven so wanted to hide the thread as much as possible lol.

Lots of little things involved to get it to look right. How tight to pull the thread, remembering to go back after the leather relaxed/stretched and tighten again so it doesn't get loose later, constantly checking if the wrap is still centred in the correct position, etc.
If you pay someone, you know you're going to get good quality. And you can ask them for any stitch pattern and types of material for the wheel. If they mess up they can deal with it not you. Not a bad choice tbh.

And since you're always in contact with the wheel, it's a good mod because you will always notice it. I dislike the leather they use on all but the m-sport and m3 wheel (personal opinion). The leather on stock sport/non sport wheels to me feels too rubbery/plasticky. Maybe it's just the LCI models bc BMW cheaped out hard on them. or maybe its just due to the age of the wheel. Either way its not grippy enough. With how heavy BMW tuned the power steering, the increase in grip from a new softer wrap is noticeable.

One thing i'm regretting is not modding my wheel to have heated steering. I wonder if anyone has done their own heated steering by wrapping a thin heating element around the wheel and then covering it with a leather wrap..

[Luper52]

Originally Posted by timnkoo

Looks amazing, excellent job!
Where did you purchase your wrap from?

From AliExpress. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001407254521.html

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by KhaosKid

Yes. Honesty I thought about it and, if you don't have something to practice on at least a little, I think it may be worth it to simply pay someone to do it. This was my 2nd attempt, 1st one was on my old wheel and it wasn't that good. I used black thread because I knew it was going to look uneven so wanted to hide the thread as much as possible lol.

Lots of little things involved to get it to look right. How tight to pull the thread, remembering to go back after the leather relaxed/stretched and tighten again so it doesn't get loose later, constantly checking if the wrap is still centred in the correct position, etc.
If you pay someone, you know you're going to get good quality. And you can ask them for any stitch pattern and types of material for the wheel. If they mess up they can deal with it not you. Not a bad choice tbh.

And since you're always in contact with the wheel, it's a good mod because you will always notice it. I dislike the leather they use on all but the m-sport and m3 wheel (personal opinion). The leather on stock sport/non sport wheels to me feels too rubbery/plasticky. Maybe it's just the LCI models bc BMW cheaped out hard on them. or maybe its just due to the age of the wheel. Either way its not grippy enough. With how heavy BMW tuned the power steering, the increase in grip from a new softer wrap is noticeable.

One thing i'm regretting is not modding my wheel to have heated steering. I wonder if anyone has done their own heated steering by wrapping a thin heating element around the wheel and then covering it with a leather wrap..

Yea I think if you're someone with a good patience and surgical hands this could be okay, but for most people it's very frustrating. I suspect it would be easier to buy a used wheel with a heater, rewrap it and retrofit it to the car. I have a heated wheel and end up using gloves anyway. I find the heater element does not do the whole wheel.

[Serf27]

I did this and I was scared at first! But it is pretty easy and straight forward.
The covers come pre stitched with stitches on the edges. All you need to do is connect the 2 edges of the cover with string using a zig zag pattern.
It took me 2 hours.

I have a bunch of spare wheels. I may wrap a couple if anyone is interested in purchasing one.