Smooth leather retrim
Quoted per job
A full retrim in smooth automotive leather with your choice of stitch colour.
- Choice of leather colour and stitch colour
- Trimmed around airbag housing and controls
The steering wheel is a natural fit for our By Post service: it's the part of your car you touch on every journey, it fits in a box, and a hand-stitched retrim transforms how the whole cabin feels. You don't need to be anywhere near the Wirral: remove the wheel, post it to us, and it comes back retrimmed in exactly the leather, colour and stitching you chose.
Before you remove anything: airbag safety
Most modern steering wheels contain an airbag, and we recommend having the wheel removed and refitted by a garage or qualified auto electrician. An airbag is an explosive device, and removing one incorrectly can cause serious injury; this is not a DIY job. The airbag module always stays with you, not us: only the bare wheel goes in the post.
The professional route is simple: the garage removes the wheel (keeping the airbag safely with the vehicle), you post the wheel to us, and the garage refits it when your retrimmed wheel comes home. If your wheel has no airbag (many classics don't), removal is more straightforward, but if you're not confident, a garage will have it off in minutes.
Packing your wheel
Once the wheel is off, packing is simple but worth doing properly:
- Use a strong, double-walled cardboard box comfortably larger than the wheel.
- Wrap the rim and spokes in bubble wrap, and fill every gap with soft packaging so nothing can shift in transit.
- Include a note with your name, phone number and quote reference inside the box.
- Send it tracked to Ultimate Trim, Unit 6 Carrock Road, Wirral, CH62 3RA.
We confirm by phone or email the moment your wheel arrives.
What happens in the workshop
Your wheel goes straight to our lead trimmer Craig, who has 15 years' experience in automotive trimming. The old cover is stripped, the rim is inspected and prepared, and a fresh cover is patterned to your exact wheel, not a generic template. It's then hand-stitched tight to the rim so there's no bunching at the spokes and a clean, even seam all the way round, shaped neatly around the airbag housing and any controls.
This is the same craftsmanship that goes into our workshop steering wheel retrims, including Alcantara-style suede finishes, two-tone layouts, contrast stitching, thumb grips and centre markers. When it's done, we send you photos to approve before the wheel is packaged up and returned to your door.
If you'd rather see the work in person, you're always welcome to visit the workshop instead, but for everyone else, the postbox works just as well.
How a postal wheel retrim works
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1
Send photos for a quote
Photograph your wheel from the front and back, tell us the make and model, and describe the finish you're after. We confirm the price and the design options before anything is posted.
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2
Remove and pack your wheel
Have the wheel removed safely (see our removal and airbag guidance below), then pack it well padded in a sturdy box and send it to Unit 6 Carrock Road, Wirral, CH62 3RA. We confirm the moment it arrives.
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3
Hand-stitched in the workshop
Craig strips the old cover, patterns a new one to your exact wheel and hand-stitches it tight to the rim, shaped cleanly around the spokes and airbag housing.
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4
Approve and return
We send you photos of the finished wheel for approval, then package it carefully and return it to your door by courier.
Finishes and pricing
Every wheel is trimmed to order; these are starting points, confirmed in your written quote before you post anything.
Two-tone / Alcantara-style retrim
Quoted per job
Mixed materials and colours: for example suede-effect grip sections with smooth leather panels, contrast stitching and a centre marker.
- Two-tone panel layouts
- Contrast stitching and centre marker options
Steering wheel by post FAQs
Is it safe to remove a steering wheel with an airbag myself?
Only if you know exactly what you are doing. The airbag must be electrically disconnected and handled correctly before the wheel comes off, which means disconnecting the battery, waiting for the system to discharge, and following the procedure for your specific vehicle. If you are not completely confident, have a garage or auto electrician remove the wheel for you; it is usually a short job for a professional. The airbag module itself stays with you or your garage; you only post us the wheel.
Do I send the airbag with the wheel?
No. Please keep the airbag module, badge and any electronics with you: we only need the bare wheel. Retrims are patterned and stitched around the airbag housing, so everything bolts back together exactly as before.
How should I pack the wheel?
Use a strong double-walled box with at least a hand's width of padding on every side: bubble wrap around the rim and spokes, and soft filler so the wheel cannot move in the box. We recommend a tracked courier service, and we confirm arrival as soon as it lands.
How will my car manage without a wheel?
The car stays off the road while the wheel is with us, so plan around that. A sensible approach is to time the retrim for a period when the car is laid up anyway: over winter, during other work, or while on holiday. We'll confirm the expected turnaround in your quote.
Can I choose the design before I post it?
Yes: everything is agreed up front. From your photos we'll talk through leather or Alcantara-style suede, single or two-tone layouts, stitch colours, thumb grips and centre markers, and confirm the design and price in writing before you send the wheel.
Get a quote for your wheel
Send us two photos of your steering wheel (front and back) with your car's make and model, and we'll come back with options and a price before you post anything.
Request a quote