Steering Wheel TLC

Having recently attended Eurofest 2026 in Belfast and seen other DeLorean interiors I had started to get steering wheel envy. Once back home I started to make enquiries about how to remove the steering wheel in order for it to be recovered. The idea of needing something called a "steering wheel puller"sounded like some sort of medieval torture device. I decided to Google what a steering wheel puller was and when I found it was actually quite a basic tool, and relatively inexpensive. I then checked out videos on YouTube on how to use them. With this gained knowledge, and also knowing the go-to person to re-cover my steering wheel, I purchased a "puller" set from Amazon (similar to the one I had seen used on a DeLorean steering wheel in a video).

Amazon delivered a day later and this was the kit I purchased.

The additional bolts are because I learned from the YouTube video that for the DeLorean, the standard 1/4 (28) UNF Hex Bolt that comes with these kits is only 2.5" long, wasn't long enough to reach the fixing holes, however it didn't explain the length required. I therefore purchased 2 x 4" and 2 x 5"bolts. As it turned out the 4" bolts were sufficient.

The kit I purchased can be found on Amazon at this link.

I removed the centre pad by pulling up gently from the bottom and lifting it off.

Inside the recess, there is a nut that secures the wheel on to the end of the steering column. I removed this using a size 22 socket. There's also a washer that I also removed. The washer seems to prevent you being able to insert the fixing bolts by slightly covering the holes.

I then attached the brace. There are several ways to do this, but based on the width between the fixing bolt holes and the angle this option shown in the photo below worked for me.

The fixing bolts fit through the brace and into the securing holes as shown below.

With the brace set in place I then took an appropriately sized socket with extension and proceeded to rotate. I had expected this to be a difficult job as I had heard stories of how tough, removing the wheel could be. In actual fact with a couple of turns of the handle, the wheel came off.

Below you can see the end of the steering column and the splines the wheel fits on to.

I then removed brace and took the following photos of the steering wheel that was original to my car.

Next I needed to drop the wheel off to Lee Pattison in Kent. Lee is the go-to person for all interior furnishing work, and whilst he will cater for whatever you want, at heart, like me, he is all about factory originality, and that's how he recovered my wheel.

After a week I received the call to say the job was done so I travelled back and collected the recovered steering wheel. And what a job it was, I was so impressed. For the first time since buying 16606 back in 2015, it has a correctly finished steering wheel.

Refitting the steering wheel was straightforward. Before removing I ensured the wheel was positioned dead straight with the seam gap of the wheel at 12 O'Clock. Therefore to refit I just needed to fit at this position.

I put the wheel on the the splines at the end of the steering column, pushed it as far as I could, fitted the washer and the nut and tightened it with the size 22 socket.

Firmly fitted, I then refitted the centre pad.

Job done.