How To: Install leather re-covers

This viable option can increase your profits when customers don't have the budget for custom.

Upholstery Journal | October 2009

By Marshall Spiegel

  • After Banuelos applied the Roadwire covers to both cushions of each rear seat, he checked them to be certain the sewn-in creases lined up perfectly.
  • After Banuelos completed the installation of the leather re-covers on both the front and rear seats, he carefully reinstalled them. The passenger-side rear seat is installed.
  • Although the headrests appear to be a small part of the process, they require special attention and extra effort to be covered properly. The covers don’t “jump” on the headrests without a struggle.
  • Although the quality genuine leather re-covers were unceremoniously unpacked at Bud’s Auto Upholstery, they are top-of-the-line covers.
  • Banuelos prepared the rear passenger-side seat frame to accept the re-covered seat cushions.
  • Banuelos removed the stock fabric cover from the lower cushion.
  • Banuelos struggled with the leather re-covers, carefully tailored pieces that must be tight to fit properly.
  • Banuelos’ extensive experience was obvious as he carefully installed the re-covers and reassembled the seats. There is nothing mysterious about the Roadwire covers, but each set of aftermarket leather re-covers has its own unique characteristics.
  • Here’s a look at the top and the bottom cushions removed from the frame and ready to be re-covered in leather.
  • It was necessary to carefully open the original hog rings to remove the stock fabric covers without damaging the foam forms. The foam forms are in excellent condition with minimal compression of the foam, despite the years of service.
  • Our trimmer continued the procedure by removing the stock fabric covers from the driver’s-side rear seat.
  • The foam forms for both the back and bottom cushion of each seat were stripped down to bare foam before the leather covers were fitted.
  • The front seats re-covered in leather and installed in place should impress the most discerning SEMA Show attendee.
  • The rear driver’s-side seat cushions were removed on the frame, disassembled and re-covered.
  • The Roadwire covers are not just manufactured from quality leather, they are carefully engineered with integrated clips to fit perfectly and stay in place.
  • The seats from the Santa Fe incorporate a clam-shell type cover, including a foam and hard material base sewn to the fabric section. Removing the stock fabric covers from the seat cushions proved to be an exercise in efficient hog-ring deployment.
  • The standard velour bucket seats and their foam forms are still in decent shape. Trimmer Ifrael Banuelos unbolted the bottom cushion from the passenger-side rear bucket seat. Removing the seat cushions was just a matter of loosening a few bolts.

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It’s SEMA Show time, when a young man’s or lady’s fancy turns to thoughts of the vehicle to drive (if he or she lives within driving distance) to Las Vegas for the big doings.

Unless you have an unlimited budget or a big-bucks company vehicle, you’re like the rest of upholsterers working somewhere in the auto industry who undoubtedly worry about parking your daily driver amidst some of the most fabulous rides in the world.

A friend of mine from the Los Angeles area was on the verge of throwing rocks at her 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe when she decided to visit her local upholsterer and invest a few bucks in a reasonably priced, quality upgrade. Fortunately, the 100-percent stock, less-than-spectacular Santa Fe has been well maintained. It’s clean and relatively unscathed, despite the 130,000-plus miles on the odometer.

A few minutes into the meeting between the vehicle owner and Tom Benson, CEO of Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif., and a plan was made. They would transform the mundane Hyundai into a SEMA-worthy ride, a source of pride for one soon to be surrounded by the nation’s foremost car nuts, by adding a hot upgrade. They selected genuine leather seat re-covers by Roadwire, a division of Distinctive Industries of Dallas, Texas.

The installation fell to trimmer extraordinaire Ifrael Banuelos, an experienced seat re-cover installer. Banuelos completed the installation of the leather seat re-covers in record time, making the task look easy.

  • After Banuelos applied the Roadwire covers to both cushions of each rear seat, he checked them to be certain the sewn-in creases lined up perfectly.
    After Banuelos applied the Roadwire covers to both cushions of each rear seat, he checked them to be certain the sewn-in creases lined up perfectly.
  • After Banuelos completed the installation of the leather re-covers on both the front and rear seats, he carefully reinstalled them. The passenger-side rear seat is installed.
    After Banuelos completed the installation of the leather re-covers on both the front and rear seats, he carefully reinstalled them. The passenger-side rear seat is installed.
  • Although the headrests appear to be a small part of the process, they require special attention and extra effort to be covered properly. The covers don’t “jump” on the headrests without a struggle.
    Although the headrests appear to be a small part of the process, they require special attention and extra effort to be covered properly. The covers don’t “jump” on the headrests without a struggle.
  • Although the quality genuine leather re-covers were unceremoniously unpacked at Bud’s Auto Upholstery, they are top-of-the-line covers.
    Although the quality genuine leather re-covers were unceremoniously unpacked at Bud’s Auto Upholstery, they are top-of-the-line covers.
  • Banuelos prepared the rear passenger-side seat frame to accept the re-covered seat cushions.
    Banuelos prepared the rear passenger-side seat frame to accept the re-covered seat cushions.
  • Banuelos removed the stock fabric cover from the lower cushion.
    Banuelos removed the stock fabric cover from the lower cushion.
  • Banuelos struggled with the leather re-covers, carefully tailored pieces that must be tight to fit properly.
    Banuelos struggled with the leather re-covers, carefully tailored pieces that must be tight to fit properly.
  • Banuelos’ extensive experience was obvious as he carefully installed the re-covers and reassembled the seats. There is nothing mysterious about the Roadwire covers, but each set of aftermarket leather re-covers has its own unique characteristics.
    Banuelos’ extensive experience was obvious as he carefully installed the re-covers and reassembled the seats. There is nothing mysterious about the Roadwire covers, but each set of aftermarket leather re-covers has its own unique characteristics.
  • Here’s a look at the top and the bottom cushions removed from the frame and ready to be re-covered in leather.
    Here’s a look at the top and the bottom cushions removed from the frame and ready to be re-covered in leather.
  • It was necessary to carefully open the original hog rings to remove the stock fabric covers without damaging the foam forms. The foam forms are in excellent condition with minimal compression of the foam, despite the years of service.
    It was necessary to carefully open the original hog rings to remove the stock fabric covers without damaging the foam forms. The foam forms are in excellent condition with minimal compression of the foam, despite the years of service.
  • Our trimmer continued the procedure by removing the stock fabric covers from the driver’s-side rear seat.
    Our trimmer continued the procedure by removing the stock fabric covers from the driver’s-side rear seat.
  • The foam forms for both the back and bottom cushion of each seat were stripped down to bare foam before the leather covers were fitted.
    The foam forms for both the back and bottom cushion of each seat were stripped down to bare foam before the leather covers were fitted.
  • The front seats re-covered in leather and installed in place should impress the most discerning SEMA Show attendee.
    The front seats re-covered in leather and installed in place should impress the most discerning SEMA Show attendee.
  • The rear driver’s-side seat cushions were removed on the frame, disassembled and re-covered.
    The rear driver’s-side seat cushions were removed on the frame, disassembled and re-covered.
  • The Roadwire covers are not just manufactured from quality leather, they are carefully engineered with integrated clips to fit perfectly and stay in place.
    The Roadwire covers are not just manufactured from quality leather, they are carefully engineered with integrated clips to fit perfectly and stay in place.
  • The seats from the Santa Fe incorporate a clam-shell type cover, including a foam and hard material base sewn to the fabric section. Removing the stock fabric covers from the seat cushions proved to be an exercise in efficient hog-ring deployment.
    The seats from the Santa Fe incorporate a clam-shell type cover, including a foam and hard material base sewn to the fabric section. Removing the stock fabric covers from the seat cushions proved to be an exercise in efficient hog-ring deployment.
  • The standard velour bucket seats and their foam forms are still in decent shape. Trimmer Ifrael Banuelos unbolted the bottom cushion from the passenger-side rear bucket seat. Removing the seat cushions was just a matter of loosening a few bolts.
    The standard velour bucket seats and their foam forms are still in decent shape. Trimmer Ifrael Banuelos unbolted the bottom cushion from the passenger-side rear bucket seat. Removing the seat cushions was just a matter of loosening a few bolts.

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