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4 minute read
Shift boot installation
1. There is a small chrome cap on the bottom of the shift knob. You can remove it by taking a thin but wide flat head driver (wrap it in tape to not scratch anything) and push down wards on one side with it and your hand on the other. It may require a few positions to get it loose. It just pops on the knob. The knob will slide up with a small amount of force and leave you with a metal shaft.
2. Remove the chrome square ring on the shifter bezel. This can be done by hands if there’re small enough or you can use a gift card or the same tape wrapped screwdriver to pry it up. Work your way around the four sides and it will release itself.
3. Next, you will remove the bezel/cup holder plastic part. This will be done but grabbing the sides near the back half of the cup holders. You will be able to feel with your hands where the piece separates with ease. You are going to pry one side up at a time working your way to the dashboard until it pops out. Rotate it away from the bottom of the dash console and over the shifter. You can disconnect the illuminated cup holder lights and this time or just turn the part away and place it on the seat.
4. Since these cars do not come standard with a boot, there’s no way to connect them. You can do this by a couple of methods, there are bottles of glue that bond plastic to leather or you can do what I chose, and use Velcro around the shifter assembly to make the boot removable. That is up to you entirely.
5. Now it is recommended to test fit the boot to see how it will sit. Depending how you install the shifter rod through the boot, you might need to trim some of the excess material on the underside so the material does not interfere with shifting from park to drive and drive to park. Otherwise it will touch the assembly.
6. Take the new shift boot and align it with the shifter assembly, ensuring the sides are properly rotated.
7. This next step may take a couple of tries. Once the boot in over the shift rod, put the car in neutral to get the rod centered. Take a plastic card or use your fingers to get the sides of the new boot to fit inside the creases in the shift assembly.
8. Do not push the sides down so far it becomes stretched. Only do so enough so the flaps are not visible. You need as much slack as possible for the motions of the shift knob.
9. At this point, if you chose to use the special glue, ensure its seated properly and adequately applied. If you chose Velcro, ensure the sides are all pressed on the adhesive side of the Velcro you applied earlier to the assembly. Once installed and fitted to your liking, replace all items in the reverse order. The chrome trim you removed first will no longer be able to fit as the leather is too thick for it.
10. Be sure that with the pieces all reassembled that the flaps are still not visible and you can run through the gears properly. Adjust as necessary (this is why I chose Velcro, for the ease of adjustment and removal)
11. Enjoy your new leather or suede shift boot for your Charger, Magnum, or 300!
