Shifter Boot
A shifter boot is standard equipment on any car truck that has a manual transmission. It is necessary to keep out dust and dirt particles from getting into your gears. The shifter boot also act as a sound barrier and keeps out any wetness or air from rushing into your car or truck as you drive. In fact you can say the shifter boot acts very much like the insulation around a window or door in that regard.
Shifter boots are made out of various types of materials. Most vehicles that come with a standard transmission generally come straight from the factory with a plastic shifter boot. If you are like a lot people you will want to upgrade it with an aftermarket shifter boot. You can find these aftermarket parts made from upgraded leather or vinyl. People who have the most expensive cars or trucks generally like to have genuine leather shifter boots to replace the more common plastic or vinyl ones.
Like anything else on your car or truck the shifter covers will eventually wear out, crack and tear. Who hasn’t seen old worn out or torn shifter boots on old vehicles. This is not a good condition to leave your shifter boot in. Your transmission needs to be protected from not only dust and dirt particles but also from any food or drink that you may be eating while driving. The shifter boot was first designed to make sure your transmission would not be in any danger of having foreign objects accidentally dropped into it by the driver or a passenger. With what we have in our cars nowadays, who knows what can fall into the transmission from inside the car now.
Shifter boots come in all kinds of colors and designs. You can literally find almost any color you want to go with your car’s interior. You can find them in different textures too, such as a basket weave texture or diamond weave design. Custom aftermarket car shift boots look great in any car or truck that you want to customize. They are easy to install and are considered by most to be very affordable. With very little money and very little time, you can change the look and feel of your standard shifter boot by replacing it with a new upgraded one.
Upgrading your car shift boot is the most popular and easiest upgrade you can give your car. If you are replacing your steering wheel, gauges and shift knob, don’t forget to replace the shift boot too so that the upgrade and look is completed. You can find complete sets of all of these items online or at your local auto parts store or any other store that specializes in customizing cars and trucks. Some shifter boots are made expressly for certain makes and models. You can order the exact one you need online or you can opt to purchase a universal fit.
Taking care of the car shifter boot is very important if you want to make it last as long as possible. Proper care and cleaning of the boot is essential. Applying the right products for the right kind of boot material is also essential. Some cleaners and protector type products are made for certain types of materials and should not be used on other types. It is important to read the label when you apply any type of chemical cleaners or material protectors to the shifter boot to make sure it is ok to use that product on that particular boot material. If you are not careful you can end up damaging expensive leather or causing the vinyl or plastic to dry, crack and tear sooner than it would have normally done.