Shifter boot

[DarrRed1]

Help Please,

I put a new heavier duty shifter boot on my CJ5 that is a lot stiffer than the old one. Now when I drive in second or fourth it pops out of gear when I let off the gas. It is a four speed standard h pattern and 2nd and 4th are down. 2nd does it every time and I have to hold it in second. In 4th it will stay until I let off the acceleration or go to down shift. The previous boot was worn out and had cuts and holes in it. Anybody got any ideas or if this is more serious that just the boot.

 

[the chief]

Take or off, turn it upside down, put a cork in the small end and fill it up with vegetable oil. Let it sit over night and it should soften it up enough.

 

[Flex BT]

Wow. That is some awesome home remedy type stuff right there. This never happened with the old boot at all?

 

[Torxhead]

By any chance do you have a body lift installed? This would put more load on the boot since the shift lever will have more travel with the boot mounted further away from the Transmission .

 

[Peanut Butter]

Take or off, turn it upside down, put a cork in the small end and fill it up with vegetable oil. Let it sit over night and it should soften it up enough.

Is it any good fried then? Couldn't resist. Rod

 

[the chief]

Is it any good fried then? Couldn't resist. Rod

well, if you're going to eat the thing I use peanut oil

 

[Hedgehog]

My local jeep parts guy is frustrated with the quality of the boots he gets so now he advises people to go the their local builders store (Home Depot, Lowes etc.) to buy a Grout Bag, kind of like a cake decorator. It's easily adapted to use as a shifter boot and it lasts a long time.

 

[hdgapeach]

My local jeep parts guy is frustrated with the quality of the boots he gets so now he advises people to go the their local builders store (Home Depot, Lowes etc.) to buy a Grout Bag, kind of like a cake decorator. It's easily adapted to use as a shifter boot and it lasts a long time.

Now that's thinkin' out of the box! I just replaced my boot Sunday and it sure changed the shift characteristics. Lot stiffer and it pops out of first a bunch easier than it used to just because of the pressure the boot has pushing back (3 speed). The syncro was already a little iffy. Might have to try the grout bag trick and see how good it keeps the wind and water out of the cab.

 

[Hedgehog]

Grout bags are made of heavy cloth impregnated with latex or PVC(?) Rob says they last a long time. He used to tell people to make their own out of leather like the originals. It's easy, 4 triangular pieces sewed together to make a pointed ..... thing. Use a draw string on the top.

 

[DarrRed1]

Thanks guys sorry was out of town for a few days, Great advice all around. It did have a horrible lift on it, but was taken out when I purchased it. I changed the boot before winter to try and cut down on cold air in the cabin. Never had an issue before. I'll try the oil thing and let ya guys know how the home remedy works..............

 

[CJSoup]

I am interested to see how well the oil thing works too. It makes sense that it would work...

 

[the chief]

Take or off, turn it upside down, put a cork in the small end and fill it up with vegetable oil. Let it sit over night and it should soften it up enough.

(You may have to submerge the entire boot in oil if it's super stiff. Any oil would work but vegetable oil doesn't stink)

 

[Hedgehog]

An old way to make rubber more pliable is to rub it with brake fluid.

 

[DarrRed1]

Ok so I took all of your suggestions and this is how it was fixed. The fiberglass body was mounted a little bit forward. I removed the new shifter boot and noted that in second and fourth the shift lever was touching the hole cut through the body and template the previous owner used to secure the stock boot. The template was forward leaving no room for the new shifter boot to move in the down postion of 2nd and 4th. I enlarged the hole a little larger and remounted the shifter template a little to the rear. It now works as it did before and has no issues. Thanks everyone that posted it got me moving in the right direction and it's fixed with no expense, the way my wife likes it.