Tech Tips
Inner Shift Boot
Inner shift boot? What the heck is an inner shift boot?
We’re all aware of the vinyl or leather boot that surrounds the shift lever but there is a second shift lever boot, one that leads a less glamorous but much more important life. It’s called the inner shift boot. The inner boot is actually a large rubber seal at the point where the shift lever passes through the car’s body.
If the inner boot is torn or missing, exhaust fumes, road and/or transmission noise and cold air will enter the cabin.
The only way to determine the condition of your inner shift boot is through visual inspection. This involves either removing your console and having a look or going under your car and checking on the condition of the boot from below. If you find that the integrity of your boot is compromised, then replacement is the only option.
Mike McGinnis
Banzai Motorworks
We’re all aware of the vinyl or leather boot that surrounds the shift lever but there is a second shift lever boot, one that leads a less glamorous but much more important life. It’s called the inner shift boot. The inner boot is actually a large rubber seal at the point where the shift lever passes through the car’s body.
If the inner boot is torn or missing, exhaust fumes, road and/or transmission noise and cold air will enter the cabin.
The only way to determine the condition of your inner shift boot is through visual inspection. This involves either removing your console and having a look or going under your car and checking on the condition of the boot from below. If you find that the integrity of your boot is compromised, then replacement is the only option.
Mike McGinnis
Banzai Motorworks