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How To Replace Shifter Belt/Dust Cover.

83K views 82 replies 31 participants last post by  clemotine 
#1 · (Edited)
The Parts Manager at my dealership gave me a free part. It's the dust cover that's wrapped around the shifter. People are paying as much as $600 to $700 for the entire shifter assembly when that piece breaks and $1000 all together to put it in for you. The dealership replaced one on a WK two days prior to me calling and they just had the old shifter assembly laying around.

The belt/dust cover from my 05 WK was made from a silicon/rubber material. Terrible design flaw by Chrysler. The belt/dust cover the dealership gave me came off of a later model and it was made from plastic which causes less friction when sliding inside the shifter assembly.

I brought it home and went to work. Here's how it goes and excuse the mess from my deceased dog. I'm able to keep it clean now.

Tools:
-T-20 (torque bit, you can pick up the Allen set a Lowes for $10)
-Small flat head screwdriver (for wedging)

Time:
~15 minutes

Here is the piece I got for free.



1) Remove the chrome bezel from around the PRNDL bezel. It snaps right off so you can use a small flat head screw driver. I used my finger nails. :)





2) Remove the outer black bezel. It's a snap on part also.





3) Step could be done first or now. It doesn't matter. Turn the bottom of the shifter knob COUNTER CLOCKWISE. It should drop down. Once that is done, just yank the shifter knob straight up.



4) There are 4 silver screws. The 2 on the left are easy to locate. The 2 on the right are underneath the rubber piece in the tray. Remove it with you flat head screwdriver. Then remove the 4 screws with your T-20.





5) Use your flat head screwdriver to help remove the shifter wire harness.



6) Pull the PRNDL bezel up. You should now be able to remove the broken piece of rubber/silicone or whatever that piece of crap is. After that, feed the new piece through and be sure to line up the hole for the shifter rod. Do the steps in reverse to put it back together.





FIN

 
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#42 ·
Hey that was an awesome write up. I feel comfortable doing it myself now. I just got a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Inferno Red a week ago and I put it in drive last night and the dust cover broke. How do I get another one? Any help or direction would be great, I'm new to the Jeep world and I don't want to get ripped off by a dealer.
 
#43 ·
I really hate to say that they are not sold anywhere. Not even online. You'll have to start a thread on here and hope that somebody has one laying around.

However, I'm proud to say I'm "Commo" ;)
 
#45 ·
The belt, yes.

The assembly itself, no.
 
#47 ·
I don't know but the belt that was originally in my shifter was rubbery which caused friction and probably was the reason it broke so easily.

The belt I replaced it with is plastic and gives less friction.
 
#53 · (Edited)
It's pretty much all 2005 models. They changed it to plastic for less friction in 2006 because they new about rubber one being bad. Pretty stupid that they won't sell the part alone or better yet, free. It's a common issue. Something should be done about it.
 
#55 ·
Junk yards

eBay

Dealer (my dealer had a busted shifter assembly laying around with the belt intact)
 
#61 ·
You mean the whole assembly itself of the shifter belt?
 
#64 ·
This is excellent information. You're a Saint for doing this. I've been driving around for 2 yrs with a busted cover because the dealership wants $1,000 to fix it. Here's my problem now. I've called every junk yard and parts dealer and no one sells a dust cover or even the bezel assembly with the cover. Any ideas on where I can get one if we're not as lucky as you?
 
#65 ·
You've done exactly what I would have done; call junk yards. There's WK's sitting in junk yards all over.

I'd even be willing to pay a good penny for a junk yard to ship a shifter belt to me. As long as it was the new plastic design that has less friction.

The older style is rubber and creates too much friction over time and will eventually break. Not cool.

Try calling dealerships all over and see if there is one that will be willing to ship one to you.

Hell, I'll contact my local dealerships and see if they have one and I'll let you know if they do or do not.

PM me your number for quicker communication.
 
#67 ·
Perhaps cause I'm in Toronto I'm not having junk yard success. Email me at Andrew.Tyrrell@sympatico.ca and I can throw you a couple bucks as a finder's fee. It'd be a huge help for a fellow Jeep enthusiast.
Gotcha. I'll start calling tomorrow. Hopefully I don't forget.
 
#70 ·
You'll have to start looking in junkyards. It sucks. Chrysler should be selling this piece seperately.
 
#73 ·
I agree since apparently several of us have this piece broken! And probably not $400-$1000 just laying around. Why fix what's not broken? I got to my car after work yesterday (after issues with the silicone bunching for the last year and a half) and found the black plastic clip that cups the shifter was gone, so when shifting it got caught and I was blocking traffic after backing out cuz I could not get it into drive! I took out the broken piece and its been fine but I don't like that groove being exposed.
 
#81 ·
Similarly for me, one example where 2wd has the advantage, I can just about feel the two screws, one seems to align underneath the "4wd lo" cap, the other just in front of the "neutral", but I do not understand how they can readily be accessed by conventional tools unless the whole console is already out.
Is there some specially adapted J shaped screwdriver or similar that deals with this? Can some kind soul please confirm one way or the other?
If I can get the remains of the belt/curtain out to act as a pattern I will look at the possibility of getting a small batch made.
 
#82 ·
Similarly for me, one example where 2wd has the advantage, I can just about feel the two screws, one seems to align underneath the "4wd lo" cap, the other just in front of the "neutral", but I do not understand how they can readily be accessed by conventional tools unless the whole console is already out.
Is there some specially adapted J shaped screwdriver or similar that deals with this? Can some kind soul please confirm one way or the other?
If I can get the remains of the belt/curtain out to act as a pattern I will look at the possibility of getting a small batch made.
Did you ever figure out how to remove the screws underneath the 4wdlo switch?
 
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