DIY installation of a 2005 Ford Escape parking brake boot in a 2005 Mustang GT

 

These instructions were posted by ChrisM on the Mustang Source Forum.  The boot can be ordered from TMS supplier, 05stangKC.  The leather is a perfect match to the Dark Charcoal interior and looks like it came that way from the factory.  The best part is that the Escape boot only costs $18.00!

 

 

 

 

It took about 3-4 hours to construct the finished product. 

 

• Required:      
• Putty knife or panel tool       
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Exacto (hobby) knife Scissors
• Contact cement (try to find the kind that comes in a bottle with a brush in the cap – much easier to apply)
• Ford Escape parking brake boot - #5L8Z-2A713-AB

 

1.                  Remove the plastic frame that comes on the Escape brake boot by carefully separating the leather from the frame.  Peel back and save as much leather as you can.  Throw the frame away.

2.                  Remove the console top from the Mustang:

1)     Open the console storage box cover

2)     Remove the two Phillips-head screws at the back

3)     Slide a thin blade (putty knife or panel tool) under the transmission handle trim cover and pry off that cover

4)     Pull up on the rear of the console top panel to free the two clips in the middle of the console top

5)     Pull up on the middle of the console top panel to free the two clips in the front of the console top

6)     Carefully pull/lift the console top up around the parking brake and the shifter handle and remove from the car

3.                  Place the console top upside down on a clean towel on a workbench or table

4.                  Use an Exacto (hobby) knife to trim the plastic swaging (melted flow at the top) from the 7 round studs at the ends and side of the metal frame that holds the rubber boot on to the console top (see red circles in picture after #6 for this step and #5 and #6)

5.                  Use the same knife to trim the plastic swaging from the 7 small horizontal rectangular studs along the inner side of the metal frame that holds the rubber boot on to the console top

6.                  Use the same knife to trim the plastic swaging from the 9 small vertical rectangular studs along the outer side of the metal frame that holds the rubber boot on to the console top

 

 

7.                  Now you can carefully pry the rubber boot/frame off the console top; it’s a good thing to leave a little swaging on some of the studs to interfere with this action; that way the frame will hold itself on when you reinstall it and you won’t have to glue it in place

8.                  Set the console top aside for reassembly later; continue to work on the  rubber boot/frame as follows

9.                  Carefully cut the flat rubber that fits nearest the parking brake handle back to the ridge that goes around the ribbed portion of the rubber on both sides; see red oval below but cut the whole rectangle out ; the remaining rib around the opening should look just like the rib at the front and rear narrow openings

 

 

10.             Fit the new leather boot through the rubber boot and check the fit all around – front of leather boot goes to the flat end of the opening in the rubber boot; trim the leather as needed but be careful not to trim too much; note that the outside (left side) of the Escape boot has less material so use that side to guide your installation; cut the front seam ridge of the Escape boot about 3/8 inch so that the front outside corner can lay down against the bottom of the rubber

11.             Start at the outside front and carefully apply contact cement to both pieces of the outside front corner for about one inch long (glue goes on the top of leather boot and bottom of rubber boot); try to only apply a strip of glue about ¼ inch wide to the leather – that way you’ll have less cleanup to do later; when tacky press both pieces together and let set for 5 minutes

12.             Continue your way down the outside edge, gluing a 2-3 inch section at a time, trimming as necessary

13.             At the rear, separate the seam stitching on the leather boot as needed so that the corners will lay down flat; Continue your way around the back end and down the inside edge, gluing a 2-3 inch section at a time, trimming as necessary

14.             After the final glue has dried well, examine the finished frame and leather just inside the rubber boot; clean any cement that may have come through on the leather by vigorous rubbing with your finger tip; this will loosen the glue and it will flake off; anything more aggressive will harm your leather

15.             Now fit the metal frame back on to the console top panel; if there’s an interference fit with the swaged studs, your frame will keep it’s place by itself; otherwise use some contact cement on the front and rear studs and let that dry thoroughly

16.             Now reinstall the console top into your car by reversing the steps of #2 above; take special care when working the new leather boot over the parking brake handle

 

Your results should now look like the pictures above! 

 

A final note: if you don’t want to remove the metal frame from the console top (steps 5 and 6 above), you could probably do the work with it still in the console top panel - but it would be very cumbersome!