How to sew a gearbox cover yourself

However, not much time passes, and the delight slowly begins to subside, and with it, increased frugality fades into the background. As a result, after several years of active use, you may simply not recognize your car, especially its internal part - the interior.

Regular movement of a car in urban conditions requires frequent use of the gear shift lever, so it is not at all surprising that its handle wears out over time, cracks and loses its visual appeal. In addition, severe wear of this element affects not only the issue of aesthetics, but also affects the practicality of using the part, since comfort when shifting gears may decrease. In this article we will tell you how to solve a similar problem by tightening the gearshift knob with your own hands.

Selecting material for re-upholstering the gearshift knob

The choice of material for reupholstery is a personal matter for each car owner, but we must not forget that whatever the chosen option, it must have high performance qualities. In this regard, the most suitable materials are leather, eco-leather and Alcantara. They have a high level of wear resistance, do not fade in the sun, do not deform, and in case of contamination they can be easily cleaned. In addition, the use of leather or a high-quality substitute for reupholstery allows you to give the car interior a more solid look. Drivers of special vehicles, such as truck cranes https://avtokran.ru/catalog/avtomobilnye-krany/ural/ and the like, especially like this tuning. Let's look at each of the materials in a little more detail.

Leather

Using leather is the best solution for reupholstering a gear knob, both in terms of practicality and in terms of price-quality ratio. As practice shows, the most popular is genuine automotive leather, many of whose qualities significantly exceed those of furniture and haberdashery. As a rule, it copes better with moisture, is less susceptible to wear and has increased strength, which has a positive effect on its service life (usually such products last for 5-7 years).

Leather for cars has a special polymer coating that protects it from various mechanical damages. Moreover, the polymer layer stands in the way of ultraviolet rays, protects the material from the chemical effects of alcohol, gasoline, oil and withstands frequent stretching, while being highly resistant to abrasion.

Perforated leather is considered the most convenient to use, as it is much softer than smooth leather and easier to process. True, there is one “but”: when choosing a material, pay attention to its pores, because if they are too large, you will simply get tired of cleaning the dirt out of them. Smooth leather is more resistant to external influences, but to retighten the gearshift knob, its thickness should not exceed 1.2-1.4 mm. The color of the material can be anything, the main thing is that it fits organically into the overall interior of the cabin (the classic version is black). If you decide to reupholster the gear knob with leather, the result will be a fairly durable product, thanks to which the knob will last for many years , while maintaining visual appeal and solidity.

Eco leather

Considering that natural materials are more expensive than their substitutes, many car owners prefer the latter. Of course, real leather has always been considered much better and more practical than fake leather, but in our time scientists have been able to create a material whose characteristics are almost no different from those of natural matter. The new product was called “eco-leather” and almost immediately gained popularity in various fields of human activity. To produce this material, polyurethane is used, which takes up about 70% of the composition of the substance. For comparison, regular leatherette is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which, unlike polyurethane, does not allow the material to “breathe”. It is thanks to this feature that eco-leather compares favorably with standard leatherette. In addition, it not only has good quality, but is also relatively inexpensive.

Alcantara

If you want to update the interior of your car, but you don’t like leather products, then the ideal solution to the problem is to use Alcantara. Despite the fact that this material is somewhat thinner than leather (or its substitute), it has a number of advantages. For example, a gear knob covered with it is much more pleasant to the touch and is less susceptible to fading.

The best qualities of Alcantara (as a material for upholstery and upholstery of car interiors) manifest themselves in winter, when due to too low temperatures, car leather freezes and can crack. Elements covered with this material do not have such problems, and they are more pleasant to the touch.

Today there are many varieties of Alcantara: for example, there is a material similar to nubuck or heavily worn leather, and in both cases there is a fairly wide color palette. Despite the external dilapidation, this material is very durable and wear-resistant, however, its cost is corresponding: in fact, it is about one and a half times more expensive than leather, but taking into account the fact that it is a rolled material, in reality their cost is almost equal.

Reupholstering the gear knob with Alcantara has several advantages over leather. So, its thickness and strength are the same in all directions, which means that such material is much easier to process and lay. In addition, as we have already said, a high level of wear resistance will allow you to avoid rapid replacement of the material. Whatever choice you make, in the end, the use of any of the described materials will allow you to produce a fairly high-quality upholstery that has a high level of strength and pleasant tactile features.

How to re-tighten the gearshift knob with your own hands?

Self-tightening of the gearshift knob begins with removing the lever (if it has a cover, it is also removed). Then the handle is unscrewed from the lever, and a cover is sewn for it, using pre-selected material. For the pattern, you can also take an old covering, first opening the seams to get the desired patterns. The parts of the new cover are sewn from the wrong side manually or using a sewing machine. If you don’t have a machine, then for manual stitching you need to make holes with an awl in advance. To make this seam as even as possible, use an ordinary table fork with pointed teeth as an awl. After the cover is ready, you can move on to covering the handle itself. There are several options for performing this task.

The first reupholstery option includes the following steps:

First, the handle is wrapped in cling film or a simple plastic bag. Painting or regular tape is tightly wrapped on top (but keep in mind that it will be easier to draw on masking tape). Using a marker, lines for the placement of future seams are drawn onto the tape and the winding is cut along them, using a sharp scalpel or a stationery knife. Then the resulting “papier-mâché” is removed and carefully leveled (some areas may not be completely even, but you should not pay attention to small wrinkles). The resulting patterns must be attached to the prepared material, circled with a marker and new elements cut out.

Please note that the parts should not be cut strictly along the line, but so that they turn out to be a few millimeters smaller than the pattern. This is necessary so that the cover does not hang, but fits nicely and evenly around the handle. At the next stage, stepping back from the edge of the blanks by 5 mm, they should be stitched around the perimeter, using either a sewing machine or a regular large needle. Next, having fixed the material on the handle with glue, you can sew the parts together. The glue will help prevent the elements of the future cover from slipping and will help you do the job better. Threads are threaded into the stitches of the seams, after which they need to be tightened thoroughly.

We recommend: How to replace brake discs on a VAZ-2114 yourself

If you used leather, then at the end of the work you need to moisten it a little so that the case can take the desired shape.

Note! Seams can be made in a variety of ways, the main thing is that they are symmetrical and do not spoil the overall appearance of the cover.

The second option for reupholstering the gearshift knob involves using old trim as patterns (of course, if the handle has already been trimmed before). Having cut out the corresponding blanks from the new material, they are sewn together in the same way as the old sheathing. After this, the workpiece is turned out and put on the handle. If a gear diagram was installed on it, then it must be returned to its original place.

Tools for re-tightening the gearshift knob

To re-tighten the gearshift knob using one of the methods described above, you will need a certain set of tools. These include:

— the material for the upholstery (leather, eco-leather or Alcantara);

- a stationery knife (or a sharp scalpel);

- glue;

- scissors;

- marker;

- cling film (you can replace it with a regular cellophane bag);

— masking (or regular) tape;

- durable nylon thread;

- sewing machine;

— needles for hand sewing (preferably hardened ones, as regular ones can bend);

- thimble (needed for safety when manually stitching the material).

At the end of the article, it should be noted that although tightening the gearshift knob, at first glance, may seem like an easy task, in practice, not everyone copes with it. Therefore, if you didn’t manage to do the job perfectly the first time, don’t be discouraged - experience will come with time!

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Material selection

All work begins with the selection of material.
Nobody forbids you to take some kind of rubber, fabric or any other option. But here the issue of practicality and operational stability should be taken into account. It is optimal to choose one of the following materials.

Leather. If we take practicality, quality, aesthetics and price-quality ratio, then leather cases are objectively the best. Only leather should be purchased specifically for cars, and not for haberdashery or furniture. These are materials that are completely different in quality and characteristics. Automotive leather has a polymer coating that additionally protects against mechanical damage, ultraviolet radiation, chemicals, oil, gasoline, etc. When selecting parameters, it is also worth choosing perforated leather without large pores;
Eco leather. Fashionable and popular material based on polyurethane. Do not confuse with leatherette, which uses PVC. The latter does not breathe and has worse performance characteristics than eco-leather. Practical, inexpensive and easy to use. Although the skin is still a little inferior;
Alcantara. A relatively new material that is very pleasant to the touch, does not fade, does not freeze, unlike leather, and does not crack. Don't be put off by the fact that Alcantara is thin. In fact, it is durable and wear-resistant. May cost slightly more than genuine leather. Plus, Alcantara is easier to work with and can be processed better.

Regardless of what you choose, each material is perfectly suited to the task at hand.

It doesn’t matter what kind of car you are going to sew a leather, eco-leather or Alcantara cover on.

Similar light tuning options can often be found among owners of such cars:

VAZ 2114;
Renault Logan;
Lada Granta;
Lada Priora;
Kia Rio;
Chevrolet Cruze;
Lada Kalina;
Ford Focus;
Deo Lanos;
VAZ 2110, etc.

For some, the lever has worn out during use, while others simply do not like the appearance of the factory cover. So car owners decided to buy a piece of material, make a cover, or install a new ready-made attachment. With display or classic, it's up to them to decide. Replacement is usually very simple. But sheathing an old handle is more difficult.

What material was used to make

Such a car decoration as a rosette on the gear knob has never been produced in industry. This is truly handmade and we can say that each such product was unique. And they did it in different ways. Some used epoxy glue, others melted colored transparent cases from cheap lighters. But basically, to make such a thing with your own hands, you took plexiglass.

What you need to make a pen with a rose

Let's look at the most common manufacturing method. To do this, we will need several plexiglass plates measuring approximately five by five centimeters.

It is better to use dichloroethane for gluing plexiglass.
Drills of different thicknesses.
GOI paste, grinding machine.
To ensure that the design inside the handle turned out beautiful, a variety of materials were used to fill the cut grooves. It was ink made from paste for the most ordinary ballpoint pens. Fortunately, their color range is very diverse. We also used women's nail polishes and ordinary gouache paints.

Who made attachments with rosettes for gearboxes?

Previously, it was believed that these beautiful decorations for cars, as well as knives with similar colored handles, were made by prisoners with their own hands. Which, in principle, is the absolute truth. But they weren’t the only ones involved in this applied art. They were also made by turners in their free time. Their handles turned out to be especially beautiful because they could use a milling machine in their work, which made it possible to make the design inside the nozzle just perfect. They were made just like that, for themselves, for friends, for their own pleasure. But in the difficult 90s, for many craftsmen this was still a way to survive, to earn food for themselves and their families.

DIY rose pen

So how can you make such beauty yourself? If you have the materials necessary for the work, then making it is not at all difficult. Several plates of plexiglass are taken, a drawing is outlined where the rose petals will be located, and carefully, using a drill, milling machine or machine drill (like dentists), grooves are turned out. The plates are glued together, and the voids in the grooves are filled with prepared paint or varnish. After this, they grind it, giving the desired shape to the handle, and polish it to a transparent state. The thread is cut and that’s it, the nozzle is ready. The same method was used to make roses for car door lock buttons.

Recommendations for covering

First of all, you need to remove the handle from the main long gearshift lever. It is the handle that we will tighten. If you wish, you can also replace the cover of the lever itself, which hides the metal pipe in the tunnel. But more on that another time.

The task is to obtain blanks. Here is an option:

wrap the handle with cling film;
or just use a plastic bag;
wrap tape (stationery or masking tape) on top, but most importantly tightly;
Use a marker to apply future markings on the tape;
Use a sharp knife to cut the wound tape;
you will receive something like a blank or papier-mâché;
remove, level on the table;
Apply the completed patterns to the purchased material for reupholstery;
cut according to the pattern, but make leather blanks literally 2-3 mm smaller, otherwise the cover will hang;
step back 5 mm from the edge of the leather and go through it with a sewing machine (stitch);
return the pattern to the gearshift knob, treating the reverse side with glue;
when the glue fixes the handle, you can start sewing together the pieces of leather;
insert good quality threads into the stitches of the seams and tighten them tightly;
if leather was used, wet the material after stitching is completed;
Replace the gear diagram, if there was one.

But there is another option. It is suitable for those who like the old case's shape and seam placement, but the product is simply worn out. To do this, carefully remove the old trim from the gearshift knob.

It will be used as a template for a new case. Cut out blanks from the new material in the shape of the old cover, and sew them together in the same way. The convenience of this option is that you do not need to measure anything, make markings, etc.

IMPORTANT! The cover should be sewn from the wrong side so that the seams are not on the outside. Then the comfort of gripping the gearbox will deteriorate significantly.

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Fits without modifications

You can find a gear knob from a foreign car that fits a LADA without modifications.

For example, on a Lada XRAY or Largus you can install a gear knob from Peugeot or Citroen without modifications (via an adapter):

Gear knob from Renault Megane 2 or Ford Focus 2 (photo author):

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Gearbox knob reupholstery

Not everyone can re-tighten the gearshift knob with their own hands: you need to have certain skills and patience. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to contact a service that provides tuning services. If you really want to, you can do the tuning yourself. You need to stock up on the necessary tools and follow the instructions below.

Tools

Tools for work
To retighten the gear shift knob you will need the following tools:

marker;
stationery knife or scalpel;
scissors;
cling film;
masking or regular tape;
high-quality, durable nylon thread;
thimble for safety;
sewing machine;
sewing needles: preferably hardened ones, as regular ones bend;
glue;
sheathing material.

It is best to reupholster the handle with genuine leather. The material must be of high quality. You must work very carefully so as not to damage the skin and not redo it several times. It is advisable to use a combination of smooth and perforated leather - it is practical and gives a more aesthetic appearance.

Re-upholstery process

The reupholstery begins by removing the gear shift lever with the cover, if any. First of all, they sew a new cover. An old cover is used as a pattern: the seams are ripped out and the necessary patterns are obtained. New parts are cut out from these patterns. The cover is sewn from the wrong side using a sewing machine or by hand. If you sew the cover manually, you should make holes with an awl in advance. To make the seam even, you can make an awl from a table fork, sharpening its ends. The case is attached to the frame with superglue. After making the cover, you can start covering the handle. There are several options.

The first version of the constriction consists of the following steps:

The handle should be wrapped in cling film, or you can take a simple plastic bag.

Painting or regular tape is wrapped on top. It’s better to paint on a painter’s bench.

Use a marker to draw lines where future seams will be located.

Next, use a utility knife or scalpel to cut the winding along the drawn lines.

Then you need to remove the resulting “Papier-Mache” and carefully align it

The parts may not be completely aligned and may have wrinkles, but you don’t need to pay attention to this. Thus, we got a pattern.

Using these patterns we cut out leather parts

Homemade pen lighting

A way to decorate the interior is to add lighting to the gearshift lever.

Tools and materials

To complete the task you will need:

diode light bulb (the color of the light source is chosen by the car enthusiast at his own discretion);
1 kOhm resistor element;
stationery knife;
soldering iron with tin and rosin;
laser printer;
glue gun with a transparent rod.

Stages of work

How to make a gear knob backlight:

Remove the transmission lever.
Remove the glass from its top. This element is painted black during vehicle production. You need to remove the paint layer. To complete this task you will need felt cloth or GOI paste.
Using a computer and a printer, an image is created for illumination. It is necessary to develop a stencil and take into account that the light must penetrate in those places where the car owner requires it. Make a picture on your computer with a light filter so that there is light in the place where the numbers themselves are located, but not outside.
All unnecessary parts and elements are removed from the inside of the gearbox selector. This is necessary to install an LED light bulb in it, which is fixed with glue.
Make a vertical hole in the selector. Through it, voltage will be supplied to the light source. When the hole is ready, install a diode lamp in the middle of the lever. First you need to solder a resistor element and a wire to it using a soldering iron. It is advisable to place the light bulb itself not in the central part of the lever so that it does not shine upward. The diode is directed slightly to the side. With this arrangement of elements, the lighting will be distributed optimally.
Using a utility knife, determine the location where the glue will be applied. All free space should be filled as much as possible, but apply carefully, in small portions, so as not to overfill. If you install an additional paper circle inside the gear knob, this will provide light diffusion. The image itself, which you made on the printer, is placed above the paper circle.
Reinstall the gear lever. Connect the LED light bulb wires to the car's electrical system. If the cigarette lighter is directly connected to the battery, then there is no need to wire a wire to this section of the circuit. Otherwise, the indicator will light constantly, which will lead to battery discharge. Connect the wire to the car radio circuit or ignition switch.

Make or buy

Let's start with the main thing. Namely, from the idea of modernization. The gearshift lever is usually located inside the case, and the top handle itself, which the driver grabs when changing gears, can be plastic, silicone, leather, etc.

The leather option is usually found on more expensive models. And in Soviet or old domestic cars, glass knobs with flowers, roses and other once-fashionable handle decor options are not so rare. Now some people appreciate rare solutions, trying to decorate the interior of their own car with something similar. Making a complete lever attachment from glass, plastic or silicone is quite problematic. It's much easier to buy it. But you can sew the cover yourself if you have certain skills and desire.

BMW handle

Installing the BMW gear knob on a Lada XRAY. Author of the modification sr86.

Required

: gear knob from a foreign car. This example uses a BMW gearshift lever. The owner bought the selector assembly (at an auto repair shop or through an ad on the Internet). The gearshift knob should be removed from the selector.

The fastenings of the BMW gearshift knob and the LADA rod do not match, so the installation method is radical.

Shorten the gear knob of a foreign car.
Make a rectangular hole in the gearshift knob rod.
Hammer cold welding Abro into the hole for forming.

Insert the gearshift knob onto the rod at an angle.
Secure the gear knob with epoxy glue.

The gear knob cover is from LADA. Positions N, R and D:

Installing the BMW gear knob on a Lada Granta (photo author):

Tips and recommendations for replacing the gearshift lever on a VAZ 2107

When choosing parts to replace failed ones, you must purchase only original spare parts from the manufacturer. Despite the simplicity of the design and easy repair of the product, when purchasing counterfeit material, the service life of the parts is low. When using such products, it is quite possible that there will be negative manifestations in motion in the form of crunching, jamming of gear engagement, spontaneous transition to other gears, howling in the lower part of the tunnel, which can subsequently lead to an emergency situation.

Also, during the procedure for reassembling parts, it is imperative to follow the sequence of actions when installing the linkage hinges. It is necessary to use special lubricants when installing the mechanical parts of the product. Special silicone lubricants with a water-repellent composition are best suited. Such material will preserve the integrity of the composition for a long time and protect the main parts of the scenes. Also, at the first appearance of signs of breakdown, it is necessary to carry out a scheduled preventive inspection with dismantling of the entire unit.

DIY gear knob cover

While I'm waiting for the spring warmth to work on eliminating body jambs, I decided to work on the interior. The gray gearshift knob cover did not fit into the style of my interior. I decided to replace it, besides it was already slightly worn in places. And I decided to change it by making a new cover with my own hands. Below is the whole process from A to Z.

In the morning I began searching for materials. My new one requires black leather + good thick white thread for nice stitching. The search at home was not crowned with success on any of the points, and I went in search of a fabric store.

In the first nothing, in the second 1300 rubles. Of course, I didn’t charge it per linear meter, and the leatherette was sooooo thin. What I needed was found in a fabric store for upholstery. The same black color as my cases and a slight matte finish. So, 500 rub. per linear meter of black “ekodermantine”))) with a width of 1.5 m. I took 0.5m, with a reserve for future alterations. I bought thick threads just right at Auchan. It says extra strong, let's check it.

These are the threads from Auchan + needle + thimble included Threads in 3 colors: white + black + gray. I took it for 97 rubles. Also included with them is a needle and a thimble. They won't be needed today, but I think they will come in handy in the future.

I took off the old cover and went home and made a new one))

old cover The cover was separated from the frame, it was held on by glue, it was easily torn off, all the glue remained on the cover.

no longer framed. Next, I ripped the seam open. And I cut the old cover into 2 equal parts, and then cut one of them in half again. I did this because the idea was to sew a new one, not one piece as it was, but from 4 parts with stitching. I traced one of the quarters on the new material.

And of course I added 5mm on each side for the seam (on the long sides). I multiplied this entire farm to 4 copies and cut it out.

4 black ones... Next, a good old foot-operated sewing machine was used. She has already helped me make a cheesecake sled. I sewed the first 2 parts.

Here they are, those 5mm left for the seam. And I immediately processed them with a stitch.

already with white stitching I did the stitching almost by hand, that is, I carefully and slowly turned the sewing drive by hand, it turned out quite evenly and accurately.

result Well and so on, I sewed on the 3rd part + line.

downside The last seam was the most difficult. More precisely, not the seam itself, but the white stitching. It was done entirely by hand. The precision of each stitch is almost jewel-like)) But this seam will still face the torpedo, because a little different from the previous ones.

After almost 3 hours of work, this is the result:

I attached it to the handle itself with electrical tape and slightly tucked the cover on top. I glued the frame with this glue:

cosmofen This is cosmofen, it glues in seconds. He is well known to those who deal with stretch ceilings. The price is about 120 rubles. but I had it at home. And now my new case is ready.

Immediately installed it in the car

It’s not so clearly visible from the photo, but now the gear knob is in the same color scheme as the seat covers and the steering wheel braid. + for comfort in the car.

And I also want to note one point: if you need to take out a comprehensive insurance policy or compulsory motor insurance policy, then you definitely need a technical inspection. Do you know that it is completely legal to simply buy a vehicle inspection directly and have it delivered to your home. Come in and negotiate.

Author; Alexander Kulikov Kostroma, Kostroma region

Preparation for use

Now the handle needs to be attached to the lever. To do this, use a drill to drill a hole in its lower part. Drilling is difficult due to the strength of the hardened mixture. To make this work easier, you can insert a bolt into the mold with resin during the hardening stage. When drilling, the handle and drill heat up, which can lead to the appearance of new cracks, so at this stage you need to be careful so that all the work done is not in vain.

The drilling process is accompanied by the appearance of entire layers of dust on the work table and a dust cloud in the air, as well as an unpleasant odor, so it is advisable to do all this in a respirator. Also, be sure to wear gloves; there may be small shards of glass left on the handle, and the drill does not always obey and may slip. You need to start drilling with the smallest drill you can find, and then gradually increase the diameter to the desired size. A suitable hole would be such that the handle can be pressed onto the stem with force. Then it will not dangle and fall off.

The handle is sanded to obtain a more transparent surface. You can grind it on a machine, drill or sandpaper. You can grind on a machine manually, or you can attach the handle to a drill. The better the polishing is done, the better and more transparent the result. After polishing, put the handle on the lever and try to ride with it.

Making the perfect gear knob from epoxy resin the first time is not easy, but the first results will please you. Using epoxy resin, you can turn any idea into reality, even inserting an LED. But it’s especially nice that this gear knob is made by hand.

Manual transmission: cover + shift lever handle

The leatherette is cracked. Not critical, but it looks ugly. The interior looks like it’s new, but there are holes in the lever casing... Of course, I didn’t buy a new one for that kind of money. I didn’t find any leather goods at home, as luck would have it, everything was thrown out recently. I went to the nearest auto store and purchased two leather covers for a VAZ 2110 without handles with different textures for 140 rubles each. I bought two because I didn’t want to install them right away... it looks too obscene, and one is not enough for cutting. I took off the handle (it was very difficult to unscrew), brought it home, and began to disassemble it.

At this stage I warn everyone - very carefully pull out the staples, the plastic is very fragile and begins to crack. I took it off, cut the plastic clamp on the handle (I had previously bought the same one, black), and ripped out all the seams on the cover

Self-rethreading of the gear knob

Before starting the upholstery, it is necessary to remove the gear knob. As a rule, it is easily pulled out if you pull it towards you with force. However, depending on the car and the gearbox installed on it, the technology for removing the handle may change. In any case, this step will not cause you any particular problems. As an example, take a look at how easy it is to remove the handle on a Skoda Octavia.

Video: how to remove the gear knob

After you have removed the handle, you can begin making the pattern and the binding itself. But first, prepare the necessary set of tools.

Tools and materials for upholstery

In order to tighten the gearshift knob you will need the following tools and materials:

material for upholstery (leather, eco-leather or Alcantara);
tailor's scissors and stationery knife;
film (you can use food film);
glue;
felt-tip pen or marker;
tape (it is advisable to use masking tape);
durable nylon threads;
durable needle;
thimble for protection when sewing;
sewing machine.

Re-upholstery process

First of all, you need to make patterns for the future cover. The easiest way to do this is if you have an old case. In this case, your actions should be as follows.

Remove the old cover from the handle and open its seams.
Apply the resulting parts to the wrong side of the material and trace along the contour.
Carefully cut out the resulting parts.

use the old ripped cover to create a pattern for a new one

Using this method of making a pattern, you can be sure that your product will fit on the handle as it should. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to use an old case. In this case, you will have to make the pattern yourself.

First of all, wrap the handle tightly with thin cling film. If you don't have it on hand, use a regular plastic bag. Make sure no air bubbles form.
Place masking tape over the film so that it completely covers the surface of the handle. For reliability, make several layers.
Using a marker, draw lines following the curves of the pen. Be careful because these are the places where your future seams will be.
Using a utility knife, cut the masking tape along the lines you drew. You should have two parts.
Attach the patterns to the material used and trace along the contour.
Carefully cut them out.

Making a cover for a lever - photo gallery

After you have cut out the parts, the most important process begins - reupholstery. This can be done in two ways:

sheathing:
pasting.

The difference between them is that when sheathing, the parts are sewn from the wrong side. The resulting cover must be turned out and straightened. Now you need to put the resulting product on the handle. If you put the leather in hot water for a while, it will become more elastic and you can tighten it without any problems. When the material is completely dry, it will sit tightly in place.

This method of reupholstery is good because it makes it easy to remove and put on the cover at any time. In the case of the gluing method, you can remove the cover only by ripping it apart at the seams. In order to tighten the handle in this way, first of all you need to stitch the parts on a sewing machine at a distance of 3 mm from the edge.

stitch each piece at a distance of 3 mm from the edge

After this, you need to apply a small amount of glue to the parts and place them in their places

Pay attention to the lines you made earlier. You need to insert a strong needle into the thread, and then, passing it under the stitches, pull the parts tightly together

pass the needle under the stitches and tighten the parts

To ensure that the cover fits well on the handle, moisten it with warm water. After drying, it will take the desired shape.

Video: how to trim a gear knob with your own hands

As you can see, it is not at all difficult to tighten the gearshift knob with your own hands. The necessary tools are available in every garage. You don’t need to have any special skills either: just be careful and patient. If you didn’t succeed in replacing something the first time, don’t be upset: the second and even third attempts won’t drive you into debt. Almost certainly the store will not sell you less than one linear meter of material, and this is quite enough for several of these pens. Believe in yourself and you will succeed!

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Leather-covered protective cover and lever knob

A fairly popular type of improvement of the gear shift knob is replacing the protective cover and knob with a leather one. What will it take? Leather or high-quality leatherette, thread, scissors, needle, awl and preferably a thimble.

First of all, remove the cover and handle. As a rule, the handle is unscrewed or removed with a slight upward force. The protective cover itself is secured with four latches.

First you need to make a pattern. To do this, you can use your old case. Considering the hardness of the leather, you can pierce holes for the seams with an awl or use a large needle. Also, in order for everything to turn out beautifully, when stitching, you need to make sure that the stitches are even. The fastening plastic at the bottom of the case can simply be glued. After this, the protective cover is installed back and secured using the same 4 latches.

Next, move on to the handle trim. Before cutting out leather blanks for stitching, it is advisable to make patterns. To do this, you can wrap the handle with something, for example, regular film, and then cover it with adhesive tape. Next, make markings with a regular felt-tip pen and cut into 2 parts. This will give you the shape for the pattern. Next, transfer the entire paper, tracing the shape along the contour, cut it out, and only after that transfer everything to the skin. After cutting out the leather workpiece, use an awl to make holes for the stitches and sew them on the handle.

Material selection

Every driver wants the material with which the interior elements of his car are covered to be not only strong and durable, but also pleasant to the touch. In addition, it must meet the tastes of the owner and be combined with the interior design. The financial issue is also important. So how to choose a coating that will meet all these characteristics? The following materials are most often used to cover the gearshift knob:

Genuine Leather;
artificial leather (or eco-leather);
Alcantara (artificial suede).

All of them have good performance. The coating will not tear at the most unexpected moment, and with proper care it will last a long time. But each of these materials has features that distinguish it from the rest. This could be price, softness, or even the ability to cause allergies. To make the right choice, let’s look at the characteristics of each of them.

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Genuine leather for upholstery

Genuine automobile leather is the highest quality, but at the same time the most expensive material that can be used in upholstery. Leather seats, ceiling, control panel - it all looks solid and stylish. Having covered the gearshift knob with leather, you will not only enjoy its appearance, but also experience a pleasant sensation when touching it to change gears.

the use of genuine leather in the decoration of the car gives it a stylish and solid look

Leather is highly wear-resistant. Thanks to special processing, it is less susceptible to mechanical and chemical damage. In addition, this material is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, which means it will practically not fade in the bright sun. Another advantage is moisture resistance.

On sale you can find a special type - perforated genuine leather. It differs from the usual one in the large number of barely noticeable through holes throughout the entire area of the material. In addition to all the above positive properties, it has increased elasticity, softness and vapor permeability. You need to choose perforated leather carefully: if the holes have too large a diameter, a lot of dust will accumulate in them. This means you will have to clean it much more often and more thoroughly.

perforated leather has many small through holes, which increases its performance properties

It is not surprising that the cost of leather is much higher than any other material. But despite this, its use will be much more favorable in terms of price and quality ratio, because its service life without loss of properties can reach 7 years. But, besides the price, genuine leather has one significant drawback: the chemicals involved in the leather tanning process can cause a severe allergic reaction in some people

If you are one of them, pay attention to eco-leather

Artificial leather (eco leather)

Eco-leather does not emit harmful chemicals, which allows it to be considered a completely hypoallergenic material. Temperature changes do not have a negative effect on it, so we can confidently speak about the high wear resistance of the material.

As for the appearance, it is almost completely identical to natural leather: the artificial material retains its softness and texture. But the price of eco-leather is much lower, which makes it attractive to most car owners.

eco-leather looks identical to natural leather, but costs much less

Alcantara

Alcantara is otherwise called artificial suede. And if real suede is specially processed and tanned leather, then Alcantara is a synthetic material that has the same soft and velvety surface. In terms of its properties, Alcantara is in no way inferior to genuine leather. It is just as strong, elastic and wear-resistant. It does not fade when exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. In addition, Alcantara is difficult to burn: if a cigarette ash falls on it or a spark bounces off a cigarette lighter, the material will almost certainly remain in its original form. Another pleasant advantage is the ability to retain heat. When you sit in a frozen car in winter, you will touch warm fabric, not cold skin.

Alcantara looks similar to suede, but has better performance properties

Alcantara has a low cost and is easy to find in automotive stores. Working with it, especially at home, is much easier than with natural or eco-leather. This is a good choice for motorists who prefer practicality.

Do-it-yourself handle wrapping

You can sheathe or alter an automatic or manual transmission lever at home. To re-tighten the transmission selector, you will need standard tools. If we are tightening and sheathing the handle yourself, be sure to take into account all the nuances described in the instructions below.

Tools

To tighten the car gearbox lever, you will need:

pen, felt-tip pen or marker;
scissors;
stationery knife;
cling film;
scotch;
Super glue;
sewing machine;
threads (silk or nylon);
fabric that will be used for upholstery.

Re-upholstery process

Before completing the task, you will need to remove the transmission selector

Don’t forget to remove it with the cover, which we then carefully rip into pieces using a utility knife. From them we create patterns, according to the dimensions of which the components of the new product are cut out

The gearbox cover is sewn by machine or by hand, the procedure is carried out from the wrong side. If you do not use a sewing machine, the parts of the product must be pierced with an awl in advance to facilitate the joining procedure. The made cover must be fixed to the frame with glue.

User Vladimir Mazur in his video explained in detail and showed how the procedure for tightening the transmission selector is carried out.

The tightening procedure is performed as follows:

Take cling film and cover the gear selector with it. The top of the film must be secured with tape.

It is better to use a painter's one, as it is easier to mark with a felt-tip pen. Mark the lines on the tape with a marker or felt-tip pen where the seams will be located. Using a utility knife, carefully cut the winding along the previously drawn lines. You will receive a dummy that must be carefully removed and aligned. Using the finished pattern, parts are cut out from Alcantara, genuine leather or other material. Don't forget to leave some space around the edges (about 5mm) to adjust the tension. By hand or using a machine, sew all the elements of the cover, while maintaining the remaining distance of 5 mm. Sew the components of the future product together

Before using a needle or machine, glue the parts for secure fastening. You need to pull the prepared threads into the seams you made. Afterwards they are tightened as much as possible. When the cover is ready, it must be wetted with water. This will make the material more elastic. Then we pull the product onto the gearbox lever.

User Liberman in his video showed how the procedure for re-stretching and restoring the appearance of the gear selector in a car is performed.

Preparatory stage

It contains the same steps no matter which method you choose next.

The handle is removed from the lever and disassembled. Most often, you will see a head that has a plastic attachment with a thread at the bottom, with which it is fixed to the lever. This lock is removable. There will be a sleeve underneath; it will also need to be removed;
A plastic cover covers the top of the head. It is pryed off with a screwdriver and removed. Next there will be an insert secured with a screw. It unscrews, the insert goes into a common pile;
The old sheathing is ripped apart at the seam and removed; it will act as a pattern;
There may be variations in which a cover was not provided: you have a plastic knob in front of you. In this case, you will have to do the preparation yourself;
The handle with the lower lock removed is tightly wrapped in several layers of cling film;
Painting tape is glued on top;
Cutting lines are drawn using this kind of papier-mâché. They must pass in such a way that they fall on the sharpest bends;
The workpiece is cut along the markings with a stationery knife. You get two parts, which represent your patterns.

Regarding cutting:

If the old pattern case is severely deformed, you can first transfer the patterns onto thick paper so that the pattern on the leather is as even as possible.

Peugeot/Citroen handle for Vesta

You can buy a pen on AliExpress (see selection of accessories). The author writes:

If you cover it with leather, it will look like this: