Replacing Range Rover P38 handbrake gaiter and manual gearstick gaiter.

At the time of writing a set of new gaiters from Land Rover costs £40 each. They come ready attached to replacement frames so in garage labour they are probably cheaper to fit. However, for the home mechanic you can get the gaiters themselves for under a tenner, including postage.

You will need:

Replacement gaiters.
Crosshead screwdriver.
Staples / cable-ties & a bradawl & a sharp knife / glue.
Rubber o-rings / cable-ties.


Removing the old handbrake gaiter

Open cubby-hole and remove the 2 screws that hold the switchpack in place.



Pull the switchpack free and unplug the electrics.

Wriggle the switchpack off the handbrake.

On the back of the switchpack, push in the lugs holding the handbrake gaiter holder in place and pull the plastic frame with the gaiter on it free.



Remove the staples holding the gaiter in place and remove gaiter.







Putting the new handbrake gaiter on.

You need something to hold the leather in place until it is clamped in place when the frame is pushed back into place in the switchpack. Originally it was held in place by staples but I didn’t have a suitable stapler. There isn’t a lot of room in the gap as it is designed to clamp the leather in place. However, I found small cable-ties help it in place long enough to jam it in place. Other people have used glue but that was too much waiting for me and sounded a bit messy.

The new gaiter should not be symmetric. The longer lug goes at the bottom where the frame is longer.

Because I was using cable ties I drilled out the holes where the staples were and with the leather gaiter in place, pushed a bradawl through the holes followed by a small cable-tie. Each end is done first followed by the sides, making sure to leave the sticking out lock part of the cable-tie on the inside of the frame.





Once the gaiter is help firmly in place, replace the frame in the switchpack and click the lugs into place.



If you’re doing the gearstick gaiter as well then now is the time to do the gearstick gaiter (see below).

Turn the handbrake gaiter inside out and get the end over the handbrake until it covers the groove at the base of the handle. Stick a cable-tie around the groove to hold it in place. Originally it was a rubber ring, I believe. I have no idea what mine was as it had long since vanished.

In order for there to be enough room for the handbrake I then cut and removed the cable-ties from the sides of the handbrake frame leaving only the end ones in place.

Wriggle the switchpack back over the handbrake turning the gaiter the right way out in the process.

Reconnect the switchpack electrics, push the switchpack back into place under the gearstick surround and then replace the 2 screws holding it in place in the cubby-hole.

Removing the old gearstick gaiter (manual).

The gearknob clips to a plastic-block to which the gaiter is attached.




You should be able to depress the lugs and push the gaiter down so the gearknob is free to rotate. Then unscrew the gearknob.



Having removed the switchpack, undo the screw holding the gearbox surround in place.

Pull the gearstick surround back and disconnect the electrics for the cigarette lighter.



The surround and gaiter should now just lift off the gearstick.

Undo the star- / shock-washers that hold the gaiter frame to the surround and remove the surround with gaiter.



Remove the staples holding the gaiter in place and remove the old gaiter.

Putting the new gearstick gaiter on.

Once again I had no staples so I drilled the staple-holes out and with the new gaiter in place, pushed a bradawl through the leather and the holes then pushed a cable-tie through to hold the leather in place. Once again the lugs have to be on the inside of the frame. Note that the gaiter shape is like a right-angled triangle with the vertical side towards the front of the vehicle.



No need to worry about stuff snagging this time so place the frame onto the surround and replace the star- / shock-washers.



Turn the gaiter inside out and push the plastic-block that the gearknob clips into through the gaiter (long side first making sure it is “pointing” forwards) until the end of the leather is just over the groove in the block. Tie a cable-tie round to hold it in place.



Turn the gaiter the right-way out.

Then, as they say, refitting is then the reverse of removal.