bureau13

Anyone have an issue with switch feel/operation after getting their pod recovered in leather? Before switch action was nice and crisp, whether they were push switches or rotary switches, but not in the new pod. Push in/push out switches frequently can't pop out now without help, and the light rotary switch doesn't click at all, although it works. Is this just an issue for me, or have others found a way to deal with this? I'm thinking some type of lubrication is in order, but I don't want to slime everything up in there.

walt_mink

I'm noticing the same thing as I test fit switches into my new pod. I'm thinking that I'll have to burnish the leather with a spoon or a polished steel rod to make room, but I haven't tried that yet.

ammonman

IIRC the foam around the switch openings has to be relieved for clearance when covering a molded vinyl pod with leather or sheet vinyl. I just had my pod covered in vinyl by Rob Budd and all the switches fit and function perfectly.

Mike

Jerry Feather

When I recover a pod I do it differently. I "skive" the leather in the areas where the switch openings are going to be before I put the leather covering on. The leather is about .045 to .055 thick, depending, and if it is skived to about .020 or so there is still enough space for the switches to properly function and you still have the rigidity of the vinyl around the openings for the pod to keep its shape. I do this skiving with a 4.5 inch disc sander with a 36 grit sanding disc in it. I use rubber cement to glue the leather face down temporarily on a hard board so it does not flap up in the breeze created by the sander and then carefully grind the back layer of leather off in the areas I have marked on the back of the leather with chalk.

Since your pod is already covered you are pretty much dead in the water to try this at this point. One thing I would consider is trying to turn some plastic off of the switch bodies or *****, but I would have to study them to see if this is a possibility.

bureau13

The ***** are pretty rubbery...I'm not sure if that would work or not. I might give it a try and see what happens...

ROG100

About 12 years ago my first leather GTS pod was done by JustDashes and I experienced this exact problem. I had to literally cut down the outside diameter of the switches to enable them to fit and even work - especially the push in and out ones. It was never satisfactory.
When I purchased the latest leather pod from Rob Budd - www.theclassic9leathershop.com it was a none issue.

bureau13

To be honest, I sort of assumed this was a stock leather-covered pod...I'm not familiar enough to know the difference. And it does look good (the dash is a bit of a different story...looked a lot better on my table than in the car, oddly enough). They were sold as cores, I got them because I thought they would be an improvement over my cracking and warped pieces, and I guess they are in many ways, but I'm gonna need to do something about these switches.

My glovebox is a Rob Budd piece. It looks too good for the car

ltoolio

+1 to that. RB's interior pieces make the rest of my interior look like crap.

928Myles

Jeff,
I had this problem with my switches. I applied 'armour all' type protector to the switch & adjacent leather and it lubricated things enough for everything to work as intended.

Myles

bureau13

That certainly sounds easy enough to try!