My new shift knob

[Kyle K.]

I just got my new shift knob in the mail. WOOHOO! It weighs about 3 times what the stock knob did and its so beautiful. Wow, I'm so stoked. Pics will be up shortly :D

[Kyle K.]

Ok here they are... here is my old stock knob... weighing in at a staggering 5 3/4 ounces :D

[Kyle K.]

And my new beautiful Whalen shift knob... weighing in at 1lb 2 ounces (18 ounces) :buttrock :D

[Kyle K.]

Here it is installed.... I only drove it around for a few minutes but the knob is really smooth to the touch, which feels great when shifting, and it really gets rid of a lot of the notchiness. And the best part? I got it for 45 bucks less than normal through a gb:buttrock :buttrock

[Tom Sederburg]

Looks good bro! :)<center>

[joe325i]

looks GREAT man
i hope that wont casue damage to the transmission

[TheBestCow]

Looks great!
How do you reckon it would damage the tranny? Just wondering.

I hope you don't let it sit in the sun for a long time though... looks like it would get real hot left out in a parking lot...

[The Beastmaster]

Nice knob! You just made your car slower since it is 3X the weight of the original! lol

BTW, whatcha doing with a pharmaceutical scale?

[JoeZ]

:clap:

Congratulations!! You'll never regret switching to the Whalen for as long as you own your car!! I went with the Whalen knob back in April and I can honestly say the improvements it has made are far more noticeable than any of my other mods. When I switched back for a day to the stock knob I totally hated the way my car felt, the Whalen definetely does an excellent job at smoothing out and shortening the shifts.

[kapolani]

I was wondering about the scale myself.


Pakalolo?

[Kyle K.]

The scale? Err...

uhh....

:devillook

Just joking, its my aunt's and it just happened to be in the kitchen. I'm not sure what the hell she uses it for... but she's a pretty good chef and has a whole bunch of stuff for cooking :dunno

And yeah, after driving the car a bit more I can honestly say that the car shifts MUCH smoother and I really have a lot nicer feel. Honestly, probably the best 85 bucks I've ever spent :cool: :buttrock

[Kyle K.]

Originally posted by The Beastmaster
You just made your car slower since it is 3X the weight of the original! lol



psh, you know you're just jealous. :D

[Preppy]

nice knob Kyle! Subtle yet effective, I think ;)

good job!

[The Beastmaster]

I'm sure she's really anal and needs to weigh her "ingredients" to the gram!

[LouisM]

Yeah, there goes the tranny. Its way too heavy for it to handle.

[Kyle K.]

Would you mind telling me your basis for saying this? Did you learn this from the Taurus boards? Are you a mechanical engineer?

Here's a quote from Rob Levinson in a different thread replying to a member who was concerned about excessively heavy knobs.


Originally posted by Rob Levinson
There is absolutely no legitimate basis for this concern.

I have seen so-called "technical" descriptions of potential problems, and found them to be completely biased and completely incorrect, based on mis-quoted sources taken out of context, with conclusions twisted by a competitive marketing intent. I call out any such claims as complete fabrications with ulterior motives. Any mechanical engineer will agree, as have many who have posted on other forums and mailing lists.

Anyone with a basic understanding of the BMW shift linkage and how it interacts with the transmission knows that you could just about slam the shifter through the floor with a sledgehammer without any damage to the transmission. The weight of the shifter is completely supported by the carrier, a part completely independent of the trasmissions selector input.

If one were to believe the weight of a heavy shift knob were bad for the transmission, then the simple act of shifting would cause complete failure within a week.

I love reading good fiction, but I dislike when the public is expected to believe it is truth.

- Rob

You can check out the thread here for yourself. http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55370&highlight=rk3%2A

[whamac]

Amen to Rob Levinson's quote.

That "technical write-up" about a heavy shift knob being able to damage the transmission was started by his former partner, and now competitor, which makes it nothing but a marketing ploy, IMHO.

Doug W.

[themadhatter]

Originally posted by whamac
Amen to Rob Levinson's quote.

That "technical write-up" about a heavy shift knob being able to damage the transmission was started by his former partner, and now competitor, which makes it nothing but a marketing ploy, IMHO.

Doug W.

take your opinions and vote with your wallet. you gotta love free enterprise. I bought a lighted bmw oe shift knob instead.

either way you look at it. you have to replace that stock shift knob when go in for inspections here in jersey. the DOT nazis will fail you for not having the shift pattern clearly displayed. :rolleyes:

at least you don't have to worry about it for another 2 years. :)

-Ron

[joe325i]

wow!
i didnt know they failed you for an aftermarket shift knob!
holy crap were nazis here in jersey

[whamac]

I think they'll only fail you if the knob doesn't display the shift pattern.

One of my customers who didn't have the engraving done had to go home and get the stock knob back on in order to pass the inspection.

[Kyle K.]

Yeah, I was expecting to have to replace it, but I'll be out of Jersey in a few months here (finishin up school... going back home) Anybody know if the CA DOT requires the pattern?

[themadhatter]

Originally posted by joe325i
wow!
i didnt know they failed you for an aftermarket shift knob!
holy crap were nazis here in jersey

Joe! You work for an inspection center?! You've just become my best friend!!! :D

my friend was failed in his supra cause he didn't have the pattern in his car. He went and sticky note'ed it onto his dash so they could pass him.

as far as Nazi's...come on now - you know how strict some of those guys can be!

-Ron

[Kyle K.]

Joe doesn't work at an inspection center... He was just saying "we" as in people from Jersey I guess. Joe works at a computer place....

[minicoopersgirl]

here is the same knob with the pattern...
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22416

[joe325i]

ron if i worked at the DMV i would KILL my self

[snappermini]

Looks great. I'm working on fitting a E46 M3 knob.. Any M3 guys out there upgraded and whant to unload the stock knob/boot?

[whamac]

Originally posted by snappermini
Looks great. I'm working on fitting a E46 M3 knob.. Any M3 guys out there upgraded and whant to unload the stock knob/boot?

Are you planning to modify the shift lever? Otherwise, I think you might have a slight problem.

I believe the knob will spin after being installed onto the lever.

[snappermini]

Have not had a chance to test fit yet. If there is a problem like that I will drill a small hole and drive a steel rod thru.

[whamac]

Originally posted by snappermini
Have not had a chance to test fit yet. If there is a problem like that I will drill a small hole and drive a steel rod thru.

Yeah, that would work.

You'll find that the MINI lever is shorter (as far as the knob mounting area is concerned) than all other BMW levers, and the anti-rotation key inside a BMW knob will not reach down into the slot in the MINI lever.

[snappermini]

Thank you for the heads up on the fitment issue, I have not had a chance to get my hands on M3 shift knob as of yet. The dealer wants something like $159. and that is at cost. I'm hoping to find someone who has upgraded and is willing to get rid of their original shift knob/boot.

[eurorides]

people tell you you have to have s pattern on shift knobs? thats fucking communism

[themadhatter]

doesn't have to be on the knob itself, but in the general area. you can have a sticky on your dash if you wanted - hell that's easier to see then under your hand anyways. Of course, you gotta look at where the gears are - you shouldn't be driving the stick.

....speaking of which - you're in Cali, you've got the worst EPA nazi's in america!