Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Being curious I tried to remove my gear knob for the hell of it. I *assumed* it twisted off. So I twisted and something went snap then a load of plastic crap fell out the bottom. So yeah it doesnt twist off it pulls off...
Anyway its now like a spinning top and I am looking for anew gear knob... I like the look of a Storm Moterwerks V2 but sadly cant justify the £60 currenly..
So what would be the next best thing or something mid range? Something that fits/goes well with the Zed...?
Anyway its now like a spinning top and I am looking for anew gear knob... I like the look of a Storm Moterwerks V2 but sadly cant justify the £60 currenly..
So what would be the next best thing or something mid range? Something that fits/goes well with the Zed...?
Last edited by Robin82 on Thu 30 Apr, 2015 11:39, edited 1 time in total.
- BladeRunner919
- Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
- Posts: 2225
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
I assume it was only the knob that broke, not the bushing that the gear stick locates in at the bottom? In other words, you I assume you can't rotate the shaft that the knob came off.
I'll avoid any obvious knob/shaft gags here!
In terms of what goes well with the Zed, that's a personal choice. Obviously a BMW knob will look the most 'right' - I bought a stubby BMW one from ebay when I bought my Zed.
I'll avoid any obvious knob/shaft gags here!
In terms of what goes well with the Zed, that's a personal choice. Obviously a BMW knob will look the most 'right' - I bought a stubby BMW one from ebay when I bought my Zed.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
I am trying hard to phrase this delicately, but what does the end of the shaft look like now? There is a forked piece on the end that mates with a tongue on the inside of the knob and prevents it rotating. Is this still intact? I seem to recall this being plastic on mine, but the photo below and RealOEM/BMWFans seem to confirm that it is metal.
Image borrowed from Zed Carer. Hope you don't mind, Bill.
The only cheap solution I can think of to repair your own is by putting a pin (screw, wooden dowel, etc) through the top of the plastic core to replace the plastic tongue if that has sheared off. Whether you can neatly remove the central core to do this is another matter, as I suspect that it will be glued pretty firmly, and drilling a hole though the side of the knob in the right place is likely to be quite tricky and won't be an invisible fix.
And there will be no mention of Prince Alberts in relation to the last bit!
Cheers R.
Image borrowed from Zed Carer. Hope you don't mind, Bill.
The only cheap solution I can think of to repair your own is by putting a pin (screw, wooden dowel, etc) through the top of the plastic core to replace the plastic tongue if that has sheared off. Whether you can neatly remove the central core to do this is another matter, as I suspect that it will be glued pretty firmly, and drilling a hole though the side of the knob in the right place is likely to be quite tricky and won't be an invisible fix.
And there will be no mention of Prince Alberts in relation to the last bit!
Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
-
- Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 10:27
- Posts: 2093
- Location: Daglan, France
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Yes, both portions of the gear lever are metal - here's mine being cut down:
A new knob from Chrom-Design of Germany can be bought for 29 Euros - see http://shop.chromdesign.de/product_info ... rome-.html - and I'm sure that UK suppliers of shiney bits do the same. Just look around.
The Storm or Whalen knobs are the best, adding weight to the gearchange, and also reducing travel. They are certainly worth the money, but I shortened my gear lever by 1.5 inches for about 50 pence.
Have you thought about drilling through the base of the knob, and then through the lever? You could then pass a dome-headed M6 stainless steel cap screw through it, with a stainless dome nut loctoted ontothe other end of it. For about 20 pence you will have a - dare I say it - rigid knob again.
A new knob from Chrom-Design of Germany can be bought for 29 Euros - see http://shop.chromdesign.de/product_info ... rome-.html - and I'm sure that UK suppliers of shiney bits do the same. Just look around.
The Storm or Whalen knobs are the best, adding weight to the gearchange, and also reducing travel. They are certainly worth the money, but I shortened my gear lever by 1.5 inches for about 50 pence.
Have you thought about drilling through the base of the knob, and then through the lever? You could then pass a dome-headed M6 stainless steel cap screw through it, with a stainless dome nut loctoted ontothe other end of it. For about 20 pence you will have a - dare I say it - rigid knob again.
A Z3 is not just for Christmas - it's for life!
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
As Ben Elton used to say in his stand-up ( oooeeer missus! ) routine "Everyone likes a good knob joke"
2001 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver/Blue Leather (left home ) and his big brother 2002 e39 2.2 Titan Silver/Grey Leather (leaving soon )
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Ah no its just the 'knob' that came loose... The shaft stayed firmly in its place. So basically the knob is spinning on the shaft.BladeRunner919 wrote:I assume it was only the knob that broke, not the bushing that the gear stick locates in at the bottom? In other words, you I assume you can't rotate the shaft that the knob came off.
I'll avoid any obvious knob/shaft gags here!
In terms of what goes well with the Zed, that's a personal choice. Obviously a BMW knob will look the most 'right' - I bought a stubby BMW one from ebay when I bought my Zed.
The fork on the end of the shaft is fortunatly still intact its the groove inside the knob that broke TBH its seems almost impossible to fix the knob part. I think a quick fix would be to maybe sqeeze some filler into the end of the knob and just push it onto the shaft.. Bit of a bodge but Im sure it would hold it in place. Nice interior BTW.. looks great! Was that a mod?Robert T wrote:I am trying hard to phrase this delicately, but what does the end of the shaft look like now? There is a forked piece on the end that mates with a tongue on the inside of the knob and prevents it rotating. Is this still intact? I seem to recall this being plastic on mine, but the photo below and RealOEM/BMWFans seem to confirm that it is metal.
Image borrowed from Zed Carer. Hope you don't mind, Bill.
The only cheap solution I can think of to repair your own is by putting a pin (screw, wooden dowel, etc) through the top of the plastic core to replace the plastic tongue if that has sheared off. Whether you can neatly remove the central core to do this is another matter, as I suspect that it will be glued pretty firmly, and drilling a hole though the side of the knob in the right place is likely to be quite tricky and won't be an invisible fix.
And there will be no mention of Prince Alberts in relation to the last bit!
Cheers R.
Thanks for the links.. 29 euros was about my budget.. I guess the drawback with drilling a hole in the side is that it would be visible. Richbrook seem to have some nice gear knobs for a reasonable price too.Mike Fishwick wrote:Yes, both portions of the gear lever are metal - here's mine being cut down:
A new knob from Chrom-Design of Germany can be bought for 29 Euros - see http://shop.chromdesign.de/product_info ... rome-.html - and I'm sure that UK suppliers of shiney bits do the same. Just look around.
The Storm or Whalen knobs are the best, adding weight to the gearchange, and also reducing travel. They are certainly worth the money, but I shortened my gear lever by 1.5 inches for about 50 pence.
Have you thought about drilling through the base of the knob, and then through the lever? You could then pass a dome-headed M6 stainless steel cap screw through it, with a stainless dome nut loctoted ontothe other end of it. For about 20 pence you will have a - dare I say it - rigid knob again.
Last edited by Robin82 on Thu 30 Apr, 2015 11:41, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Zed Carer pretty much stripped out his whole interior to tidy it up, but it is a standard dash AFAIK - you can read more about it here.Robin82 wrote:Nice interior BTW.. looks great! Was that a mod?
Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Many owners have swapped out a perfectly serviceable knob for one of the heavier 'Storm' models and I don't think anyone regrets it.
And you have a genuine excuse to do it!
Seriously, save up your birthday and Christmas money and buy a Storm.
You'll be really surprised what a difference it makes to your drive.
Do a bodge-job with the old one til you have the dosh in hand.
A.
And you have a genuine excuse to do it!
Seriously, save up your birthday and Christmas money and buy a Storm.
You'll be really surprised what a difference it makes to your drive.
Do a bodge-job with the old one til you have the dosh in hand.
A.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Yeah you're right, superficially spending £60 on a gear knob IMO is not worth it. But if it actually improves the drive to a noticable degree then it might be worth while. Not so much I cant afford it more justifying the expense for something that lets face it, most people would think was insane.Alfie wrote:Many owners have swapped out a perfectly serviceable knob for one of the heavier 'Storm' models and I don't think anyone regrets it.
And you have a genuine excuse to do it!
Seriously, save up your birthday and Christmas money and buy a Storm.
You'll be really surprised what a difference it makes to your drive.
Do a bodge-job with the old one til you have the dosh in hand.
A.
Last edited by Robin82 on Thu 30 Apr, 2015 11:42, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
The storm gear knob is definitely worth the cost.
Sent from my HTC Desire
Sent from my HTC Desire
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Does she buy shoes and handbags?Robin82 wrote:.....more justifying the expense for something that lets face it, most people would think was insane. i.e my GF
Could be proven as equally insane maybe
A.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Tell her your getting a new knob and she will be happy
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
get a new knob.....its summat new to play with...i'll show ya mine
Storm Motorwerks BMW V1 Gear knob V1 Weighted Short Shift Knob
Storm Motorwerks BMW V1 Gear knob V1 Weighted Short Shift Knob
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
You've got a lovely knob there Wayne
I also have a storm works knob.. Lovely looking and great gear change
I also have a storm works knob.. Lovely looking and great gear change
///M Roadster - Evolve Stage 3
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Where do u get the Storm wroks knob from does it need much polishing and roughly how much do they cost??
Dont mind the polishing as i enjoy polishing my knob
Dont mind the polishing as i enjoy polishing my knob
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
mine was very expensive ...about 7 grand...came attached to an M
think there about 60 quid ...but i let the missus polish mine....lets her join in
think there about 60 quid ...but i let the missus polish mine....lets her join in
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Can't beat a shinny knob
Storm works also do a handbrake handle and lighter plug.. Wicked looking set..
Storm works also do a handbrake handle and lighter plug.. Wicked looking set..
///M Roadster - Evolve Stage 3
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
thats a useful looking knob there Liam....looks like you have been polishing it often...
- Southernboy
- Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
- Posts: 6436
- Location: Johannesburg
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
An interim means of preventing knob rotation is a blob of decent silicone up the hole...it'll also prevent thknob being pulled off the shaft while changing gear. I had a similar issue many years ago, and it worked so well, that when I came to replacing it with new, it took some effort to remove the old one. I had to give it a fair bit of twisting to loosen up the ould silicone. I now have a collection of knobs which I change from time to time for purely climatic conditions...I like a "cool" aluminium knob in summer, a warmer leather covered job for winter, and then there's the "branded" knobs, for those days when I just feel the "yuppie flu" attack...Like ACS, Hamann, and occaisinoally the "classic" feel of an OEM BMW knob. I have the shortshift fitted, so they all look and feel similar in the change motion. I have a Victorian lead / glass cabinet, which I once used for books...now it serves as a display cabinet for my knobs, dials, small spares and the only books it houses relate to my head unit, and variuos downloaded guides on "how to" which I have come across and found to be valuable references. I also have items such as a brief history of "failed" innovations, such as my original seat lift kit, a set of padded elbow rests, and a few momentos of unusual journeys I have made in my Z3, such as a really good photograph of the front feet of a giraffe, the snotty nose of a warthog etc which I took whilst doing a trip in the Kruger Park...Top down touring in the Kruger isn't allowed, so my pics were a little restricted. Oh, and I keep a few "spares" in there too...rear shock top mounts, oil filter light bulbs for various applications, a box of small screws, and a really neat well made highly polished and comprehensive set of socket spanners with ratchet, screwdriver with interchangeable tips, torx's etc. a few USB connectors and half a dozen used mobile phones which although they all still work, have been surpassed by upgrades.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Very very good point!Alfie wrote:Does she buy shoes and handbags?Robin82 wrote:.....more justifying the expense for something that lets face it, most people would think was insane. i.e my GF
Could be proven as equally insane maybe A.
Z3cade - Nice matching set Where did you get that chrome gaiter surround from? Also the chrome dials look very nice.... I was in 2 minds over adding a few chrome touches but your center console looks great
Southernboy - Sounds like you've had quite a few adventures in your Zed.. Like the idea of a Zed trophy cabinet that really is taking it to another level!
Last edited by Robin82 on Thu 30 Apr, 2015 11:43, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Robin the chrome trim around my leather gaiter and dials is standard ///M trim
///M Roadster - Evolve Stage 3
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- Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 10:27
- Posts: 2093
- Location: Daglan, France
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
And standard n facelift models.
I have been trying to find an after-market supplier for a chrome gear lever ring, but without success.
I have been trying to find an after-market supplier for a chrome gear lever ring, but without success.
A Z3 is not just for Christmas - it's for life!
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Pffft... I shouldve known. Although your sig kinda gives it away!Z3cade wrote:Robin the chrome trim around my leather gaiter and dials is standard ///M trim
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- Joined: Tue 12 Mar, 2013 10:12
- Posts: 96
Re: Gear Knobs for the Zed...
Changed my standard gear knob today, what a difference to the gear change! Definitely worth investing in if you haven't done it already!
Before:
After:
Yes the cigarette lighter needs replacing!
Before:
After:
Yes the cigarette lighter needs replacing!