My moms Protoge has always felt like it shifted very smooth, and I noticed when I took the shift knob off it was heavy! Weighed in at about 400g or about 1 lb.
The fiero shift knob seems much lighter, and it doesn't shift nearly as smoothly, kind of clunky. The threads are not the same so I couldn't test the heavy knob on my shifter, but I was wondering if anyone had noticed a difference in the feel of the shifter with a change in knob weight.
I know the feel is much more than just the shifter knob, but if anyone has found it to make some difference I'm going to get a heavy one to test out.
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03:17 AM
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Fastback 86 Member
Posts: 7849 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Sep 2003
I have a billit aluminum shift knob thats almost the size of a baseball, and the shifting is still clunky. I know aluminum is light, but its definately heavier than the golf ball (I'm not kidding) that used to be on there. With more weight on the end of the shifter, you get more mass moving when you pivot the lever (the shifter). More weight moving means more force on the lever, which is basically like pushing the lever harder. In this case, the weight does it so you don't have to. From my experience, I can tell you that it is not a significant difference. Its marginally less clunky, but nothing to write home about. Maybe if it was a cast iron knob, it would be different. Realize, though, that metal transfers energy well. If you've got a big heavy shift knob on there thats throwing the shifter back and forth, all that energy from the lever slamming around is being transferred into the lever, the shifter assembly, through the cables, and to the transmission. Same thing as slamming through the gears, but again the weight's doing it so you don't have to. Probably not a good idea.
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03:41 AM
NorthFloridaFiero Member
Posts: 918 From: Tallahassee Florida USA Registered: Aug 2004
The weight of the shift knob will make a difference in shift quality... A heavier knob will dampen the notchy feeling in the shifter more than a lighter one. I noticed this when I put a different shifter in my Stratus... shifted like butter with the stock but the new aftermarket knob was lighter and made it feel harder to shift... its all about momentum
------------------ 88 Fiero GT Auto 01 Prizm 5 Spd.
[This message has been edited by carbon (edited 11-29-2004).]
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02:11 PM
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Maybe mine doesn't apply but, I replaced my stock auto shifter with a after-market one and the new one weight was less. That also was the same with the sterring wheel. The sterring wheel felt easier to turn.
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02:27 PM
Black-Azz-GT Member
Posts: 2326 From: Florida Keys Registered: Oct 2003
Maybe mine doesn't apply but, I replaced my stock auto shifter with a after-market one and the new one weight was less. That also was the same with the sterring wheel. The sterring wheel felt easier to turn.
MAD!! You damn well know this does not apply to you! Dang LEFT COASTERS!!!!
Now, time for us to drive around in the SUNSHINE! Man it is ruff having a Convertible in NOV/DEC!!!
------------------ 4.9 Caddy in Garage! Car in Driveway! ACK! **************************************** http://home.cfl.rr.com/fierose Central Florida Fieros http://www.centralfloridafieros.org Proud Member and founder of the DOWN SOUTH SUNNY WINTER PICK ON SNOW PEOPLE COALITION!
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04:34 PM
88gtNewb Member
Posts: 922 From: Surrey, BC, Canada Registered: Aug 2004
Alright, thanks for the helpful responses. One last question, anyone made their own shift knob out of a pool ball? I've got about 3 spare 8-balls lying around and thinking it would make a sweet shifter as long as you could drill a hole and thread it to make it fit on the shaft. Any ideas how to do this?
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06:45 PM
Kento Member
Posts: 4218 From: Beautifull Winston Salem NC Registered: Jun 2003
Alright, thanks for the helpful responses. One last question, anyone made their own shift knob out of a pool ball? I've got about 3 spare 8-balls lying around and thinking it would make a sweet shifter as long as you could drill a hole and thread it to make it fit on the shaft. Any ideas how to do this?
First you would need to find the thread and then look on-line for thread inserts. then you can drill the hole and insert it, screw it on.
------------------ 4.9 Caddy in Garage! Car in Driveway! ACK! **************************************** http://home.cfl.rr.com/fierose Central Florida Fieros http://www.centralfloridafieros.org Proud Member and founder of the DOWN SOUTH SUNNY WINTER PICK ON SNOW PEOPLE COALITION!
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07:01 PM
Fastback 86 Member
Posts: 7849 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Sep 2003
First you would need to find the thread and then look on-line for thread inserts. then you can drill the hole and insert it, screw it on.
Or, you can do it the cheap and easy way like my car's previous owner did. Drill a hole in the bottom of the ball a little bit smaller than the shift lever. Then screw it on. As you screw it on, the threads on the shift lever will cut into the softer pool ball and it will be threaded.
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08:57 PM
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jsmorter1 Member
Posts: 674 From: Creston, Ohio Registered: Jun 2004
It is a pain in the a$$ to tap the hole out in a real pool ball because the material wants to compress when you cut and then grab when you back the tap out. Drilling the hole is easy though
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09:28 PM
Nov 30th, 2004
Trekker Member
Posts: 830 From: San Bernardino,CA. U.S.A. Registered: Mar 2004
