weighted shift knob bad ?

[Hiro]

theres no sychro on reverse.. you'd have to be stationary...

Not quite. :) No synchro just means it needs a bit of coercing to go into gear if the gears aren't spinning at the right speed

Reverse is straight-cut too (unlike the helical-cut forward gears), which makes it even harder to line up if the revs aren't exactly matched (and why sometimes even when stationary reverse won't engage, you have to put it in first or second to rotate the shaft slightly (as helical gears automatically align themselves) and then try reverse again.

[jaderd]

well if a weighted knob is going to have some detrimental effects even in time ...as i prob wont sell car in next few years i think i will not bother with it.....each day i get better at shifting with the SS and standard knob...so i think i may not worry.....if ppl can be 100% sure it will have a bad effect....im not going to change from stock.

[TOYTRD]

KEEP THE STOCK ON SIMON!

sportivo stock knob FTW!!!! LOL

best looking stock knob í've seen around!

[jaderd]

yeah think i will be.....just getting used to the extra tightness feeling it has when changing gears and engaging first at times can be tricky......though i find reverse is easier than when it was stock...is harder to push across to the left but doesnt seem to grind where as on occasions it would grind going into reverse......i found going into 2nd gear first before attempting 1st or reverse makes things easier (obviously when stationary)

[DANZZT231]

Although it may look ugly for some, I think the TRD ball shifter is very nice to use. And it's light too.

I used that for my Corolla with the TRD S/S, and use it again for the TRD S/S on my Celica.

[dyslexik]

hey all.

read some threads on the net saying how its bad ofcourse to rest hand on gear knob while driving and ppl have said that a weighted gear knob can have a bad effect also.....the below info is about BMW's now they prob have diff setup etc as opposed to our linkage type ?

Shift Knob No-Nos

Why can't I rest my hand on the shift knob?

Ever wonder why people say that its bad to rest you hand on the shift knob while driving? Well, there is a reason, and good thing you listened!

Within the transmission itself, BMW has a specification of 0.004"-0.006" gap between each gear and the shifter rail in the transmission (for reference, a human hair is approximately 0.0035"). This gap allows for the transmission lubricant to acts as a barrier so that the shifter rail and gear are not directly touching, causing premature wearing of the gear (not syncros), shifter rail, or both.

When you make a 0.001" change at the shift knob and maintain pressure (like resting your hand on the shift knob while driving), the required 0.004"-0.006" gap is closed, preventing the lubricant to ride between the gear and shifter rail. Premature wear of the gear or shifter rail may hamper transmission shifting performance, gear engagement, or worse, require rebuilding or replacement of the transmission.

A recent popular fix for short shifter notchiness is the use of an excessively heavy, metallic shift knob. At only 3 oz. (approximately 100 grams), the factory shift knob is relatively light, in comparison with the available aftermarket knobs. We have analyzed the additional mass of the Rogue Engineering shift knobs (approximately 6 oz.) and have found that they're additional mass was not enough to close the 0.004"-0.006" gap. However, as we began adding more weight to the shift knob area, we did find that when the mass increased to 8 oz., the gap began to close. Using anything heavier than this would be the equivalent of driving with your hand resting on the shift knob. When considering an aftermarket shift knob, consider how much mass it threatens to add. Too much is a BAD thing for your transmission!

A more elegant solution to addressing the effort is the Rogue Engineering Weighted Selector Rod. While stationary, its additional mass does not change the internal dimensions of the 0.004"-0.006" gap, since it's below the leverage point of the shifter. Its additional mass aids in improving the shifter feel without the potentially negative drawbacks of weighted moments on other parts of the shifter mechanism.

FYI: Hope this clears up any doubts. Also, the 600g desert eagle shift knob has the engraved shift patterns in production now, with website being updated soon.

Hi,

Thank you for your email. For your car, you will need the 2003-2008 Corolla short shifter. The Matrix short shifter is completely different.

As for the weighted shift knobs, I will start my answer by stating that we have been selling weighted shift knobs for over 7 years without a single transmission issue directly related to the installation of the shift knob.

We have had weighted shift knobs installed in FWD, RWD, AWD cars, cable activated transmissions and rod activated transmissions without issue.

Specially in a car like a Corolla where the shifter is very isolated from the transmission by the plastic shifter base, the shifter cables and the shifter bushings, there is no risk that a weighted shift knob like the Desert Eagle would put any unwanted stress on the transmission.

The statement you quote would be for a RWD car where the shifter is connected directly in the transmission, without any sort of dampening between the shifter and the transmission. Then again, we have had weighted shift knobs installed in cars like that without a single issue. - quoted Jadered's post to my email to TWM.

I hope this answers your concerns about weighted shift knobs, please let me know if you have any other question.

The Desert Eagle shift knob is now available with engraved shift patterns (including the 6 speed Corolla pattern) in stainless, satin and mirror finishes. We just need to have our webmaster adding this option on the short shifter pages so you can buy a complete package with an engraved Desert Eagle shift knob.

Thanks,

Frank

TMW Performance

* Dyslexik - Still contemplating whether to get the 600 gram desert eagle gear knob or the 130g aluminium desert eagle gear knob to minimise the risk of accidentally switching to reverse, as other members have previously stated. Does the problem still exist with the solid metal gear bushings or just prevalent in the factory rubber bushings?

Weighted or light u reckon?

[technofatigue]

I'm currently running a weighted TWM gear knob and haven't encountered a single issue. Definitely haven't had any problems with it accidentally shifting to reverse.

[dyslexik]

I'm currently running a weighted TWM gear knob and haven't encountered a single issue. Definitely haven't had any problems with it accidentally shifting to reverse.

stock shifter and rubber bushings?

[chicaboo]

I'm currently running a weighted TWM gear knob and haven't encountered a single issue. Definitely haven't had any problems with it accidentally shifting to reverse.

That only happens if you're too enthusiastic about the gear change from 2>1. With weighted knobs you need less effort to achieve the same result, so you just shift softer.

Gav.

[and1]

I think the weighted gear knob debate is more related to the cars that use a rod shifter assembly, whereas the zzes use a cable shifter assembly, which allows a bit more free play?

I'm running:

-TWM s/s

-TWM solid shifter bushings

-TWM 600g Desert Eagle gear knob

-DIY solid shift linkage bushings (thanks to BKS :) )

I haven't had a problem with this setup and I've been running it for over a year.