6spd Owners - Whats your Choice of Shift Knob?

[flanast]

Originally Posted by Endless619

The Alcantara/Performance is the best one for this car. I have had all others and they look to old fashioned or cheap. OEM is the worst. Its like a tractor shifter. We drive a 6 speed not 18 speed.

Is there anything more than the knob that I would need to install to improve shifting?

[skins333]

Originally Posted by Robmaster

the knob itself fits all BMW, but the boot is just for the F30, that's right.

i think i will buy one and look if i can fit the boot on the M3 boot-surround.

Did anybody try out the f30 m performance shift knob yet??

[skins333]

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=710611

This is what I'm referring to btw. As long as worst case I have to cut off the alcantara boot (and that doesn't look too bad), I think I'll be ok with it. Who knows though, maybe can find a way to get boot to fit as well.

[Darth One]

so after almost a hundred posts, the takeaway from this thread is that you really have to feel a bunch of guys' knobs and play around with them a bit before you find one that feels right in your hand...?

[the_road_less_traveled]

Originally Posted by mastek

The people voting for OE knobs have no idea what they are missing and dont know any better.
The OE knob is hollow and flimsy and promotes a lack of connect between the driver and the drivetrain.

Whenever e9xm3 owners drive my e90m3 ...the 1st thing they are amazed at is the shifting = ZHP Knob + UUC SSK + UUC Selector Rod.

E9xm3 OE shift knob + OE Shift Assembly is worse then the OE e46m3 setup.

Im guessing you shopped around for these parts? Where was the best place to order. I HATE HATE the OEM knob and linkage, complete garbage.

[Robmaster]

Originally Posted by skins333

Did anybody try out the f30 m performance shift knob yet??

i have it on order.

[skins333]

Originally Posted by Robmaster

i have it on order.

I just ordered one too. It you get yours 1st, let us know how it goes.

[Robmaster]

Originally Posted by skins333

I just ordered one too. It you get yours 1st, let us know how it goes.

sure i would.

i hope it's not a problem to get the bag of the knob...

[tma1c]

i bought the new 3 series performance knob with the cf grip. I made it work on our cars. Looks great in person.

[Ryan@IND]

Originally Posted by tma1c

i bought the new 3 series performance knob with the cf grip. I made it work on our cars. Looks great in person.

Looks great and fits your theme perfectly.

[tma1c]

Originally Posted by Andrew@IND

Looks great and fits your theme perfectly.

I have a cf sickness,

[YK@renn-spec]

BMW Performance is the best in my personal opinion

[Robmaster]

Originally Posted by tma1c

i bought the new 3 series performance knob with the cf grip. I made it work on our cars. Looks great in person.

looks great!

is the Alcantara shift bag the one which comes with the knob??

[tma1c]

Originally Posted by Robmaster

looks great!

is the Alcantara shift bag the one which comes with the knob??

Unfortunately the one that comes does not fit on our cars. And you cannot buy just the knob. You have to detach the knob from the boot. I believe it was over $150 for the knob and shift boot. Well worth it for me as i love it but its not the cheapest mod.

[skins333]

Originally Posted by tma1c

Unfortunately the one that comes does not fit on our cars. And you cannot buy just the knob. You have to detach the knob from the boot. I believe it was over $150 for the knob and shift boot. Well worth it for me as i love it but its not the cheapest mod.

Looks great! I just got mine but not sure how to go about trying to mount it. Do you mind sharing best way to remove boot from knob so it can be mounted just like prior performance knob?

[Robmaster]

Originally Posted by tma1c

Unfortunately the one that comes does not fit on our cars. And you cannot buy just the knob. You have to detach the knob from the boot. I believe it was over $150 for the knob and shift boot. Well worth it for me as i love it but its not the cheapest mod.

ok, so i have the same.

is it easy to detach the knob from the boot??

[Stronie]

Cool thread.

[tma1c]

Originally Posted by skins333

Looks great! I just got mine but not sure how to go about trying to mount it. Do you mind sharing best way to remove boot from knob so it can be mounted just like prior performance knob?

it looks like there are 2 ways from what I remember.

- remove the knob from boot (take your time to unclip it, try not to break the clip.)
- take out the plastic piece from new boot and glue it in the old boot
- then snap them back together.

I wish i did it that way but i broke the clip rushing it, lol. but not a big deal. you dont really need the plastic clip.

- I removed the boot from knob.
- then you have to cut the plastic ring on the bottom of new knob (that would clip to the boot clamp.) so you can shove some of the boot in there. Once you clamp it down it secures the boot to the knob and looks perfect.

Pm me if you want me to explain it over the phone.

[skins333]

Originally Posted by tma1c

it looks like there are 2 ways from what I remember.

- remove the knob from boot (take your time to unclip it, try not to break the clip.)
- take out the plastic piece from new boot and glue it in the old boot
- then snap them back together.

I wish i did it that way but i broke the clip rushing it, lol. but not a big deal. you dont really need the plastic clip.

- I removed the boot from knob.
- then you have to cut the plastic ring on the bottom of new knob (that would clip to the boot clamp.) so you can shove some of the boot in there. Once you clamp it down it secures the boot to the knob and looks perfect.

Pm me if you want me to explain it over the phone.

U da man!! Thanks for the help!
Here's what I was thinking (may be what you mentioned in option1) but let me know if you think it will work:
--take new knob/alcantara boot combo and remove the bottom of boot from the plastic ring meant for f30 (stapled into place)
--remove original m3 shift knob/leather boot combo and separate the plastic ring (glued into place, hopefully can glue back later if want to return to stock)
--take new alcantara boot leaving still attached to new knob and glue to old plastic ring (my biggest question is if this will fit, but although the rings are slightly diff shapes overall size seems pretty similar)--then just click back into place.
--no actual cutting of either boot involved (just swapping of the plastic base rings)

If this fails, will take you up on the call. Thanks!

[tma1c]

Originally Posted by skins333

U da man!! Thanks for the help!
Here's what I was thinking (may be what you mentioned in option1) but let me know if you think it will work:
--take new knob/alcantara boot combo and remove the bottom of boot from the plastic ring meant for f30 (stapled into place)
--remove original m3 shift knob/leather boot combo and separate the plastic ring (glued into place, hopefully can glue back later if want to return to stock)
--take new alcantara boot leaving still attached to new knob and glue to old plastic ring (my biggest question is if this will fit, but although the rings are slightly diff shapes overall size seems pretty similar)--then just click back into place.
--no actual cutting of either boot involved (just swapping of the plastic base rings)

If this fails, will take you up on the call. Thanks!

that will not work as the NEW boot is not the same shape as the old one so the stitching wont line up right and super tight. But I could be wrong if its VERY similar.

[skins333]

Originally Posted by tma1c

that will not work as the NEW boot is not the same shape as the old one so the stitching wont line up right and super tight. But I could be wrong if its VERY similar.

thanks, figured couldn't be quite that easy
where did you get your shift boot from?
will be pm'ing you shortly

[tma1c]

Originally Posted by skins333

thanks, figured couldn't be quite that easy
where did you get your shift boot from?
will be pm'ing you shortly

PM SENT