Ford Type 9 gearlever

[richard bradbury]

I am looking for a slim and not too long alloy gear knob to replace the existing standard caterham 5 speed one. Can anyone tell me what the thread size is on these levers?

Richard Bradbury

[Juju]

Richard - I have just replaced my knob (snigger ) to rid myself of the unsightly early 1990s Ford Sierra original. All of the replacement knobs that I considered did not have a thread but instead a rubber/plastic sleeve which sits between the lever and the knob and grub screws to tighten.

 

[ECR]

I've never had much sucess with the sleeved gearknobs, they always seem to work loose. I ended up making one with a proper thread which IIRC was 3/8" UNC (I can't check at the moment)

[Jon Stewart]

If you go too long you run the risk of hitting your knuckles on the underside of the dash.

You might find you have the small lever extension piece and i remember it being a faff finding a suitable gearknob.

Can't help with the thread size as i changed to a quaife box some years ago but the quaife gearknobs are good and available in different threads like this here http://shop.quaife.co.uk/gear-lever-nylon-gear-knob-3-8-unc-thread-791

[Jon Stewart]

Where did all my nice spacing go?

[DJ.]

I made my own for the same reason, but used steel and wood. Still lighter than the alloy one by 80g, and the thread is 3/8 UNC.

[ECR]

Yes, agree, just measured it at 3/8" UNC

[SM25T]

I have a nice slimline Ali one from Richbrook

[Jonathan Kay]

Where did all my nice spacing go? It's a known problem: here. Jonathan

[Gordon C]

 

Annoyingly my gear knob used to work loose as well. Top of gear lever had seen better days so cutting a thread wasn't an option.

I went down the route of drilling and tapping some small Allen type grub screws around lower part of the knob and partly drilling into the gear lever. Zero chance of the gear knob now working loose or at worse coming off. Sleeve supplied with gear knob slides and screws over the top of grub screws so you would never know they where there

[richard bradbury]

Yes, I have seen some like that advertised. What did you get and are you pleased with it?

Richard

[Chris Perry]

Richard,

See Low Flying May 2014, there is a finned alloy one i can have made.

If you want one let me know, they are £60.

Regards,

Chris Perry

[6speedmanual]

Heavy gear knobs not always a bad thing.

 

(carr return)Some are deliberately heavy (steel) to provide extra momentum to help shift quality.

 

(carr return)Peter

[Jonathan Kay]

• Some are deliberately heavy (steel) to provide extra momentum to help shift quality.
• Does that have any effect in practice... the force comes through your arm and hand and they are a lot more massive than the difference between two knobs.

Thanks. Jonathan

[6speedmanual]

Jonathan

(carr return)Yes, in practice an increase in knob weight has a far greater effect than the relative weight difference between your arm and knob.

(carr return)As the grip on the knob is not rigid, padded by flesh and general loose hand grip (a lot of drivers change gear with finger tips with very poor control of the action), once the knob is moving, following being given initial push/pull, its momentum helps to load the synchro ring to help it work and carry the shifter mechanism through to engage the dog ring. At different points in the lever/mechanism travel there is a fair bit of work to do (especially if the driver is not synchronising well). Any speed that can be picked up by the lever in the low load parts of the travel then helps it bump through the hard work parts.

(carr return) Generally a heavier knob can help achieve a cleaner gearchange with full engagement, less kickback, notchiness and gritty feeling into the driver's hand.

(carr return)Peter

 

 

[Juju]

Mine is a Richbrook too. Slimline black with a chrome top. Works a treat and is on the type 9 stick. Took a bit of fiddling to fit mind.