[tooSavvy]

My 2006 Getz 5sp has been a 'real pain' (.. in my Knee!) because, even with the driver seat fully back, I have the large Factory Gearknob rubbing on my leg/knee bone 😕.

I decided a quick cure would be to shorten the gearstick + fit a more compact 'ball' knob.... Not prepared to pay the high price asked for 'tuner style' knobs on the Web.

I bought a machine wheel knob off China eBay [£3 UKpounds] and drilled the centre out to 12MM (diameter of factory gear lever) and drilled 75% deep. This meant the knob would slide straight on, with a little parcel tape wrapped around the top of the shaft making it a tight fix 🛠️.

The job was very straightforward and has completely solved my knee problem.
To add, the gear shift feel is much cleaner and seems crisp 🎱.

[stashing_GT]

Good modification, maybe you should have gone with a much larger knob, to have good drip while holding it.

[PreludeSH]

Good inexpensive DIY. Is the ball metal ? You might get burnt if parked in sun for long time. Have experienced this sort of both cold and hot issue with Honda S2000 gear knob

[tooSavvy]

Thanks for comments.

This ball is sort of bakelite/hard plastic. Agreed, a smidge on the small side

I am currently 'bidding' on eBay for an old pool ball (3, in fact) and will be experimenting

tooSavvy

[avsrihari]

This looks like a very dangerous mod. The knobs are threaded to the rod for a reason. A packing tape will allow rotation after a few heating cycles and it might cause slippage while shifting gears. It might just slip right off into your hands while the rod will still be in position. Please have the rod replaced by a technician or have it threaded to match the knob.

[tooSavvy]

As I experiment further, on different types of Ball Knob, you may all rest assured that the final install will have a grubscrew/shaft dimpled.

Pictures then, as ever ;-)

[tooSavvy]

eBay success.... I won my bid and these cost £5 UKpounds, including delivery!
52mm sized.