12-19-2017, 11:17 AM | #1 |
Lieutenant
439
Rep 468
Posts |
Alternative gear shift knob choices
G'day guys,
So I'm having trouble with my knob No, really though.. I'm weeks away from delivery (6MT MG w00t w00t ) but I can't figure out what M Performance gear shifter is available to me for purchase. Even my DEALER can't find the right information or clarify any detail!! From exhaustively searching this great forum, here's what I've found: 1. A knob I believe is for the F30 and has a white-stitched boot. @[pup73] ordered this and attached it to the M2's stock blue-stitched boot. I've believe it's this product listed on the BMW USA site listed as "BMW M Performance Carbon Fiber Gear Shift Knob with Alcantara Boot, Part Number 25112222529" but you have to select a normal 2-series in order to view it. So this is clearly not a bespoke M2 M performance shift knob... 2. Another knob I've seen on bmw-m.com but can't find any detail on (it says it's a "kit" but I'm only interested in the knob and boot: 3. The knob and boot kit (which includes handbrake cover) on IND-distribution.com... which says it's for the M2 but I don't know whether it's a knock off / imitation or a genuine OEM M product: https://ind-distribution.com/product?sku=51952420600 4. "Gearshift lever knob Alcantara w.cover" via RealOEM.com (Part 25117854545). Apparently, this is what it looks like, and looks to have a white boot. I believe forum member @[blackholescion] has this setup. I'm guessing this is basically the same as product as #1. 5. Forum member @[zsoci75] has this setup, which I believe is the OEM M2 boot attached to the F30 knob in #1...? http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=17 6. And then, just to make matters more confusing, it looks like IND offers a blue-stitched boot for purchase by itself, even though it's pictured with the shift knob I believe to be the same from point #1. Here's another thread that discusses this but lead me no closer to an answer: http://http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1254332&highlight=shift+knob Seriously... I blame the woeful BMW USA website in causing this confusion. How hard is it to list out EVERY SINGLE M2 PERFORMANCE PART clearly? So many are missing (not just shift knobs). So my question is... WTF knob should I buy? 1. F30 knob and have dealer manually attach to M2 OEM boot 2. Order the IND set and have dealer install 3. Dig deeper to try to figure out what the BMW-M.com set in #2 is I'm dying here. Is it too much to ask for a clear pathway to a shiny performance knob? |
12-19-2017, 11:24 AM | #3 |
Lieutenant
265
Rep 443
Posts |
THIS ALL OF THIS has been driving me insane while i wait for my BS f87.
__________________
2018 F87 LCI gone but not forgotten
2021 G80 6MT BSM |
Appreciate
0
|
12-19-2017, 11:27 AM | #4 |
Lieutenant
265
Rep 443
Posts |
the one that appears to be the f30 one is the nicest but i agree about the stitching
__________________
2018 F87 LCI gone but not forgotten
2021 G80 6MT BSM |
Appreciate
0
|
12-19-2017, 11:41 AM | #6 |
Brigadier General
10904
Rep 4,537
Posts
Drives: 2015 328d xDrive
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NoVA
|
The "boot" from IND:
https://ind-distribution.com/product?sku=IND-F87-CFBoot comes with the shift knob attached to it: And yes, it's the same knob from point #1 and 5. They literally just glue an oem bmw knob to an M2 boot so the stitching is blue instead of white. It's probably your best bet and it's what i have to compliment my interior: If that's the knob and boot combo you want, just save yourself a headache and buy it preassembled from IND. Also, you really don't have to have the dealer install it. It takes 1 min to install it yourself. No tools are needed. And yes, the part from point #3 is genuine oem. Hope this helped. Don't stress so much lol. Last edited by AndrewC1989; 12-19-2017 at 11:57 AM.. |
Appreciate
3
|
12-19-2017, 12:01 PM | #7 | |
Lieutenant
439
Rep 468
Posts |
Quote:
It's really quite stupid that BMW don't offer that knob with blue stitching. Really dumb. Thank you for clarifying. Yours looks great. It sorta looks like white stitching in that pic tho! |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-19-2017, 12:06 PM | #8 |
Brigadier General
10904
Rep 4,537
Posts
Drives: 2015 328d xDrive
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NoVA
|
|
Appreciate
1
NYC Bimmer259.50 |
12-19-2017, 12:11 PM | #9 | |
Second Lieutenant
325
Rep 240
Posts |
Quote:
Check out the seat stitching....
__________________
'02 E39 M5-Gone
'07 E60 M5-Gone '07 E64 M6 Cab-Gone '17 F87 MG M2-Gone '19 F87 SO M2C |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-28-2017, 06:20 PM | #10 | |
Lieutenant
371
Rep 418
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-28-2017, 09:01 PM | #11 |
Brigadier General
10904
Rep 4,537
Posts
Drives: 2015 328d xDrive
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NoVA
|
No, it's noticeably smaller and shorter and takes some getting used to.
__________________
Last edited by AndrewC1989; 12-31-2017 at 04:44 PM.. |
Appreciate
1
NYC Bimmer259.50 |
12-28-2017, 11:05 PM | #12 |
Lieutenant
282
Rep 521
Posts |
You listed 6 options for 2 shift knobs haha, no need to stress. I had an m235 with the m performance shifter and just swapped the knobs with the boots. Some people aren't comfortable doing this and just opt for the iND one (it's definitely more expensive than DIY though).
The other knob is an OEM option but I don't know too many people that have opted for it as it looks really dated and out of place aesthetically. But believe people who have driven with it like the feel, but I personally still couldn't live with looking at that knob every day. |
Appreciate
0
|
01-04-2018, 04:49 PM | #13 |
I INDIC8
611
Rep 1,282
Posts
Drives: 2018 LBB M2, 6MT
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Cleveland, OH
|
I don't like that knob, simply because our car is not an "M Performance" model, it's a real M car.
Think the difference between Audi S and RS - the S is the baby brother wannabe racecar, the RS is the actual one. An "M240i" or "M235i" should get "M Performance" stuff on it, but putting any of that on an actual ///M2 seems out of place to me. Just my $0.25
__________________
2004 Matrix XRS 6MT => 2008 VW R32 DSG => 2012 Audi TTRS 6MT => 2018 BMW ///M2 6MT
I'm an IT guy by trade and tech nerd by choice. I like HPDEs, parts of US Hwy 129, NC 28, and the Cherohala Skyway. I'm also a fan of aural pleasure. |
Appreciate
0
|
01-05-2018, 11:01 AM | #15 | |
Lieutenant
282
Rep 521
Posts |
Quote:
To each their own, I like the shorter shift and matching cf trim. There is another m shift knob available but it's pretty funky |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-06-2018, 09:28 AM | #16 |
Enlisted Member
10
Rep 36
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-07-2018, 06:52 PM | #17 | |
Second Lieutenant
171
Rep 294
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-07-2018, 07:10 PM | #18 | |
Brigadier General
10904
Rep 4,537
Posts
Drives: 2015 328d xDrive
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NoVA
|
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
1
NYC Bimmer259.50 |
08-15-2020, 02:49 AM | #19 |
Lieutenant
277
Rep 558
Posts |
Black Forest Industries makes great shift knobs and also super high quality leather and alcantara boots with lots of color choices. This is their GS2 shift knob with yellow perforated leather and one of their boots.
__________________
2017 F80 ZCP - Mineral Grey Metallic
|
Appreciate
3
|
09-10-2020, 05:02 PM | #20 |
Private
98
Rep 84
Posts |
E30 M3 gearknob is what you want ,what I fitted to mine last year
A bit of E30 M3 lives on again! I made a short gear lever , I've always hated the oem M2 gearknob so i used my ol' E30 gearknob, It's been a family heirloom for centuries now and has been carefully passed down through generation to generation of M3! So after owning three E30 M3's in the past i sort of miss them and I've always liked the gearknob , think its much better than the current ones BMW offer, so I set about a challenge of fitting one (and finding one , they are obsolete from bmw now), so i managed to find one after trawling ebay and came accross and bought this (six years ago now mind for the E46) Its a bit scabby but after an email before i bought it , jack at royal steering wheels said he could recover it for £25, and recover it he did! Next thing up now was the lack of a 6 speed emblem to go on top and my ocd wont allow the std 5 speed to remain! so the options are.. buy a 6 speed and make it fit or fit the storm 6 speed one ! not so sure on the font on the storm one and also the colours dont look right either so i took the standard round one and double sided taped it back to back on the oval 6 speed and set about filing the shape to match the original round one! when it was all filed to size I then made it smoother with 400 then 200 grit paper then polished it up with some plastic polish. That was about 6 years ago I made that , fast forward to today and this is how it all unfolded, I couldnt straight swap the E30 M3 knob like for like as it sat about 10-15mm taller and looked silly ,so the only option was to shorten the shaft! measured the height of the whole shaft the outer aluminium shaft is bonded or vulcanised onto the steel inner shaft, the only way to remove or break the seal was to twist it to break the seal using mole grips! This is not for the faint hearted! once that was removed you're left with this after removing the console to gain access and to stop it getting damaged I set about cutting the inner shaft, I removed 1" or 25mm left with this I also cut 1" off the bottom of the outer shaft and removed all the old rubber , not pictured though I couldnt really bond it back on yet as it is very hard to keep it all level and dead centre without an intermediate inner bush to keep everything concentric and on the same plane so I just happened to find two nuts that will act as a guide with an inner diameter of around 12mm that fitted lovely over the inner shaft without too much play/wobble and then push fitted them with some gentle persuasion inside the outer shaft, before fitting the shaft I filled it full of Tiger seal for a permanent bond! Its now around 35-40mm shorter now ,so accounting for the extra 10-15mm taller height of the E30 knob all in all the overall height is around 25mm shorter than the oem gearknob ! I carefully removed the alcantara gaiter from the gearknob turned it inside out and cable tied it to the E30 gearknob, here it is all fitted ,I havnt driven it yet as its still curing (vulcanising), I always found the oem gearknob to be far to long and looked like something out of an allegro! heres the new one all fitted |
Appreciate
0
|
09-10-2020, 05:17 PM | #22 |
Private
98
Rep 84
Posts |
After 10 months it still feels as good as ever, you can actually feel the mechanical engagement of every gear shift, not like the isolated vague rubberiness of before!
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|