New Mishimoto Shift Knobs On The Way

[mishimoto1]

Hey guys,

We are going to be rolling out several new shift knob designs over the next few months. This thread will highlight the design process of each, giving you a neat look at our different options. As always, feel free to follow along on our blog or posted within this thread.

http://engineering.mishimoto.com/category/mishimoto-shift-knobs/

Shifting Nirvana. A Sneak Peek At Mishimoto’s New Shift Knob Designs: Limited Edition Rockstar Weighted Shift Knob

Not all our projects involve in-depth data, heat-transfer calculations, or metal fabrication. From time to time our engineering team collaborates with our talented creative team to develop awesome accessories for your ride. These upgrades might not add power or drop temperatures, but they can surely improve the driving experience and offer an improvement in styling.

In addition to the collaboration work, each design was created by a different member of our team. If you know any of these people, you might see where the designs reflect their personalities quite a bit.

Weighted Shift Knob

Our first unique design is likely to find its way into the vehicle of someone seeking a bolder look. This design started life in the 3D world as a SolidWorks model.

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob 3D rendering

Keep in mind, the design above represents numerous revisions and adjustments following our team’s evaluation. Once we compiled our thoughts and made some changes, we printed a prototype with our 3D printer.

Mishimoto Shift Knob 3D prototype

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Hmm. That looks similar to a bike or motorcycle grip,” you are correct. The designer of this knob is an avid mountain biker, so his preference for this grip style is no surprise!

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob 3D prototype

This piece is also the heaviest of our new set of shift knobs, weighing in at 476 grams. If a heavy, weighted shift knob is your thing, this might be the one for you.

Once we tested the “feel factor” for this piece and wrapped up the design work for the different components and features, a few final prototypes were created.

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob prototypes

The base provides the connection point with the shift lever.

Mishimoto Shift Knob

The knob on the right includes one of our universal thread adapters, which will enable fitment for a variety of vehicle makes and models.

This shift knob is made from three separate components, which can be taken apart for further customization. Below is a cutaway showing the internal features.

Mishimoto Shift Knob cutaway

Check out one of our prototypes disassembled.

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob disassembled

The components on the left and right are constructed from CNC-machined aluminum. The center sleeve that serves as the grip is made from an engineered thermoplastic. You may also notice an interesting logo on the top, from our friends at Rockstar Performance Garage. To kick off this grip design, we will be offering a unique, limited batch of knobs featuring a Rockstar-inspired color scheme. Below is a shot of the assembled piece!

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob assembled

As with all our products, we like to create a unique experience for our customers from start to finish. This means our packaging won’t be a simple brown box filled to the brim with packaging peanuts. Instead, we came up with something a little more appealing.

Mishimoto Shift Knob packaging

This cylindrical package will adequately support the shift knob during shipment and also looks pretty slick!

Mishimoto Weighted Shift Knob packaging

Coming Up!

This isn’t our only good idea! Check back next time for a look at something more subtle, yet still stylish.

Thanks for reading!
-John

 

[Hijinx]

Looks more like a sword handle.

 

[Hijinx]

What about a knob that says 1-2-3-jail-prison-max security...

 

[ChristianW]

Ok so how much longer does this make the shifter, any pictures? ]And when can I buy one!

 

[frankiefiesta]

Looks like a bicycle handle grip lol.. Cool idea though. I entered to win a tuerck shift knob from you guys awhile back.

 

[trsandrew]

I much prefer a ball. What's the diameter of the grip of this thing and overall length?

 

[pelotonracer2]

Oh yeah, not for me!

 

[J2FoRS]

Very weird. I'd definitly have to see this installed. And what about reverse lockout? What's the height of this thing? Don't want it scratching the roof liner either. Install it in your FiST and show us
Also, that's basically the same packaging you guys advertising our OCC's in, and they showed up in a brown box packed full of peanuts. Lol

 

[Boricuakid]

+1 for info about reverse lockout! I like it, its different.

 

[mishimoto1]

Looks more like a sword handle.

Yes, that was one of the comments from our internal survey. We are hitting the bicyclist/sword enthusiast market pretty hard.

What about a knob that says 1-2-3-jail-prison-max security...

That is a pretty good idea!

Ok so how much longer does this make the shifter, any pictures? ]And when can I buy one!

Just installed this on our shop Fiesta. It adds around 3" in total height. Below is an installed shot.

Our first batch of units are still being manufactured. I imagine they will hit shelves in a month or two.

Thanks for taking a look!

Looks like a bicycle handle grip lol.. Cool idea though. I entered to win a tuerck shift knob from you guys awhile back.

That was the intention of the design! Thanks for taking a look Frank.

I much prefer a ball. What's the diameter of the grip of this thing and overall length?

We do have a standard ball/teardrop style knob as well. We will be posting details about that one early next week.

The overall length of the grip is 4.25" and the diameter is 1.25".

Oh yeah, not for me!

No problem! We have a few other designs to post about that you might like.

Very weird. I'd definitly have to see this installed. And what about reverse lockout? What's the height of this thing? Don't want it scratching the roof liner either. Install it in your FiST and show us
Also, that's basically the same packaging you guys advertising our OCC's in, and they showed up in a brown box packed full of peanuts. Lol

+1 for info about reverse lockout! I like it, its different.

Image above! The lockout still functions properly, but you can see some of the components if you peer under the base of the knob. One of the reverse lockout adapters on the market should hide all of the components perfectly.

Interesting that your OCC was not correctly packaged. Was this a baffled unit?

Thanks for all of the interest guys!
-John

 

[FearTheSnail]

Lol this is a very interesting design. I don't know what to think of yet.

 

[BoostBumps]

Well [MENTION=1848]mishimoto[/MENTION]...its certainly unique / interesting....Looks like a modern take on the samurai / ninja sword shifter handles I've seen posted....

 

[J2FoRS]

Interesting that your OCC was not correctly packaged. Was this a baffled unit?
Thanks for all of the interest guys!
-John

Yes. Was the FiST specific one you guys made and sold here on the forum.

 

[Bonesaw]

Awesome! I perfer to think of it as a ninja sword handle... I need this

 

[mishimoto1]

Lol this is a very interesting design. I don't know what to think of yet.

Well [MENTION=1848]mishimoto[/MENTION]...its certainly unique / interesting....Looks like a modern take on the samurai / ninja sword shifter handles I've seen posted....

Thanks guys! Unique is certainly an accurate description. It isn't for everyone but it is definitely a neat idea. Many are referring to it as either a bike grip or a sword handle. We have another post coming up shortly with an additional design we have been working on.

Yes. Was the FiST specific one you guys made and sold here on the forum.

Very strange. It is very possible we adjusted the packaging for the release of the FIST kit. Some delays may have pushed back the arrival of our more premium packaging. Sorry!

Awesome! I perfer to think of it as a ninja sword handle... I need this

Thanks Bonesaw!

-John

 

[mishimoto1]

Check out our second design idea!

Shifting Nirvana. A Sneak Peek At Mishimoto’s New Shift Knob Designs: Pistol Grip

We promised there would be more! Our first design presented Wednesday was pretty slick, and this next design is all about ergonomics and comfort. Not only did the design team work on the aesthetics, but we also spent some time ensuring that the feel of this knob would be ideal for slamming into gears while keeping your eyes pinned to the road.

Initial Design Rendering

As with our other weighted shift knob, this one also started in the 3D world. Check out a couple SolidWorks models showing the initial shape.

Mishimoto pistol grip shifter knob rendering

Mishimoto pistol grip shifter knob rendering

This design is not quite as bold as the last one, but it still certainly makes a statement.

Mishimoto pistol grip shifter knob rendering

3D-Printed Prototype Testing

Testing? What are we testing with a shift knob? We put together a few different grip styles with differences in the finger grooves. We wanted to see how each change affected the feel and which one was preferred for comfort. Check out our lineup of options!

Mishimoto 3D-printed pistol grip shift knob prototypes

We passed these prototypes around the office and listened to the opinions of our co-workers. We have enough folks here to take a good-sized sample, and soon a distinct winner was crowned.

Mishimoto 3D-printed pistol grip shift knob prototype

This one is a slight alteration of the third design you see in the lineup above. The shape of the grooves is identical, but they are placed on a corner rather than on a flat portion of the knob.

Mishimoto 3D-printed pistol grip shift knob prototype

Functional Prototype

Once the design was finalized, we constructed a couple of prototypes to take another look at what we created.

Mishimoto pistol grip shift knob functional prototype

This design is CNC-machined aluminum and weighs in at 204 grams. The additional weight will help with smooth shifting and gear engagement.

Mishimoto pistol grip shifter functional prototype

Suddenly, a hand model showed up as I was snapping some shots. If that hand looks familiar, perhaps you’ve seen some of his work in the Fall 1973 Bulova Watch catalog.

Mishimoto weighted shift knob functional prototype

This setup works great for either three or four fingers. The weighted shift knob provides some additional inertia, meaning the shift throw is a bit easier. We’ve had this prototype in the office for a few weeks, and all reports are positive.

The only minor adjustment to this final design is in logo placement. As you saw earlier in the rendering, we experimented with the script logo on the face of the knob. The functional prototype shown above features our “M” logo on the top. We weren’t quite pleased with either choice. Our final selection was the full Mishimoto script in a much smaller font, so it won’t detract from the creative design. This knob provides a nice sophisticated appearance with a more traditional shape.

Coming Up

We have one more weighted shift knob design to go! Check back in a few days for another update on our new shift knob collection.

Thanks for reading!
-John

 

[Perfblue15]

I really like the pistol grip... and chance of these being made soon with the correct base to fit the fist ? I seriously love the pistol grip in my mustang!
I will trade my Cobb knob for a pistol grip in a heart beat. Good job Mishimoto!

 

[kjohn09e]

I think you guys are confusing the word "knob" with "stick".

 

[mishimoto1]

I really like the pistol grip... and chance of these being made soon with the correct base to fit the fist ? I seriously love the pistol grip in my mustang!
I will trade my Cobb knob for a pistol grip in a heart beat. Good job Mishimoto!

Thanks for taking a look! We probably won't incorporate it directly into the knob itself, you will likely still need an adapter for the lockout mechanism. This sounds like a component we should offer so I will be talking to our team to see if we can design a lockout adapter.

-John

 

[J2FoRS]

I think the first knob unique and ninja like. And I think I dig it but I'm not sure. The second design is very cool especially if you offered it in other colors. (IE like the orange on your Ninja handle)
However, on both I wouldn't be into it without a clean looking reverse lockout solution. I know you make these as universal knobs and not just for us. But of course we care about us. Haha would love to see the pistol installed on your FiST.

Crossing my fingers the final design to come is a T handle!