Shift Knobs for Honda Civic ED

A shift knob is the part of the gear linkage your hand actually holds, so its weight, height and shape change how every shift feels. Listed here are knobs in acetal, stainless steel, titanium, carbon fibre and steel-cored wood, with the adapters, extenders, shift boots, shift rods and cables that surround them.

A heavier knob adds inertia at the top of the lever. Once moving, that mass helps carry the lever through the synchroniser, so a shift can need less push and feel smoother. Height works through leverage: a taller knob or an extender lowers the effort but lengthens the throw at the hand, while a lower grip does the opposite.

Points to check before ordering:

• Weight and shape: several knobs are weighted, in standard, XL and grip forms, with knurled and glow-in-the-dark finishes among them. Teardrop and tall shapes are listed too, and colours include black, red, white, silver, blue and pink.
• Material: acetal conducts little heat, so it feels neither hot in summer nor icy in winter. Stainless steel and titanium pass heat and cold to the hand, and titanium is the lighter of the two.
• Thread: knobs screw onto the lever, and lever threads differ between makes. Thread adapters, including XL versions, match knob to lever, and a non-threaded adapter suits levers without a thread.
• Reverse lockout: where a collar under the knob is lifted to select reverse, a reverse lockout adapter keeps that function working.
• Reach: a 6-inch aluminium extender raises the knob nearer the wheel rim, shortening the hand’s trip to the lever, though it also lengthens the throw.
• Linkage parts: shift boots in suede-like microfibre, boot collars, shift rods, shifter cables and a conversion bracket. Most are listed for a named model or gearbox, so read the title closely.

Lock the knob with its jam nut or thread-locking compound so it cannot work loose and turn in the hand. On a cable shift, worn cables or bushes add free play that no knob can remove, so check them at the same time. After fitting new cables, adjust them as the maker describes, try every gear including reverse with the engine off, and route them clear of exhaust heat.