Quick LT85 gear knob question

[old/new england]

For my ex-RAF 110 with a V8 and an LT85 gearbox. It's a petty question, but one that would make my life just a wee bit better:

My gear knob had grown looser and started to revolve around too much, so I traded it out for a new one, it turned out to be 'AllMakes 4x4' brand. As you all know, the gear knob is usually hard plastic, with a soft sleeve as an inner. I patiently turned this new knob onto the threaded gear lever (which is probably 4mm bigger than the knob's insert). All straight, okay and tight. A week later the knob is sitting wonky on the top of the lever, moves when you go for reverse -and clearly won't last long at all.

My blue 110 wagon has a knob that just sits square on its LT77 lever and doesn't move, it is LOVELY. Does anybody know of a/the brand that just makes a solid gear knob? You know, a knob that screws on and stays that way, nice and solid, without that soft insert?

[Retroanaconda]

Replaced the gear knob in my 90 a while ago with a genuine parts one. No issues so far.

You could glue the insert back in with some epoxy resin, would be rock solid then.

[Gazzar]

JB weld. Or other brand.

[old/new england]

@retroanaconda, Yeah, I hear you on the genuine gear knob. It's odd the way the percentage increase in cost of genuine parts over pattern parts can vary so much. In the case of the gear knob, the genuine one is an unusually higher hike in price, over the pattern one.

[miketomcat]

I took the rubber part out then drilled some dents into the inner walls. I then filled it with epoxy and drilled and tapped it when cured. This worked so well I did both t-box and gearbox knobs on both trucks

Mike

[bodumatau]

On 4/6/2019 at 12:15 AM, miketomcat said:

I took the rubber part out then drilled some dents into the inner walls. I then filled it with epoxy and drilled and tapped it when cured. This worked so well I did both t-box and gearbox knobs on both trucks

Mike

thats a blerry good direa 😁

[old/new england]

On 4/5/2019 at 6:15 PM, miketomcat said:

I took the rubber part out then drilled some dents into the inner walls. I then filled it with epoxy and drilled and tapped it when cured. This worked so well I did both t-box and gearbox knobs on both trucks

Mike

Sounds like a good solution.

Sadly, the fact that you've had to do that, shows how dire the need is for a simple, threaded gear knob. 

[miketomcat]

To be fair both the knobs hail from the 80's so they haven't done bad and I'm a fix if I can kind of guy.

Mike

[old/new england]

For anybody else suffering the same minor irritation, a resolution; I just ordered a few parts I needed and included was another gear knob. The insert on this one was made of a harder compound, had an opening more similar in size to the lever it screws onto and finally, it arrived threaded.

I've only been using it a day, but I can already tell this is how they should be: it doesn't wobble, move, twist, or turn. So it turns out that Bearmach make a good one.