8 Ball Shifter Knob

A custom-made shift knob is a very exciting cosmetic for anyone passionate about their rig! In this instructable, I will be demonstrating how to create a shift knob out of a billiards ball for Jeep Wrangler TJ. But, the same steps can be used for different types of vehicles and objects used for the shift knobs style.

This project was conducted by Carson Redman and Camreon Lindekugel, who are engineering students at National Park College in Hot Springs, AR. This instructable was created for a school project in an Intro to Engineering class. The group could have been anything we wished. However, we chose to do this project since we thought it would be fun to create a custom shift knob for our vehicles. During the project, we followed the 8-step engineering process, which included the following:

1. Recognizing the need for a product or a service

2. Problem definition and understanding

3. Research and preparation

4. Conceptualization

5. Synthesis

6. Evaluation

7. Optimization

8. Presentation

This Project would not have been possible without the NPC Makerspace and Mark Mccorkle's help. Thank You!

For this project, you will need

1. a drill press.
2. A tap and dye set.
3. A measuring tool such as a micrometer
4. Personal protection equipment such as gloves and safety glasses
5. Shop vac
6. A pool ball or whatever you would like to create your shift knob out of.

People have some pretty wacky shifter knobs over the years, so don't be afraid to go nuts! For this project, we used an 8-ball billiard pool ball. You can buy one of these online or ask for one to be donated to you. If you are on a budget, you can go around asking local pool halls if they have any spare pool balls they could part with. Shout out to Doc Pennys Pool Hall in Hot Springs, AR, for donating a few billiards balls to our project!

What's the point of making a new awesome shift knob if you could never get your old one off? While in some models of vehicles, it is very simple to remove the shift knob, in others, not so much. In the case of the Jeep TJ, take a small screwdriver and pry around the edge of the top of the knob. Take your time with it, and distribute your prying evenly. It may take 5-10 minutes to entirely remove the cap. Once the top pops off, there is a locking nut underneath. Simply take a 15mm socket and wrench and turn it counterclockwise to break it free. Once the nut is completely off, you are able to just slide the old shift knob off.

Measure twice, cut once! Before we begin, we need to get an accurate measurement of the thread pattern along with the length of the thread pattern. Using a measuring tape, record how long the threads are so you know how far to drill into. In the case of the Jeep TJ, the threads were one inch. To find the thread pattern, you can use a thread checker. These can be bought at a local hardware store, or you could kindly ask to borrow one at your local O'Reilly Auto Parts store. Keep in mind that if a thread checker is unavailable to you, most vehicle shifters' thread patterns can be found by doing some simple research. If you have a common vehicle, you can easily find the thread pattern in Facebook groups or other online forums. For example, I Googled "Jeep TJ shift knob thread pattern." And easily found the thread size to be M10 x 1.5, which is how we will determine the bit from the tap and dye set to use.

Now that we have the measurements or confirmed the measurements of the thread pattern, we can figure out what size hole to drill. M10 x 1.5 is 10mm in diameter or 3/8 of an inch. So that is the size of the hold we will drill. Set up your drill press by inserting your 3/8" drive. Then, set it up to where the bit is just barely above the pool ball. Align your pool ball with the bit so that it is perfectly centered. Equip your personnel with safety glasses and gloves. Firmly hold on to the ball while pulling the lever on the drill and press firmly towards you. Cut a little at a time, inching back and forth. Drill down for a few seconds, then back off. Repeat the process until you've drilled to your desired length.

Keep in mind that if your shift knob does not convert perfectly to a fraction of an inch, it is better to use the smaller option. If you use the larger size, your threads will be very loose. Additionally, it is better to start small and go bigger when cutting because you can always add more but never add back to what you have already cut.

Now that we have a hole in our pool ball, we need to create the thread pattern. Using a tap and dye set, select the tap that has the thread pattern as the measurements we took earlier. You can do this step by hand or insert the tap into the drill press and turn the drill press by hand so that it stays centered. When you insert the tap, make sure it is perfectly aligned so that the threads are centered. Then, use a similar process as the previous step, twisting it to the right for a few turns, then backing off and turning left for a turn or two. Repeat until you cannot go any further into the hole. Back the tap all the way out, and you're almost done!

So close to finishing! The last thing you must do is clean your workspace. The ceramic shaving gets everywhere, so make sure you have a vacuum nearby to clean up. Clean and put away any tools that you use in your workshop. Shake out the excess shavings of the 8-ball into the trash can. You can also blow some compressed air into your pool balls while holding over a trash can to remove any excess debris. Last but not least, you are ready to install your shift knob. A simple twist to the right (clockwise) until you cannot go any further.

And there you have your very own custom shift knob! Enjoy!