my original shift knob rattled all the time so i bought a new one and it does the same thing. i was wondering if this is common and if there is any way to get rid of it?

brad

Are you sure it's the knob, ad not the shift lever? What yer car do you have, and what transmission?

i have a 1980 280zx and it is a manual transmision

Hello Brad,

I had the same, after replacing the shifter bushings it was gone.

Search ebay for datsun and shifter.

Cheers

Rainer

I have had the same problem on 2 different cars both 73 Zs. My "solution" was to reinstall the knob using a dab of silicon seal on the threads of the lever. Worked both times. Word of warning: don't use too much silicon seal or it will be difficult to remove the knob later on.

Cheers, Mike

The silicone would simply dampen the rattle. The real problem is more than likely the bushings. Mine used to rattle like crazy when I had done the 'Atlantic Z Dodge brass door bushing' trick. Once I returned to the stock nylon type the problem was gone. I keep a couple of sets on hand since I have three vehicles that use them.

Is it a stock shift knob? I had the same problem with an aftermarket walnut shift knob, and someone in the club mentioned this could be the problem. I reinstalled the original knob and the noise went away.

New OEM wooden knob I got from Courtesy had a rubber insert/washer inside the knob. No vibration at all.

Yeah my brother's Z does that around 55 mph.

The 280 ZX OEM knob isn't wood.

Use the dodge hinge bushings. Do not drill or file to make the pin fit. Let the pin form the bushing using the vice to push it through. You might have to do a small amount of filing on the flats of the bushing to get it to fit in the ears of the transmission. The key is to keep it a snug fit so it won't rattle.