ZHP gear knob in E89 - Does it fit?

B

Bodben

Member
Time for my first 'real' post!!

SO my question is; is the ZHP 6 speed gear knob compatible with the e89 z4 manual. I spent a long time digging around last night and simply could not find a definitive answer.

I found two references to the ZHP knob 'not being compatible' but with no explanation why,

I found one reference saying that it is not compatible because in the e89 the gear knob and gaiter are attached to eachother and must therefore be replaced together.

I found plenty of people asking 'what gear knob' questions, with some responses suggesting the ZHP knob, but no examples of anyone actually fitting one to an e89 z4.

I looked at the official BMW M-sport knob which comes with the gaiter but it is blooming expensive!!

Can anyone definitively answer if it is possible to fit the ZHP knob, even better, has anyone here actually done this on an e89?

Thanks!!!
 
Well Since no one could provide a definitive answer I bit the bullet and got my self a ZHP gear-knob straight from BMW........

IT FITS!

I have attached a couple of pics as evidence. I mean to take more but in the end, what I thought would be a lengthy process of fettling and swearing literally took less than one minute. I did learn some things along the way though so hopefully this will help others in their quest for weighty knobs!

1) Removing the old knob was (for me) very easy. Simply unclip the lower boot frame, grab knob, pull...... pop!
2) The boot and knob are joined together but are not 'one piece' as has been sighted as a reason for the ZHP knob not fitting on an E89. The boot is in fact clipped to the bottom of the standard knob. Inside the boot is a plastic piece which is the same shape as the bottom of the standard knob, the knob has 3 prongs that clip through this to attach the boot to the knob. I gently inserted a flat bladed screwdriver between the boot and the metal ring at the base of the knob and then slowly twisted. This easily separated the boot and the old knob without damaging either. The only side effect of this, as can be seen in the pictures is that the shape of the plastic piece inside the boot is not the same shape as the base of the ZHP knob so it sticks out a tiny bit. I will alter this at some point but this will do for now! As it is I have not joined the boot to the bottom of the ZHP knob in any way, I have to have a think about the best way to do this before I make a decision. I had limited time this evening so really just wanted to see if the knob would fit.
3) The ZHP knob is a BEAST. Having never seen one in the flesh I now think the pictures make it look smaller than it really is. It is about the same height as the standard knob but much more chunky. I love how it feels, much more robust and classy, and being rid of the plasticy feeling of the old knob is very nice!
4) It does not perform some miraculous alteration of how the shift feels...... Does it feel nicer? Sure..... Is it a night and day difference? Not really, it's just a nice weighty gear knob that looks great and feels great!

So there you go, a definitive answer. From a mechanical perspective the ZHP knob does fit on an E89, and does so perfectly. By that I mean the contact points between the shift shaft and the knob, including the guide notch in the shaft and it's counterpart in the knob match exactly. Once on it sits perfectly with no movement, rattles, twisting etc etc. You will have to either alter the boot ever so slightly (due to the shape of the plastic piece that the old knob clips to) or simply live with it and perhaps use a very small amount of glue to hold it snug against the bottom of the ZHP knob.

Cheers!

Benjamin.
 

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Yep, looks good to me.
I was hoping you’d say how much more the weighted knob improved the the recognised notchy gear change but hey ho, it looks good 😀
 
To be fair I have only been up the road and back so perhaps after a proper drive I will have formulated a different opinion!
 
Good to know. Something I've always done in my manual BMW's, along with one of these:

https://www.mlperformance.co.uk/collections/best-selling-products/products/bms-short-throw-clutch-stop
 
gwatson said:
Good to know. Something I've always done in my manual BMW's, along with one of these:

https://www.mlperformance.co.uk/collections/best-selling-products/products/bms-short-throw-clutch-stop
Click to expand...

Interesting, what does that do-dad do?
 
Thanks for posting. I followed the instructions and managed to do it. In my case the original gear knob was very hard to remove. I used a low cost alternative but fits well.
 

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Bodben said:
Well Since no one could provide a definitive answer I bit the bullet and got my self a ZHP gear-knob straight from BMW........

IT FITS!

I have attached a couple of pics as evidence. I mean to take more but in the end, what I thought would be a lengthy process of fettling and swearing literally took less than one minute. I did learn some things along the way though so hopefully this will help others in their quest for weighty knobs!

1) Removing the old knob was (for me) very easy. Simply unclip the lower boot frame, grab knob, pull...... pop!
2) The boot and knob are joined together but are not 'one piece' as has been sighted as a reason for the ZHP knob not fitting on an E89. The boot is in fact clipped to the bottom of the standard knob. Inside the boot is a plastic piece which is the same shape as the bottom of the standard knob, the knob has 3 prongs that clip through this to attach the boot to the knob. I gently inserted a flat bladed screwdriver between the boot and the metal ring at the base of the knob and then slowly twisted. This easily separated the boot and the old knob without damaging either. The only side effect of this, as can be seen in the pictures is that the shape of the plastic piece inside the boot is not the same shape as the base of the ZHP knob so it sticks out a tiny bit. I will alter this at some point but this will do for now! As it is I have not joined the boot to the bottom of the ZHP knob in any way, I have to have a think about the best way to do this before I make a decision. I had limited time this evening so really just wanted to see if the knob would fit.
3) The ZHP knob is a BEAST. Having never seen one in the flesh I now think the pictures make it look smaller than it really is. It is about the same height as the standard knob but much more chunky. I love how it feels, much more robust and classy, and being rid of the plasticy feeling of the old knob is very nice!
4) It does not perform some miraculous alteration of how the shift feels...... Does it feel nicer? Sure..... Is it a night and day difference? Not really, it's just a nice weighty gear knob that looks great and feels great!

So there you go, a definitive answer. From a mechanical perspective the ZHP knob does fit on an E89, and does so perfectly. By that I mean the contact points between the shift shaft and the knob, including the guide notch in the shaft and it's counterpart in the knob match exactly. Once on it sits perfectly with no movement, rattles, twisting etc etc. You will have to either alter the boot ever so slightly (due to the shape of the plastic piece that the old knob clips to) or simply live with it and perhaps use a very small amount of glue to hold it snug against the bottom of the ZHP knob.

Cheers!

Benjamin.
Click to expand...


I fancy doing this also. Can I ask where you got it and price?
 
eejlny said:
Thanks for posting. I followed the instructions and managed to do it. In my case the original gear knob was very hard to remove. I used a low cost alternative but fits well.
Click to expand...

Nice ///M performance ashtray :poke:
 
OP, the Part Number for a 6-Speed ZHP is B25.11.7.896.886.

I got mine for £57.00 posted in June 2017 from Cotswold BMW, but I think they have gone up a bit since then. :(

You could try calling Sopers of Lincoln as they offer a discount for forum members. :thumbsup:
 
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