Toyota Tacoma Manual Shift Knob

My Toyota Tacoma shifter got scratched up and the leather peeled away. It looked ugly, but most importantly the 6-speed tree illustration was no longer visible for people who occasionally drive my truck and can't find reverse. I bought a replacement "ball" knob, and hated the way it felt. It was uncomfortable and only after a few months, the tree illustration faded away. I also really missed the contours of the original shift knob as it fit my hand well and was comfortable for long drives. I couldn't find an affordable replacement option so I had to get creative. I grabbed the tattered remains of the original knob and carefully scanned it with my Kinect Xbox360 scanner, then tweaked the mesh in Meshmixer. Then I imported it into Fusion360 fiddled around with it some and here we are. Enjoy!

I had an ordinary M12 x 1.25 hex nut that fit the shift stick, and made a version to accept one if you prefer having a metal-on-metal connection. Just run your slicer, and pause at the last layer height for the nut cavity. Drop a standard M12 x 1.25 hex nut inside, and resume the print. You may need to trim any plastic lip with a small blade to get it to fit properly, but it should have allowable tolerances.

I've uploaded a few versions. 6 Speed Knob 6 Speed Knob + Nut cavity Smooth Knob Smooth Knob + Nut cavity

Update!

Looks like there are other gear trees out there for the Tacoma and perhaps other vehicles. I added a few more: 4 Speed knob 4 Speed knob + Nut cavity 5 Speed knob 5 Speed knob + Nut cavity 7 Speed knob 7 Speed knob + Nut cavity

Update

Posted requested 6-Speed CAD file.

03-19-2024 (renamed and organized files a little better)

Also, using a slightly different geometry. Better smoothing and slightly wider profile for a better ergonomic feel.

Feel free to tweak and customize. I added CAD files. I'd love to see your pics or remixes!

Print Settings

I'd suggest at least 4-6 wall thicknesses for a 0.4mm nozzle, especially around the threads. I over-tightened the knob with a 3 wall thickness prototype and it emitted many angry cracking noises. It didn't seem to affect its functionality, but I suspect it may become loose in the future. (It did.)

Also, I'd suggest printing in PETG or ABS. I speculate that my PLA prototypes will get soft and warp/deform in the summer heat, so I might be re-printing in PETG soon.

– UPDATE – Nope.  My wood-infused PLA still seems to be going strong after several years. YMMV.

Notes:

I printed several versions using a wide brim to get adequate bed adhesion since the bottom has little surface area on the bed. If you run into issues, move the part 0.5mm down to crop some material and that should give you plenty of surface area to work with.

Another thought I may look into during my next print will be pausing the print towards the end, and filling in the gaps between the infill with sand or fine shot to give the knob some heft, as the plastic versions feel a little empty. The version with a nut inside does feel heftier as expected.

Some have printed theirs at 100% infill or in resin which would mitigate the hollow feel.  

Category: Automotive