Trying out a Poly Urethane (TPU) Shift Knob

After replacing the factory gear shift knob on my 1985 Toyota 4Runner with one 3D printed in ABS plastic, I found that there were some annoying noises in certain gears and speeds.

I have a B&M short throw shifter, that I installed in the truck about 20 years ago. That shift lever is solid steel, so is prone to transmit vibrations from the transmission:
https://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/ShortThrowTrannyShifter/1.html
I never liked the included knob as it's solid metal and in the winter, it's very cold. Plus it has no shift pattern on it.

Now I realize the reason for the evolution in the Toyota shifters over time. The early (pre-83) shifters were plain steel rods. Then they went to the 2-piece design with the rubber bonding in the middle:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9SrGPYHAEKRmwBV9A
Not sure if all the shift knobs were made out of a rubber material, but those two features worked in tandem to dampen out noise and vibrations from the transmission from coming up into the cab.

I re-printed the same 3D model as before:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:422254
but this time in TPU filament. I first tried 50% infill as a test and that proved too soft and squishy. It is amazing what this TPU material will produce at those lower infill values. I mainly print it at 100% infill for things like bushings.

At 90% infill, it seems to make a decent feeling part. It has a similar feel to the factory knob and also dampens out all the noise. I may try heating up the internally threaded steel tube and pressing that deeper into the knob for a final installation. That should also eliminate the need for any adhesive. I may also try using a heat gun or torch to smooth out the surface or try sanding it like I did with the 50% part.

Nice simple design, has the proper shift pattern and I think this one can be adapted to be a replacement. Will need to add one of our shift lever extensions to be able to thread it onto the Toyota shift lever:
https://www.4crawler.com/..