Re: "Win a Rob Knob Contest"

[Matt6481@xxxxxxx]

My humble submission to the "Win a Rob Knob" Contest

      I initally considered several mechanical concepts to be the sole reason
behind the improved shift feel of the ROB KNOB, but instead I have decided
that the ROB KNOB improves shifting feel in *several* ways inherent not so
much in its design, but in its material. The answer exists in a combination of
the following ideas:
     1st-Every manual transmission requires a certain effort to move the lever
from gear to gear. (This effort, identified in physics as a force, may not be
quite the same for each gear, but the difference is inapplicable.) According
to Newton's Law of Inertia, a certain amount of force, the shifting effort,
must be first applied to overcome the inertia of the shift lever (a quantity
equal to the "activation" force required to move the lever) and then an
additional force must be used to actually move the lever. The total of these
forces is the amount of work that must be done by the driver (where Work=Force
x Time)
Constructed of either titanium or aluminum, the ROB KNOB has a much greater
density than the stock knob or many other aftermarket knobs. Thus it has a
greater mass and weight. Given the formula
             Weight=Mass x the acceleration of Gravity
which is equivalent to
             Force=Mass x the acceleration of Gravity
then the greater weight of the ROB KNOB means it applies a greater Force when
it is in momentum (where mommentum can be found using the formula P= M x V).
By subtracting the weight (and in effect, the force) from the total force
required to overcome the inertia of the lever and shift it to the next gear,
then the resulting quantity is a lower force(effort) required on the part of
the driver.
     Thus, shifting with the ROB KNOB not only enables a greater force without
an increase in driver effort, but also means that that driver effort is
actually REDUCED to make each shift.
     2nd-Having already established that the ROB KNOB has a greater mass and
weight than the stock knob it's clear that the ROB KNOB gives increased
leverage over stock; Picture the shift lever as an inverted pendulum, and just
as on a clock, the mass is crucial to its movement. The mass actually gives
the ROB KNOB a tendency more towards motion than rest, and allows smoother
movement with less effort.
     3rd-Given the tendency toward motion described above, it's obvious that
the ROB KNOB translates to a faster (or *equal*) motion with less driver
effort. Simply stated, an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
     4th-The ROB KNOB's all metal construction transmits mechanical feel from
the shift linkage differently than stock.
     5th-The good old psychological aspect; Picture this: you settle into the
familiar interior of your BMW, get comfortable in the seat, and take a deep
breath. Before grasping the steering wheel, your eye slips over the attractive
knob, always impressive to passengers. But today you're alone, and right now,
the ROB KNOB is solely for you pleasure; not just viewing, but shifting
pleasure as well. Your hand slips around the comfortable shape, cool to the
touch, with a quality feel. *You hold confidence in the palm of your hand!*
Down goes the clutch, into first gear and you're off! Each upshift is a
perfect snick-snick, augmenting the already incredible feel of the BL/SS.
Slick and smooth, the positive shift feel is even more of a revelation than
you could have dreamed! As you fade into the distance, you have to wonder, was
it just the mechanics of your new knob that made such a difference, or did
that newfound conifidence play a role as well...

     After much deliberation, I have decided that the Physics of the ROB KNOB
is just as important and invaluable as the Head Shrinkage. Whether or not I'm
correct remains to be seen, but until then, I hope everybody enjoys Happy
Motoring and More Positive Shifting!!

- -Matt Malfa
92 325is Sharked

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