I am in the process of adding two gauges to my X (an air pressure gauge and a voltmeter) and planned on putting them in the console where the spare lighter outlet is in front of the shifters. This required me to build a small dash plate for it and to put in the gauges I have to remove the entire center console up to the base of the radio to cut out the console in preparation for the plate I am making. This required the removal of the transfer case knob and having heard stories here regarding getting it off, I took it to my local dealer to see if they could get it off. Well, to make a long story short, they couldn't. First a little guy tried and gave up. Then a big old Harley rider type tried it and he gave up.
I took the truck back to work and tried it myself, and on the first try it wouldn't budge. But on the second try I tried something different and it worked. I laid across the two seats from the drivers side. I reached backward toward the knob and grabbed it with both hands. This gave me the leverage I needed to put unbelievable torque on the knob and it twisted better than 45 degrees, almost to the point I thought it was going to rip. But in short order, it popped loose. If anyone is trying to remove the shift knob and needs to keep it intact, this is apparently the way to do it. You have to have a serious grip, but it can be done without destroying the knob.
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Gordon "The Warmonger" White