I need to bend my shift knob a bit...

 

I wanted to just bend it but I noticed a plastic piece in between the chrome top section and the wider lower section.

 

If I bend this, is the plastic part going to snap, and make my shifter sloppy or is that plastic piece just to keep the shift boot in place?

 

Better to ask before messing with it:rolleyes:

After having that little plastic thing go bad, I would just pull the piece you want to bend out and do it off the car. Had it popping out of the socket when driving and not being so easy to get back in, and only during shifting of course. I used a table mounted vice and it bent fine. I had two bolts underneath to pull and the interior bolt (and interior) to not have to try to reapply the little rubber boot and wire. On a ea81 with the 5pd d/r, then unlifted, I had to drop the driveshaft, but your lifted. I bent mine after my lift install to not always hit the 'next track' button on the cd player.