Here is what you will find:


After looking at them I think I was right at first and they will come off with pliers but I don't think that anything aftermarket will fit them. They are a really small diameter. I'm kind of afraid to destroy the factory pulls trying. This out of a man who chopped up his grille to install a billet one. I guess I'll give it a shot to install my skull pulls.

 

Looks like a standard size door rod to me. I don't think GM would change a part like that to an "off" size. (I could be wrong though!). I will be doing a lock knob mod soon, so I'll let you know then.

Thanks for the pics!

 

I can't wait socal.

 

It looks to me like the knobs are "press fit" onto the rod. If that's the case, you could stand a chance of ruining these 100% of the time. Me....although I don't do it often, I tried resting my arm on the door. Size does matter. Being compact (me, not the car), I had no problem with the lock although I did have to raise my seat almost to it's full travel height to get my elbow up there. Guess I'll be using the factory arm rests!

 

That makes sense and makes me even more afraid to try removing them.

 

When I get home this afternoon. I'm gonna take a look.

 

You're going to have to pull the door panel off to see anything.

 

Come on, Howdy, no guts, no glory. Do it for the cause. Take a hacksaw to it and cut it about an inch up from that lower bend. If it doesn't work out, the guys in the machine shop can make you a piece that will put them back together again with set screws. What do you need the knobs for anyway? You have electric locks and never use the buttons. If the stock buttons are a pain, the skulls will be that much worse.

 

No problem. I gotta take it off sooner or later.

 

You're right I'm being a wimp. If I can chop up my grille I can hack up my locks. If it came down to it I could always chop the shaft to desired length and weld on a correct size piece of threaded rod for the new pulls or just have another one bent. I don't have a problem with the lock locations, I never rest my arm out the window. I learned to drive in a manual so I predominantly drive with my left arm out of instinct. If I do rest it its on the door arm rest. Even though I drive an auto I find my hand resting on the shifter anyways. I love the 50's hot rod look so skull pulls are perfect! If I didn't think the HHR was easy enough to turn I would put a skull suicide knob on it also, same with the shifter if it were manual. I dont want to completely remove the pulls in case of the highly unlikely event of losing electric to the vehicle, I would hate to be stuck in my HHR. Also you would have holes in the door panel. Removing them might be a good option for Adam if he can live with the holes.