Short Shift Shifter

[NDcoupe]

Has anyone fitted one of these to their bmw.
If so is it easy to do (for a novice) and do you notice any difference in changing gears.

[Chaos]

Yes, no, yes. In that order. :)

Roy does them at great prices if you want the full kit, and his top-notch workshop in Southampton can fit them in around an hour or so if you fancy taking the missus to the other side of the country for a couple of days and dropping by their place. ;)

[JazzMan]

Yes, i put a Z3 1.9 ltr shifter into my 320Ci. Has nicely shortened the shift quite nicely. The Z3M or Z4 3.0 are the shortest ones. The difference you will feel depend on which car you have so its a good idea to check what your current one is like. It easy to install, I've made the change on 4 cars now :)

Here's an image of various models available that I got off E30zone.co.uk:

http://www.msportster.co.uk/data/z3-4.jpg

These are all original BMW parts and can be had for around £25 from dealers, or via www.motormec.co.uk

[NDcoupe]

Is that all it is just a shorter leaver.
You don't need anything else for it?

[JazzMan]

Is that all it is just a shorter leaver.
You don't need anything else for it?

That leaver is all that's need. It changes the pivot ratio which is what gives you the shorter shift.

There are after market kits out there but many are completely soild which introduces a lot of vibration through the stick. The BMW ones all have a rubber element inside.

On other aftermarket ones the linkage between the bottom of the stick and the gearbox is also replace which is should improve it further.

The other thing you can add is a heavier gear knob. This reduces "notchyness"

One thing to note, not all E46 models have the same "row boat" ratio as the 320 so ideally you need to check and make sure that you replace it with on that actually has a short ratio.

The shift gets shorter and the bit below the pivot ball gets longer and the bit above gets shorter. The Z4 ones maybe too low down if you have a center arm rest.

[CA Automotive UK]

you need more than just a lever to get the best out of a short shift system. The Z3/ Z4 option is pretty good as an economy halfway measure, but nothing beats the full monty.

The Rogue kits come with remachined carriers, delrin bushes, washers , re worked lever and counter weight. The are not "solid" ( it is usually only racing items that are solid:) The height of the carrier cup is altered in order to change the fulcrum points correctly so as to avoid exessive effort being required to move the lever and "notchiness" (which is what happens when you just shorten the lever and nothing else) , the counter weight unit at the bottom also aids effortless and smoother changes.

The Rogue system costs more of course, but well worth it. £280

[BigFas]

Roy, did you ever find out if the Rogue kit would fit my 318?

[JazzMan]

you need more than just a lever to get the best out of a short shift system. The Z3/ Z4 option is pretty good as an economy halfway measure, but nothing beats the full monty.

The Rogue kits come with remachined carriers, delrin bushes, washers , re worked lever and counter weight. The are not "solid" ( it is usually only racing items that are solid:) The height of the carrier cup is altered in order to change the fulcrum points correctly so as to avoid exessive effort being required to move the lever and "notchiness" (which is what happens when you just shorten the lever and nothing else) , the counter weight unit at the bottom also aids effortless and smoother changes.

The Rogue system costs more of course, but well worth it. £280

My mistake, must just be the ebay ones that are solid :) That does look like a nice kit, but like you said if you one a budget :)

[CA Automotive UK]

lol ...no probs. Ebay is pretty good for certain aesthetic and styling parts for a BMW, but i would not really trust it for dynamic and chassis parts unless:

1. we are the sellers :))
2. they are a guaranteed quality brand

[peppernick]

I have the Rogue Engineering Octane SSK on my M3. Top quality kit. Excellent throw, very accurate and gives the driver the whole quality feel to the entire car when changing gears.

[330ciSport]

I have the Rogue Engineering Octane SSK on my M3. Top quality kit. Excellent throw, very accurate and gives the driver the whole quality feel to the entire car when changing gears.

Sorry to Hijack the thread, but Nick, have you found the kit helping with "notchy" gearshifts (mostly 1st and 2nd) at all? (you may not have suffered from this like some of us do)

[BigFas]

I've had the chance to play with the SSK in Nick's car and there is NO notchiness. it really does feel "digital" with the gears just snicking into place. I'm pretty sure the selector rod is weighted which helps

[Jimbo325CI]

Is anyone using the UUC SSK, and if so is it any good?

[CA Automotive UK]

honestly....notas good as rogue SSK

[andbecks]

Roy, what about the ACS one... is that any good :D

[CA Automotive UK]

actually yes it is....but more expansive

rogue is still better :)

[andbecks]

remember you sold me the ACS one.. thought would ask you question LOL

[CA Automotive UK]

yes ...i did catch that one andy :p :D

[SpeedTrap]

Roy too managed to again take from my credit card the Rogue Engineering Octane SSK for my M3. Its great!. Its a but notchy initially but its better now and its help with the throw especially when u want to do quick successions of gear changes which I am sure a lot of you has done so:)