THE best shortshifter??

[lumus]

Hi all, I got out in a nissan 350Z for a couple of hours today, and while i concluded my 330 sport has the edge (quite a big one infact), i couldnt deny the nicely short gear throw. Makes a big difference to the driving experience.

I NEED a shortshifter, and would really like to get something installed asap, so regardless of cost what is the best out there?
Ideally it will be of high quality so there is minimal if any notchyness. the smoother the better!

If i start to feel budget concious some cheap'ish (but good) options would be appreciated too :)

thanks.

[mnathan]

Hi Lumus,

I`m very happy with my UUC EVO3 SS - it felt a little bit notchy to start off with but now feels perfect. Drove my friends M3 recently and hated the long throws. The only drawback is that its slightly more difficult to engage reverse sometimes from cold. BTW the throws are shortened by 30%.

[Bilal@Storm]

The UUC and the Rogue kits are probably the best out there at the moment, which is reflected in the price. I've had the Rogue SSK and it was great - massively reduced throw. However, like any SSK - due to the reduced throw the notchiness increased a lot - this is inevitable no matter how good the SSK (i even had the weighted selector rod).

It was this notchiness that drove me to develop the stainless steel gearknobs which make a massive difference to any SSK in terms of removing that extra resistance.

I had an E46 M3 owner approach me at one of the shows last year - he had just installed an AC Schnitzer SSK and was about to get rid of it due to the notchiness it added. He tried one of my V1 variant gearknobs and never looked back :cool:

[lumus]

hey bilal, interesting you should say that. I was reading up on the UUC kit on e46fanatics. there was a mini review. it echoed what you said. on its own, the notchyness actually reduced quality for the guy posting, but he added a weighted shifter knob and it made a massive difference, it became a real joy to change gear..
I wil hold off purchase and instalation of the kit until i get hold of your knob... err, gearknob.. that is, so get a shift on (no pun intended)!! lol, not meaning to rush you :).
so which is best, if you had bto choose? rogue Vs UUC

can you point me to where you purchased your kit mnathan? cheers

P

[peppernick]

Rogue Engineering SSK is my choice. I had tried the UUC EVO3 and IMO, the Rogue has a more positive throw. It feels just like you're changing gears in a Ferrari.

[Bilal@Storm]

They're both pretty similar i'd say - perhaps leaning more towards the Rogue as i've had a good experience with it.

A weighted gearknob is a must with a good SSK - the combination makes for a beautifully short and positive gearchange!

[lumus]

rogue.. I just checked CA's site. £260, ouch, but its a price i would pay if its really that good. It certainly look the business. how come there is a difference between 325 and 330 in the production of the short shifter kit? £60 difference in terms of cost.

[Chaos]

Not tried the UUC but heard good things, tried the Rogue and can absolutely confirm the good things. Roy has one in his banana car I think, I'm sure he'd let you have a fiddle at the next meet. :D

[lumus]

They're both pretty similar i'd say - perhaps leaning more towards the Rogue as i've had a good experience with it.

A weighted gearknob is a must with a good SSK - the combination makes for a beautifully short and positive gearchange!

a positive gearchange is exactly what i need. my current setup seriously doesnt inspire confidence. When thrusting up through the gears its very easy to get stuck betwen gears and lose momentum sometimes, and even not engage at all. it seems quite poor.

[lumus]

starting to lean towards rogue then! If it gets such good feedback. I'd rather get something that is really tried and tested. cheers for the input.

[mnathan]

Lumus,

I imported my kit from the states ( Rob Levinson )
I guess if i were you i`d go for rogue since CA have it........we could compare later;)

[peppernick]

Make sure you get the entire set, with the weighted selector rod.

[Chaos]

Make sure you get the entire set, with the weighted selector rod.
Couldn't agree more.

[lumus]

Make sure you get the entire set, with the weighted selector rod.

that appears to be included here:

http://www.ca-automotive.co.uk/products.php?car_make=bmw&car_type=e46&cat_id=10&comp_id=16

looks good to me.

[lumus]

actual, just read:

'includes'
'Weighted selector rod (not all models).'

so will have to check that

[330vert]

if you go for the Rogue be really interestd to see how you find it. The gear change on my 330 is my biggest anoyance with the car and slows me down the most. Got a new Sachs PCS to go on so might fit one if you find it helps.

[lumus]

if you go for the Rogue be really interestd to see how you find it. The gear change on my 330 is my biggest anoyance with the car and slows me down the most. Got a new Sachs PCS to go on so might fit one if you find it helps.

i can relate 100%. i love the car totally, apart from the gearbox/gearchange. I would go so far as to say it almost ruins what could be something very very good. It is my biggest, and really, my only gripe. I'll be attacking it with the SSK and a weighted gearknob and really expect this to remedy the problem. Should be money well spent :).

P.S I got my eibach pro-kit springs fitted today, and they are superb. really looking to improve driveability now.

[330vert]

Thought about the Pro kit, but mine sits really low in the ass end already so goin save pennies for coilovers, From past experience you cant beat them.
If SSK does the trick drop a note on this post :) , Looks like your a bit of a 'Flash' guru by your company website. Might have to harass you in the geek section soon aswel :rolleyes:

[lumus]

well, the prokit didnt drop the ass end on mine 1 iota, i dont think. the front went down about another 10mm, tops. I actually woulda liked the rear to go down a little as i prefer a more leveled look. the butt is always lower on verts from what i can tell, with all that extra weight you're hauling around back there! I've always really liked how verts sit.

ah yes, i'd consider myself a bit of a guru ;), so feel free to harass away.
I'm working on lumus V2 at the mo:

http://www.thelume.com/v2/

wont load up in firefox until i change my embed method for the swf, so IE is required. It's a more explorative environment. hold the mouse down and away you go. have a wander and see if you think its an improvement. see if you can spot the completion percentage counter (grand theft auto stylee).

[lumus]

Ive just been reading up on the UUC evo 3 with dssr, and it seems to perhaps beat the rogue kit. has anyone had both who can compare them?

[peppernick]

Ive just been reading up on the UUC evo 3 with dssr, and it seems to perhaps beat the rogue kit. has anyone had both who can compare them?
Like mentioned above, I take the RE. It's just feels better.

[Purvesh]

How did you get on with this Lumus, would be interesting to hear as I'm interested in getting one aswell...