Short Throw Shifters

A short throw shiftier is a modification of the manual transmissions gear stick.The mode is done by changing the existing gear stick to aftermarket bolt on replacement part that  has a different leverage : changing gears would therefore be slightly heavier.The desired effect of a short shifter is to reduce the distance your hand needs to mechanically engage the next gear , thus reducing the amount of time spent shifting. This would reduce wasted time between shifts while you re accelarating and decelarating , thus improved performance.

Many people mistakenly believe that a short shifter is just a chopped off version of the stock gear stick. Chopping your gear stick has no effect on the angle that your shifter shaft travels through between gears and therefore does not reduce the shifters angular throw.In fact, the conventional gear stick and engineered short shifters are each carefully constructed so that each upper throw corresponds and syncs with what s going on inside the transmission.Theres maths involved, which simply means that sawing off an inch or so off your existing gear stick just wont cut it.

The geometry of a short shifter therefore differs from the stock gear stick in order to reduce the distance that the upper section where your shift threads on needs to move to achieve the same degree of movement in the lower section where the shift rod or shifter cables attach. This ensures that although your hand is moving a shorter distance , the transmission is still fully engaged in every gear. The main pivot point or fulcrum of the shifter is repositioned on the shaft in such a way that the lower section connects to the shift rod or shifter cables and is longer than the stock,resulting in the desired effect.

When changing gears from 1st to 2nd or from 3rd to 4th in a conventional gear stick, the travel distance is almost doubled as compared to the short shifter and you would pull the gear stick about 16 to 20 cm more when changing gears.A short shifter will reduce this distance to about 50% as with most adjustable short shifters with different holes that is used to adjust the travel distance.

At first , you will feel uncomfortable with a short shifter because you will need time to get use to the closer positions of the gears. The distinct advantage is that you will have reduced mis fits, you will shift faster than before and this will give you that racing feel.A quicker shift also means you will need to adjust the way you depress the clutch in order to make each shift method along with your new short throw gearbox . you should be able to improve your 0 to 100 kmh sprint times.

Consider also additional equipment , such as an outboard tachometer with a shift light to assist you when drag racing.Having an LED light in your peripheral vision  to notify you when you need to shift will help you keep your eyes on the road but not miss a shift.Select a new gear shift knob to use with your short throw shifter. Choose one that  feels the most comfortable ...ie..one that fits your hand to the best, to improve your
grip during each short shift.Heavier shift knobs make quick shifting easier and also help reduce gear binding.Remember to keep your old gear knob in case you decide to sell your vehicle. The short shifter is not an expensive mod.however , it is not a universal design.ie model specific . You may also find some replicas of known brands for a song.Installation may take at the most an hour and you are ready to rumble.

Theres no easy way to learn how short shifters work than to install one.It gives impatient people the shorter , quicker throw they re after and can actually make gear changes smoother which will help with any transmissions life expectancy.

The end result is a shorter more precise shift which requires a shorter hand movement to engage the next gear and looks and feel sportier than the clumsy stock gear stick.