Homemade Short Shifter

[links56]

Alright guys, I was just changing the drivers side brake line and decided for some reason to cut my shifter down. So here's how I did it for no cost at all if anyone is interested.



First I cut out a couple inches with the chop saw. Then I welded it real quick.



Then Ground the weld down for a sleek look. lol.



The Finished Product!!!!!!!! lol.



Thanks for looking hope you all like it.

[rakfint]

I assume with the stock seat height, shortening the shifter would make it a bit of a reach down to the stick? I do want to shorten mine but I think i'd like a lower seat position first!

[ENEMY_]

I hope you don't shift hard and the welds are good

[Nerd Racing]

That isn't a short throw, its just a shortened shifter. Technically you have to lengthen the portion below the ball to decrease throw. Nice work otherwise man! I have always wanted to do a chrome skull with eyes that flash when you shift.

[shadetree]

Wow . That would look sweet in hulk... DId it make a noticeable difference. Love the extension cord on the wire wheel side of the grinder,, just for laughs , .lol And how do you like the aspire seats . Thinking about putting them in my dd.

[links56]

That isn't a short throw, its just a shortened shifter. Technically you have to lengthen the portion below the ball to decrease throw. Nice work otherwise man! I have always wanted to do a chrome skull with eyes that flash when you shift.

Thanks, Just curious though. So if i add an inch on the bottom side of the shifter then add 6 inches in to the top of the shifter is it still a short throw? Cutting some out of the top will also decrease the throw if you think about it in a ratio from the top compared to the bottom. If you kept cutting it down you'd eventually get down to where the bottom would be longer than the top and you'd probably move the shifter an inch or so from 1st to second. not trying to start an argument or anything.

Wow . That would look sweet in hulk... DId it make a noticeable difference. Love the extension cord on the wire wheel side of the grinder,, just for laughs , .lol And how do you like the aspire seats . Thinking about putting them in my dd.

It did make a difference actually instead of moving the shifter like 6 inches from 1st to 2nd its only like 4 inches of so. I wish I would have taken another inch out though. I guess i didn't know that those were aspire seats. Whats the difference? They are defiantly comfortable, though.

I assume with the stock seat height, shortening the shifter would make it a bit of a reach down to the stick? I do want to shorten mine but I think i'd like a lower seat position first!

Its actually more comfortable at this height. I can still comfortably reach it and shift while sitting in the normal position driving.

[Gomez]

Before you cut it, test the effect of shortening the top by putting your hand farter down the shifter. Speaking physics here, what links56 said is absolutely true. Do the math. Or just try lowering your hand before you modify it.

[ejp2fast]

farter down the shifter.

oh really.... that would be interesting


also- as mentioned above, shortening the length of the top part of the shifter only shortens the shifter length, not the throw. Its a matter of physics, and the length of the pivoting point.
See this thread for modification of the lower section (a true short throw):

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35668

[DrMaxwellEdison]

I think this is Force* Lever arm or something along those lines???

[sketchman]

It's funny how people always say a cut rod shifter doesn't create a shorter throw.

Here's a question. What do you define as a "shorter throw"? What's the "throw" of the shifter at all? If it's the distance the knob moves in relation to the distance the shift linkage moves, then both lengthening the bottom or/and shortening the top are both a means to the same end.

The gears engage with less hand movement either way.

Nice work OP. You have indeed created a shifter with a shorter throw, though not in the traditionally respected way.

[Basement_Modder]

Personally, I would have lengthened the bottom, simply because I like the stock shifter height. I like this one, though. To each his own.

[ejp2fast]

It's funny how people always say a cut rod shifter doesn't create a shorter throw.

Here's a question. What do you define as a "shorter throw"? What's the "throw" of the shifter at all? If it's the distance the knob moves in relation to the distance the shift linkage moves, then both lengthening the bottom or/and shortening the top are both a means to the same end.

The gears engage with less hand movement either way.

Nice work OP. You have indeed created a shifter with a shorter throw, though not in the traditionally respected way.

Ok, so lets define throw as the distance in inches from 1st gear to 2nd gear at the very top of the shifter handle. I would estimate stock would be 6" from 1st to 2nd gear.
Now, the shifter pivots on the ball, with the linkage connection below that. So when you push the shifter forward into 1st, the linkage is moving back toward the rear of the car, as that pivot is at the ball.

Lets assume that from the ball up to the top of the handle is 1 foot, and from the ball to the bottom linkage hole is 3". keeping the ball stationary, if you move the top of the handle forward 4", the bottom will move back 1" (a fourth of the top movement). ratio is 4:1

So now if you cut off and shorten the top section (ball up to handle, as in this original post), you are only changing the throw very very small (as you didn't shorten the bottom section, and negligible). As the shifter linkage section must go in and out a certain distance for 1st, 2nd, 3rd transmission engagement, that distance cannot change. So to truly reduce throw, one must increase the length of the bottom section, to reduce the throw on the top section, aka the distance from 1st to 2nd.

So lets add 1 inch to the bottom section, using my example above. so now you have 1 foot from ball to top, and now you have 4 inches (instead of 3") from ball to lower hole. Now you only have to move the top 3" for the bottom to move 1". as the ratio is 3:1

hope this helps!
Picture courtesy of hckrphil:

[Gomez]

But only in relation to throw below the ball. Throw of the linkage below isn't effected but the distance traveled on the top will definitely be shorter. So to get the ball to travel just as much as a stock shifter I don't have to move the shifter as far if the top is shortened. So, it really doesn't matter how it is done because the linkage travel NEVER changes at the tranny. The tranny doesn't really give a crap how far the linkage had to move or how far your hand moved. It just wants to see the connection at the tranny moved x.xx" everytime you want to go to first. So if I move above the ball the required distance to move stuff below the ball so it will move my linkage at the tranny the said x.xx" shorter on top will work as does longer on bottom. Now, I know they will be different it'll still get-r-done.

Remember that even with a longer bottom or shorter top you ARE NOT changing how far the tranny linkage is moving. You are only changing how far you have to move your hand to get the same results. There is math to figure how much off the top is needed to make the same amount of distance change as a longer bottom.

Wish I knew how to add drawings to help show how I see it.

[sketchman]

....to truly reduce throw, one must increase the length of the bottom section, to reduce the throw on the top section, aka the distance from 1st to 2nd.

As Gomez explained, cutting the top does work quite effectively. I've never touched the bottom part of a shifter, and I never will unless I just want a long rod AND a short throw. It takes less change in length to achieve the same results when you work on the bottom, but chopping the top works too, and in many cases it's easier, faster, and quite convenient. The last one I did didn't even need to be removed from the car.

[ejp2fast]

I guess the math part was too complicated, so here is a diagram.
As I said before, cutting off the top DOES reduce throw, only slightly, you just don't have the mechanical physics of the reducing ratio of the varying lengths.