chanke4252
10-07-2007, 02:43 AM
So last night I spent some time installing (and eventually uninstalling) the neuspeed short shift kit that's been sitting in it's box for the past year. Just as some background, I have a 6spd with the corsport shifter cable bushings installed as well, though I noticed no increased shifting effort as a result of their installation. I know that this has been covered pretty well, but another review doesn't hurt anything.
Install:
Install was straightforward. I took out my entire center armrest, cupholder, console area like the instructions suggested, though I'm sure there's probably an easier way to do it. It's not terribly difficult to take all of this out, just annoying.
Anyway, loosening up the shifter assembly wasn't a lot of fun either as one of the bolts is obstructed by one of the shift cables and you will have to use a combination wrench to get to it as the socket won't fit in there. Other than that, there were no snags and the instructions were very straightforward.
Many people complain about issues getting the white ball off of the base of the shifter, though with clever use of a screwdriver you can pry it off easily by just jamming a screwdriver in there and pushing. This took me less than 2 minutes, no issues here.
Getting the ball/bushing back the actual base of the shifter assembly w/o pulling it out of the car completely was kind of annoying. The way that I figured is the easiest is using a thick screwdriver, or a prybar and putting the handle of the screwdriver in the cubby with the tip below and as far behind and under the base of the shifter you can get it. Then, place the bushing on the shifter and the shift knob pulled all the way towards the rear of the car, use the screwdriver to press it back on by pulling up on it while stabilizing the bushing to make sure it doesn't slip off. It will eventually pop back on.
Result:
I went for a drive after the installation and just didn't like it at all. Many people like the ssk's due to their much shorter throws, but I found that the kit made me feel incredibly disconnected from the car and it felt notchy despite liberal use of lubrication.
To put it in gear and shift, it requires a great deal more effort. For me, the combination of the significantly shorter throws and increased effort, it made it hard to tell what was happening as far as gear engagements go and it was not as easy to confirm that I actually did hit the gear. I do not take my foot off the clutch unless I am positive that I hit the gear, so this kit actually made MY shifts slower due to the fact that I felt that I had to double check every single shift to make sure rather than just feeling and knowing immediately that it is in gear. I am sure that this is something I could have gotten used to pretty easily, but it still would have created a measure of uncertainty and I might not always feel if a gear didn't propperly engage like I do now (3rd gear woes anyone?).
Another thing I did not like about the increased force required to shift is that I felt like the force was such that I was going to be more prone to damage something or unknowingly force it into gear.
Final thoughts:
This kit will shorten your throws by well more than the 30% it advertises. I'd say closer to 40, almost half (maybe). Those who like a silky smooth and relaxed shifting effort might want to steer clear, as well as those who like to be totally in tune with the transmission. It will take SOME of the slop out of the shifter, but not as much as the corsport shifter cable bushings did for me. Those with gear engagement problems (3rd gear on the 6spds namely) will have their problem amplified as it's already relatively somewhat hard to detect when the gear doesn't engage with the standard throw (at least on my car), let alone when it's shortened. Those who have quick feet and slow hands might benefit from this. A whole lot of people like it, but it's not for me. Also, given that it was less than $50, it's not a huge loss if you decide you don't like it.
If anyone wants mine I'll sell it for like 10 bucks + shipping or something dumb like that. Just mail me a prepaid shipping label and a candy bar or something. PM me if you want it and I'll give you my address.
Install:
Install was straightforward. I took out my entire center armrest, cupholder, console area like the instructions suggested, though I'm sure there's probably an easier way to do it. It's not terribly difficult to take all of this out, just annoying.
Anyway, loosening up the shifter assembly wasn't a lot of fun either as one of the bolts is obstructed by one of the shift cables and you will have to use a combination wrench to get to it as the socket won't fit in there. Other than that, there were no snags and the instructions were very straightforward.
Many people complain about issues getting the white ball off of the base of the shifter, though with clever use of a screwdriver you can pry it off easily by just jamming a screwdriver in there and pushing. This took me less than 2 minutes, no issues here.
Getting the ball/bushing back the actual base of the shifter assembly w/o pulling it out of the car completely was kind of annoying. The way that I figured is the easiest is using a thick screwdriver, or a prybar and putting the handle of the screwdriver in the cubby with the tip below and as far behind and under the base of the shifter you can get it. Then, place the bushing on the shifter and the shift knob pulled all the way towards the rear of the car, use the screwdriver to press it back on by pulling up on it while stabilizing the bushing to make sure it doesn't slip off. It will eventually pop back on.
Result:
I went for a drive after the installation and just didn't like it at all. Many people like the ssk's due to their much shorter throws, but I found that the kit made me feel incredibly disconnected from the car and it felt notchy despite liberal use of lubrication.
To put it in gear and shift, it requires a great deal more effort. For me, the combination of the significantly shorter throws and increased effort, it made it hard to tell what was happening as far as gear engagements go and it was not as easy to confirm that I actually did hit the gear. I do not take my foot off the clutch unless I am positive that I hit the gear, so this kit actually made MY shifts slower due to the fact that I felt that I had to double check every single shift to make sure rather than just feeling and knowing immediately that it is in gear. I am sure that this is something I could have gotten used to pretty easily, but it still would have created a measure of uncertainty and I might not always feel if a gear didn't propperly engage like I do now (3rd gear woes anyone?).
Another thing I did not like about the increased force required to shift is that I felt like the force was such that I was going to be more prone to damage something or unknowingly force it into gear.
Final thoughts:
This kit will shorten your throws by well more than the 30% it advertises. I'd say closer to 40, almost half (maybe). Those who like a silky smooth and relaxed shifting effort might want to steer clear, as well as those who like to be totally in tune with the transmission. It will take SOME of the slop out of the shifter, but not as much as the corsport shifter cable bushings did for me. Those with gear engagement problems (3rd gear on the 6spds namely) will have their problem amplified as it's already relatively somewhat hard to detect when the gear doesn't engage with the standard throw (at least on my car), let alone when it's shortened. Those who have quick feet and slow hands might benefit from this. A whole lot of people like it, but it's not for me. Also, given that it was less than $50, it's not a huge loss if you decide you don't like it.
If anyone wants mine I'll sell it for like 10 bucks + shipping or something dumb like that. Just mail me a prepaid shipping label and a candy bar or something. PM me if you want it and I'll give you my address.