Help me justify a price-short throw shifter

[MrMike]

The rigidity of a component depends not only on the thickness of the material, but also on its profile.
That's why there is something like the i-beam, less weight with good rigidity.
This is exactly how the OEM bracket for the shifter works, the profile in which the "thin" sheet is formed, makes it rigid.
Just take it in your own hands and try to bend it...

The aluminum part from Steeda can do nothing better, except shine beautifully.
The OEM rubber part, on the other hand, is as flabby as a granny hooker.

If you don't want to spend $500 on a shifter, then the $20 PU bushing will do the job.

Looking at this pic actually gives me more faith in just doing the $20 bushing. Thanks.

I'm not ready to replace the shifter yet. Maybe if/when I decide to swap in a Torsen diff that would be a good time to install a MGW also. I remember @shogun32 had some Torsens in his garage, but is a bit of a hike from me lol.

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[shogun32]

remember @shogun32 had some Torsens in his garage,

Yup still got them

 

[Coosawjack]

The rigidity of a component depends not only on the thickness of the material, but also on its profile.
That's why there is something like the i-beam, less weight with good rigidity.
This is exactly how the OEM bracket for the shifter works, the profile in which the "thin" sheet is formed, makes it rigid.
Just take it in your own hands and try to bend it...

The aluminum part from Steeda can do nothing better, except shine beautifully.
The OEM rubber part, on the other hand, is as flabby as a granny hooker.

If you don't want to spend $500 on a shifter, then the $20 PU bushing will do the job.

I did exactly this......inexpensive and worth a try before spending hundreds of dollars and lotsa time installing a HIGH PRICED shifter!!

I had an MGW on my 2014 car and it was perfect, as expected, but this Poly Bushing is practically as good IMHO!!

I've made a dozen or so 2-3 shifts at high RPM and they were perfect....slid right in!!

 

[Joedag1]

$70 for the Steeda bracket solves 85pct of the problem.

Rest is clutch itself and fluids.

A Steeda transmission bushing and a Steeda shifter bushing works great definitely worth trying before spending all that money. And it’s easy to do yourself. To me the difference was night and day.

 

[Mitt]

The rigidity of a component depends not only on the thickness of the material, but also on its profile.
That's why there is something like the i-beam, less weight with good rigidity.
This is exactly how the OEM bracket for the shifter works, the profile in which the "thin" sheet is formed, makes it rigid.
Just take it in your own hands and try to bend it...

Challenge accepted. It didn't take much to bend it!

 

[shogun32]

Challenge accepted. It didn't take much to bend it!

well sure, it's a cheap-ass piece of sheetmetal. The more pertinent question is when it's anchored in place with the 2 screws and the bushing is providing reinforcement, is there a way to impart sufficient energy to distort the bracket using a properly functioning shifter.

On that count, the answer is likely to be 'no'.

 

[Nightmonkey]

Challenge accepted. It didn't take much to bend it!

Nice try!
First of all, you have to load it somehow in the same way as it is loaded when shifting, that's what it is suposed to withstand.
This means twisting of the shifter and forces from the inside to the left, right, bottom and top (only one at a time).
And you have simply forgotten the clamping by the screws on the left and right.
These have a major influence on how resilient the component is.
The thin aluminum of the Steeda part does also not have much to withstand if it is not bolted or loaded in the right way.

 

[Jaymar]

Or, bendy or not the stupid thing mounts to the chassis that flexes independent of the transmission causing binding in the mechanism. It shouldn't mount there at all so the best fix is to solid mount to the transmission. Solidifying the body mount may reduce the problem and we can argue all day long about what amount of which is caused by the flimsy sheet metal bracket but none of those reductions solves the underlying problem.

I, for one, think the weakness of that bracket will become the next weak link once the bushing gets replaced with polyurethane.

 

[shogun32]

the stupid thing mounts to the chassis that flexes independent of the transmission causing binding in the mechanism. It shouldn't mount there at all so the best fix is to solid mount to the transmission.

agreed. But that solution costs real money.

 

[Jaymar]

agreed. But that solution costs real money.

An embarrassing amount at that. It's worth a shot to try bushings/brackets for the price but one should keep their expectations realistic as it is a bandaid only.

 

[Mitt]

Nice try!
First of all, you have to load it somehow in the same way as it is loaded when shifting, that's what it is suposed to withstand.
This means twisting of the shifter and forces from the inside to the left, right, bottom and top (only one at a time).
And you have simply forgotten the clamping by the screws on the left and right.
These have a major influence on how resilient the component is.
The thin aluminum of the Steeda part does also not have much to withstand if it is not bolted or loaded in the right way.

Bolted or not, the fact that I can bend the chinesium factory bracket by hand, single handed at that, goes to show just how easily the bracket can be distorted. The aerospace-grade aluminum of the Steeda bracket is much beefier than the factory bracket and can withstand more force.

 

[Nightmonkey]

@Mitt
Why should they make a part stronger than it needs to be?
What purpose would it serve?
It just adds weight...

PS: It makes a big difference whether you simply drive over it with a tank, or you load it in the way it is done in the field.

 

[paulm1]

agreed. But that solution costs real money.

The solution cost me $100 bucks. Best hundred i spent on this car.

 

[shogun32]

The solution cost me $100 bucks. Best hundred i spent on this car.

which solution was it, exactly?

 

[paulm1]

which solution was it, exactly?

The FTB bracket, mounts the shifter directly to the trans. No more body / bushing mounts.

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