A thought crossed my mind when reading about all these shortshifters that costs more than....I dont know. But why donīt just cut off the top inch of the OEM shifter and screw the shiftknob back on?

 

Good point... would be a job re-threading the shifter again tho to get it so the gear **** will "screw" back on??

 

That does not make a short throw...

 

Sure it does, cutting off the top puts you closer to the fulcrum (or however thats spelled). Technically you would need to exert more force though because you would be losing leverage.

 

Is there anyway to make a short shifter shift shorter than just the 30% less than normal that the axial flow shifter allows? I was all about getting in on the group buy but then someone showed that shifter to me and I didn't feel much of a difference. Not a $250.00 difference at least. The car was parked and I didn't get a chance to take it for a spin to see how it was while driving. But if there is a difference while driving, then please let me know and I may reconsider it.

 

that doesn't make a short throw shifter, it just makes a shorter shifter. short throw shifters actually move the fulcrum to a different point. this reduces the anglar change needed to complete the shift. just cutting the shifter down leaves this angle the same.

the total distance of the top of the shifter travels will be slightly less, it will still feel the same.

its basically a ghetto mod that in essence, changes nothign, other than the height of the shifter.

 

You know how magazines have raved about how connected you are to the car when you are behind the wheel? Well, with the Axial flow unit you literally become the car. The directness of each shift is purely orgasmic. A few of us have reported a problem with the 1-2 shift on the stock shifter. There seems to be a problem with us transitioning smoothly, resulting in a jerky ride. Call it inexperience with manual transmission or whatever, but the Axial flow unit cured my 1-2 shift from the get-go. That in itself was priceless for me.

 

So it is worth the 250?
and is it really noticabley harder to shift because of the loss of leverage?

 

I can't say if it is the throw (distance) from 1-2 or the 'notch' that prevents the smooth movement. With the short shifter installed, it allows you to get on the gas that much sooner than with the stock shifter, minimizing the 'lag time' that result in a smoother ride. If those of you that sometimes rev to 7k-9k RPM before shifting to 2nd gear will know what I am talking about when I say 'notch'. It's as if something is blocking the shifter.

 

...hence its a shorter throw

 

cutting off the top would make it just like using a shorter ****. Glyphon showed it right there about the difference between a stock shifter and the short shifter. Can't turn stock into it.

The throws on the AFE short shifter are much quicker and snaps into place. The quickness provides for a smoother ride. No miss shifting or not getting in gear fully. But for the money, I think it's definitely worth it.

 

if only B&M made one.. they really reduce the throw... sometimes up to 65%..

30% "sounds" lame and pointless but i dont wanna make a judgement till i have felt one..

 

Can you imagine getting a lame 30% on your investments.

The amount they can reduce the throw really depends on the car. I doubt you'll find a B&M reduces throws more than about 35% for many sports cars. I mean, you could have reduced the throws in my old Jetta 95% and they still would have required me to unbuckle my seat belt and lean forward. 30% is a significant improvement for the rx8.

 

30% is a huge difference. I have the AFE shifter and it was too short for me so I put on a taller shift **** to lengthen the throws a bit. Now it's perfect.

 

Nice

Did you elbow the rear passenger on the 1-2 and 3-4 shifts too?

 

The RX-8's throw is already short to begin with...is it not?

 

This is why: the stock shifter feels like mush. I can only speak for the RP, because that's what I have installed on mine (plus a Voodoo Pearl Magnum ****) and it clicks into gear, it's a whole world of difference not JUST shorter.

 

^ W000t I just ordered the RP/AFE short shifter and already have the voodoo pearl magnum ****. I am really looking forward to never missing 3rd again !!!!

 

I just push the shifter forward, from 2nd and it automatically goes into 3rd whether I like it or not.

 

Do you drive an AT ???

J/K !

 

im planing to try a DIY short shifter. I've done it before on front wheel drives but they are a vastly different shifter design. still it's the same principle.

here are some pics of the std shifter r-magic one and the mazdaspeed one.


you will notice on the top picture the ~1cm comes off the top of the shifter and ~5mm is added to the bottom.

then there is the mazda speed shifter which looks like they have changed the leverage but also includes a spacer to move the pivot point of the shifter up. I think I know what they are doing here but why doesn't the r-magic one need the spacer?

 

It's not just the length at the bottom of the cup, notice the ball within the plastic cup is visible on one but not the other. The pivot within the plastic cup is further from the main fulcrum of the shifter.

 

I've been driving a stick for almost 40 years and as much as i love the RX-8, i must admit it is the most vague tranny ever. I can't tell if i'm downshifting into 4th or 2nd or upshifting from 2nd to 3rd or 5th gear. I can wait to get a RP short shifter. Everyone seems to rave about them.

 

I was merely pointing out the length changes. it makes little difference where you measure this total or change in centres.

 

i dunno about the rest of you but i used to have the AFE shortshifter but got rid of it pretty quickly...the reason was that it seems like it made weiiiiird and louder tranny noises...kinda sounded like it grinded 3rd