Shift Lever and Short Shifters

[mettaxa]

hey guys, i was looking at the ssk's off of understeer.com and the 40% shorter kit is almost 90 bucks more than the 29%.

Is it really worth 90 bucks extra? or should I just stick with the 29% shorter one?

[Gadea]

can't find that anywhere

their website is getbmwparts.com
just go there and look it up by E30 parts (accesory/specials). Right now is $65 with free ground shipping.

[enigmaticdream]

Tischer is great for just the shifter, but if you want to get the whole package (lever, etc.) I would go with bmwmercedesparts.com. I've found all parts and shipping are cheaper. Tischer does $8 minimum on shipping (except on special occasions). I managed to get a zhp shifter for $56, diff gasket, diff screw plugs, exhaust hanger rubber, and a bunch of rear suspension overhaul parts for $10 shipped. They aren't as quick as Tischer, but the savings are worth the little bit of lag time. Had I gotten the shifter alone with $10 shipping it would have came to $64, which is still a buck cheaper than Tischer.

[mkcman17]

ah shoot...just bought the last X5 shifter in the states. we'll see how this goes.

[inwoo]

This may be a stupid question, but are all the bushings and other parts universal for a shifter that i bought a long time ago?

it's an e36 m3 shifter...
Will these parts fit this shifter?
4x . . . 25 11 1 220 439 - Spacer Rings (two extra)
1x . . . 25 11 1 220 832 - Rubber Bearing sleeve (could be replaced with UUC Delrin Bushings)
2x . . . 25 11 1 220 379 - Circlips $0.50 (one extra)
1x . . . 25 11 1 220 600 - Nylon Shift Bushing - $4.00

Otherwise.. anyone have the part numbers for all the wear and tear parts i need to replace in my e30 325i?

[E30_80Y]

How much shorter are your throws from stock? Which kit did you order?

my shifter wasnt really stock, it was originally a 318is shifter, when i did my s52 swap, i shortened the selector rod and gear arm. After doing that, my throws were so long that it actually hit the frame if i shifter hard. so now with this kit http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RACIN...Q5fAccessories I have about 1 to 1.5 inch gap between the shifter and the frame/center console opening.

[e30BMart]

my shifter wasnt really stock, it was originally a 318is shifter, when i did my s52 swap, i shortened the selector rod and gear arm. After doing that, my throws were so long that it actually hit the frame if i shifter hard. so now with this kit http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RACIN...Q5fAccessories I have about 1 to 1.5 inch gap between the shifter and the frame/center console opening.

how does it feel?

[E30_80Y]

how does it feel?

Feels a bit notchy, gearshift are short. very hard to explain more in words

[Ferguson]

i took a stock e30 shifter rod, and just welded on an extension similar to the z3 1.9 lever.
left the top length the same so its not notchy, feels very nice.

[Ramgoat]

Im doing mine as we speak.

Ive an early e30 and I'm installing an e36 m3 shift lever with all new bushings, washers and clips. Coupled with my zhp knob, I think its going to be awesome once complete. If any one has any questions regarding the swap, let me know. The car is up and shifter is out, just waiting for the lever to be delivered.

[EdvaLTU]

Hey guys, I am new out here and I want to ask you if it is a great idea to choose z4 3.0 shift kit for e30 318i if i want the shortest throw possible for great price? Would it be a great idea just to buy buy it from another person, who has z4 and install it in mine e30? Because I don't know if there is all needed equipment in local car shops, as I am in Lithuania. What would be the main parts I should get from other car and where should I take attention? Any suggestion is welcomed. Thanks.

[e30loverSC]

I broke the selector rod and I am upgrading to the one from http://www.akgmotorsport.com/catalog...e30%20Shifters. I am also ordering a z4 2.5 ssk from BMA. With this rod still fit?? Or is the width where it connects different??

[Ramgoat]

looks like it will fit. it just seems as the akg ones are stock replacements. How did you break your selector rod?

[DmcL]

FWIW i noticed alot of people are not going for the X5 shifter..

i have been using a Z3 M coupe shifter for some time and with the whole thing about the X5 shifter being longer, yada, yada.. i decided to lengthen my Z3 M shifter to see what it would be like and its pretty damn good. i took the gear knob off the shifter, bought a length of steel pipe from a local hardware store that is 14mm ID and 16mm OD and tapped it on over the top of the shifter where the gearknob would normally go. it fits snug enough to not need any grub screws or anything, just tap it on till its tight and i was able to fit my gearknob on the top of the pipe after that. ive also got the selector rod wrapped in a bunch of stick on wheel weights and between the 2 its still notchy but not overly notchy and with the extension i no longer have to ram the stick in/out of gears. combined with a clutch stop i made i can now shift very, very fast up the gears.

i also wrapped the peice of pipe with black electrical tape starting from the bottom and working up to the top so it doesnt look as unsightly as a bare pice of bar shoved on the top of a Z3 M stick. i tried a few different lengths of bar and settled on a peice roughly 6-7 inches long which now sits my gear knob about level with the bottom half of the CD player in the dash. gives me all the leverage of an X5 shifter but with the shorter throw of the Z3 M stick. also it doesnt have that angle in the shofter that tilts the gear knob back like the X5 shifter does.

[e30loverSC]

I'm not sure what cause it to break. The pin sheared off on one side probably because of bad bushings. It should be tighter than stock hopefully since it raps around both sides of the shifter.