Ideal SSK for E30? Not looking for big reduction

[ksjdan]

I have a Z4 2.5 on mine and love it. I can't really give you a percentage, but the throw is def shorter than stock, and a bit notchy. The height of the physical shifter is much shorter too. If you have the harmonic balancer still on, you will need to grind the selector rod a bit. I hear no modification is necessary if your car has no balancer (mine did). In the pic it is shifted in second gear.

Wish I read this sooner. I just finished putting everything back together, and i can hear the driveshaft balance banging against the selector rod. Its amplified at 2nd and 4th and faint with all other gears.
...so what the hell do I do now.

[bimma360]

Wish I read this sooner. I just finished putting everything back together, and i can hear the driveshaft balance banging against the selector rod. Its amplified at 2nd and 4th and faint with all other gears.
...so what the hell do I do now.

Hah thats how I found out about it too. You just gotta take the selector rod out, and grind down the point thats hitting. The good thing about driving on it like you did, is that now you have what you need to grind down marked.

[Just Scott]

Just put the z3 in with all new stock bushings. Very pleased with it. I took the balancer off and bent nothing

[ksjdan]

Hah thats how I found out about it too. You just gotta take the selector rod out, and grind down the point thats hitting. The good thing about driving on it like you did, is that now you have what you need to grind down marked.

Yeah its a pretty nasty sound. I got a cheap dremel from Lowe's earlier today and shaved the darn thing. I was mistaking the selector rod with the shift arm. Shift arm was a bitch to remove (clip on to of tranny), but selector rod took 5 minutes to remove. All went better than expected.

Just put the z3 in with all new stock bushings. Very pleased with it. I took the balancer off and bent nothing

The Z3 shifter does feels better than stock. :thumbsup:

[lambo]

Gonna piggy back on this thread...but, I plan on going with an AKG one because I love how tall it is. My question is: why is it recommended for race use only?

[bmwman91]

I run a Z4 3.0 shifter. It will give you a much shorter shift than stock. In the case of the 318iS, no bending or grinding is needed.



After about 12 months, the setup was feeling a little sloppy again (I replaced all bushings and stuff with the shifter). So I got some AKG Delrin shifter arm bushings and it made the shifting MUCH cleaner (perhaps a little notchy). FYI, you will probably want to hit the Bitch Clip pin with a wire wheel and lube that, the top of the tranny where the bushings slide between and maybe sand the ends of the bushings a little. They are a TIGHT fit, and sort of a pain in the ass to get the Bitch Clip pin into with the tranny under the car. That was my experience anyway!

[bimma360]

Yeah its a pretty nasty sound. I got a cheap dremel from Lowe's earlier today and shaved the darn thing. I was mistaking the selector rod with the shift arm. Shift arm was a bitch to remove (clip on to of tranny), but selector rod took 5 minutes to remove. All went better than expected.

Glad it worked out. Yeah man, if I remember correctly all it took was removing two C clips and the thing comes out. I had to remove mine about 3 times before i ground down enough material off. Fun times.

[elbrack]

I run a Z4 3.0 shifter. It will give you a much shorter shift than stock. In the case of the 318iS, no bending or grinding is needed.



After about 12 months, the setup was feeling a little sloppy again (I replaced all bushings and stuff with the shifter). So I got some AKG Delrin shifter arm bushings and it made the shifting MUCH cleaner (perhaps a little notchy). FYI, you will probably want to hit the Bitch Clip pin with a wire wheel and lube that, the top of the tranny where the bushings slide between and maybe sand the ends of the bushings a little. They are a TIGHT fit, and sort of a pain in the ass to get the Bitch Clip pin into with the tranny under the car. That was my experience anyway!

Z4 3.0 shifter for 318is with no modification. Sounds like a winner to me.