370Z TWM Short-throw Shifter Install

[TheMacDaddy]

Been on the wish list for a while this one, especially as my stock shifter buzzed like crazy at 5,000 RPM. So, after three years of the annoying noise, I finally got around to replacing the shifter with a short-throw unit from TWM in the States.

 

http://www.twmperformance.com/shortshifters/nissanshortshifters/nissan370zshortshifters.htm

 

The first pic is the stock shifter with a black Nismo gear-knob.

 

The instructions supplied are pretty good, albeit with a few mistakes for the 370. You have to pretty much remove the centre console to give you room to work, unbolt the old shifter, then it's under the car to undo the linkage. The bottom rubber boot that protects the bushings and the base of the shifter from road grime is an absolute pig to re-install - took me almost 30 minutes just to reseat it!

 

It was worth it though. Sharp, short changes and a much more solid feel - in fact it feels just like the short-throw on my old 986 Boxster S.

 

I went for a big Type-R knob in graphite with the shift pattern etched in. Perfect size, it isn't actually that big, fits well in the hand and has a very reassuring heft to it.

 

Don't bother with a new shift boot, the stock one works perfectly and the one they sent me didn't fit - might have something to do with the fact that there's a sticker on the inside of it that says "350Z" - so if anyone with a 350 wants a black shift boot with red stitching, PM me!

 

Matt

 

 

 

[geoff-r]

Think this might need to go on my list at some point, I only ever had one short shifter on my cars, an old CRX and it made a really nice difference.

[mattross1313]

Im putting one of these onto the 350 next month. Had them on most of my cars and i really like the feel of them.

[Suits]

Interesting man, nice one.

 

I was looking at these as I have coem from Honda, who produce some fantastic, close, tight box's (oo-er) I was a bit left down by the 370Z one.

 

Reading reviews on the US site I was out off by teh reports of noise and vibrations, like what you mention in your OP, but on teh OEM shifter.

 

Has the vibration gone/reduced now ??

 

Also speaking to one of my track fiend mates he gave me his opinion on short shifters saying that compnays spend thousands on trying to match the throw of teh gear stick to the travel of the clutch pedal so that it feels as natural as possible. Then people go and ruin it by adjusting the gear throw but not the clucth pedal.

 

He's a bit of a track racer and it sort of made sense when I thought about it but wonderd how much of that was just preference, have you noticed anything annoying about that ??

 

[TheMacDaddy]

No not really noted a problem with the clutch travel. I would be surprised if Nissan worried that much about it on a Z given the general agricultural nature of the transmission in general!

 

Vibration is reduced but still present at 5k RPM, but the new shifter doesn't make a high-pitched whine like the old one. That's why I originally changed the shift knob to the Nismo one to try and cure it.

Edited July 29, 2013 by TheMacDaddy

[The G Man]

I was interested in this mod early on in 370 ownership. I had a short shifter from this lot http://www.axialflow.com/products.htm, on my RX8, it was a phenomenal mod.

 

Nearly bought one from Andlid a few years ago, but it seems a bit of an effort to self fit, the Rex one was really easy.

 

Hope you are enjoying it

[gstraw]

has anyone bought the ebay short shifter? I've bought one for the celica and loved it. the TWM one seems quite expensive.

 

thanks

[WhackyWill]

Nice bit of kit, on my shopping list.