A while back I started wondering about a short shifter or some kind of change. With a 19" straight shifter I banged my knuckles on the dashboard a couple of times and actually had to lean forward a bit to get into 6th gear.

So I started making some different shaped rods to test shifting. Here are some pics.

Pics ?

the top one was the last I did before I switched over to modifying a stock shifter.

I got a '03 shifter and made some changes. It is a little shorter and closer to the seat, and a few inches away from the dash board. I use it every day now and love it !!

A true short throw moves the pivit point not the length of the outer rod. I beleive the inner rod that goes to the shifting forks need to be longer and the outer that you grab ahold of in turn is shorter. Thats the true short throw shifter. What your doing will work to a point but then as you said too short and you'll be sitting in the center to shift it.):h I think someone said Summit or Jegs sells one but its $400.:eek: My .02

Yes, I know. And I investigated the BD short shifter. Problem is with our tough clutch kits a longer shift rod ( in the tranny tower) will make shifting shorter but harder. Will not have as much leverage as you do now. So I just did this not for short shifting but for getting the shifter closer to me and farther from the dashoard.

Can you post a pic of the shifter installed in your truck, just wondering what how it looks in side the truck. Put it in 2nd and maybe a pic in 6th, Thanks!

I saw this shifter at the GAM dyno day a couple weeks ago. It looks like a good idea for those who race their trucks. Very good quality crafstmanship on the one Deadeye made I couldn't tell the difference from stock except for the bends. :ro)

So you want more pics . . . . . :lol:


I can make this one cheap for you!! approved by Super Diesel, also
):h ):h ):h

however, if you prefer a more refined shifter ;) Check this one. In 6th gear it is 4.25" from the dashboard. The second pic is in 2nd gear.

Deadeye, how much are stock replacements going for? I like your idea but also want to change the top to put a Tee handle like my other shifter.

My solid Aluminum shifter was the same length as stock but without the rubber isolater in the end it rattled bad. What I did like is you can feel the gears better which improved my shifting. I could even quick shift from 1st to 2nd. A solid shifter works fine for racing etc. and switch back for daily driving. I also took 1 5/8" nylon bar stock and made a really short shifter. It also rattled but I had a specific reason for doing it. That would be a cheap way to make a racing shifter. The other thing is to drill the hole at a 15 degree angle and cut the bottom end off at 15 degrees. This allows to a straight handle but angled enough to not hit the dash.

Here is my aluminum one. I'm tied up until next Wed. I'll get my nylon and aluminum shifters out and take some comparision shots.

When I was playing with my "SD shifter" :lol: I realized that shifting from 2nd to 4th gear did not work easily with the horizontal shift handle (at least for me).

I can take the handle off and weld a bolt or nut (whatever you need). No biggie. You should also decide how long you want the shifter to be up to handle. the stock shifter is 19" top to bottom. I have not yet removed a stock shifter handle so I don't know what is under it and how long it is.

Stock shifter is steel not aluminum so not to bad to modify. The one I used was an '03 version which has (stock) slight forward bend just below the handle. I removed this on the one above. I can leave it or change it if you let me know. The angle is 10* due to concerns about getting too close the the center seat and making the 2nd to 3rd shift even harder, and it is already the most difficult shift in the tranny (regardless of what shifter you use).

I had not thought much about cost. I guess I can do one for, say $110 if you send me a stock shifter. Otherwise, $183.00 with a new shifter, modified. If you return a stock shifter I can refund $73. Shipping would be from UPS. Will take a couple days to make the mods, after the shifter arrives, which will take about a week if I have to order one. (I didn't really expect anyone would be interested but . . . happy to help handshakers!)

BTW, I would like to see some more pics of your shifters.

Deadeye,
What kind of center console is that in your truck? Both of you guys' shifters look sweet.

Thanks for posting up pics! It looks sweet!

Thanks for posting up pics! It looks sweet!

Tuffy. I needed a safe, locking storage location in my truck when I travel . . .IIRC about $200 and any 4x4 shop.

Love the Pipe fittings shifter! espeshaly the t handle porshon. !!!!

Deadeye, how do you take the shift knob off of the lever? i have an nv 4500 lever thats straight and shorter and works great, but i need a 6 speed knob for it for the others who drive my truck.

Deadeye, how do you take the shift knob off of the lever? i have an nv 4500 lever thats straight and shorter and works great, but i need a 6 speed knob for it for the others who drive my truck.


Hey Ben!

I have looked at taking it off but all I did was cut it off and weld the lever back straight. The knob will have to be cut to get it off unless there is some way to heat it up and be able to pull it off. Either way it will destroy the knob. Installing a new knob will require welding or threading the lever, or something similar.

John

John thanks for the reply, i aready modified mine tonight. I realized it dosent come off. I ended up cutting out 1.5" and straightening the kink at the top while doing so. Shifts quite a bit easier surprisingly, and its a little shorter travel also. This and the BD short shift kit and Ill be in heaven for the drags. oh and whats the thread on the tranny tower? i tried 16mmX2.0 and 5/8 fine, neither seemed to fit.

M16 x 1.5 is the thread size.

i was inspired by every oens shifters i had to go and do up my own
started out as a 2"x20" peice of 7075 aircraft aliminum (yea not cheep)
threw it on the lathe 4 hrs later i had the taper threw it on the mill got the design in then the fun part of bending it and polishing it a day later hear it is!!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/garage_images/i11356.jpg
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/garage_images/i11357.jpg
as a sided note i have almos no noise coming throu it when i have it threded about 1/2 the way down if i drive it all the way down i git lots of noise kinda weard ! love the way it shifts nice and crisp! no reaching for a gear just sits there right next to me
thanks to Jeli for the thred size saved me a litle bit of a hastle
now i jsut gota finish up my custom fited shift handle

That has to be the most *****IN' shifter I've ever seen!!! Nice Job!

um...wow. That's awesome

the4wheeler, Looks good.

They all look good.

Still wating for a reasonable priced short throw kit. :mad:

jc

the4wheeler, looking good. Maybe the grade of AL or extra heft you have kept it from rattleing.

thanks for the complments everyone
i just wanted to say this morning when i left for work i did git a little bit of noise but went away after a bit of driving. so i think trany temp also has something to do with the amount of sound transmititd (sp?) up the shifer

JC64 i think it was summit or jegs i saw a short throw for 320. it said it was for the Furd ZF but i would think it would fit our ZFs

started out as a 2"x20" peice of 7075 aircraft aliminum (yea not cheep)

No doubt but your hard pressed to find another grade that shines up so nice.:cool2: Good job.

Has anyone got a short shifter (inside the tranny tower)? Interested in how well it works.

the4wheeler: How much to build one of those alluminum ones? Looks cool.

01Duramax6spd the 7075 aluminum bar 2"x22" wasent cheep 150 bucks but im shure a peice of 6061 could be found for a reasonable price like 30 bucks i think. i used the 7075 becase it was a peice of outfall from the local metal shop and dident want to weight to have them cut up a peice of 6061
theres proably about a days worth of machining on it. the hardest part is giting the bend in the 2" section (lots of heat is required i still have a scar from the burn ) lol then the polishing and painting how ever i think im gona strip mine and have it powdercoated the paint is chiping on it near the handle
i would concider making one for 350.00 (in 6061 poleshed grooves but not painted) the trikey part tho is the bends, thay are tailerd for me and my seet possision being so close to the seet when in first gear could run in to some interfearence if your seet is closer ( a side note you cant have the arm rest/storage compartment down when your shifting kinda a bummer)
for 200 i would concider dooing the machining on a peice and leave the bending and finishing up to you (the handle would be taped for 1/2-20 thred wich a B&M handle would fit)

I wouldn't need groves in it. Does it shift faster than stock? I have bucket seats with a console so it may not work.:(

Bucket seats thats sweet! i would like to see how that came out
i dont know it i would say it shifts faster (it proably does beign shorter that stock) but its more responsave, you git a better feal for the gears wich makes it easyer to shift i think anyways

do you have any picts of your K30 thoes 5.13s will be a nice match with your 37s

why your making stuff for us dp members lol thats a hell of a nice badge, the zf 6 speed one, what could i get a couple of those for?

Bucket seats thats sweet! i would like to see how that came out
i dont know it i would say it shifts faster (it proably does beign shorter that stock) but its more responsave, you git a better feal for the gears wich makes it easyer to shift i think anyways

do you have any picts of your K30 thoes 5.13s will be a nice match with your 37s

There were very few with buckets I'm told. I happened to find this one last spring and I was very happy :D .

I have some pic's of it when it looked like crap with black fenders and a primer cab and hood and before the cage was done. Send me a e-mail and I'll fordward them to ya.I'd post some but my buddy put them in an e-mail,not as an attachment and I can't save them :mad: . I hope 5.13's help. I have no power in 4th gear :( :mad: .

BTW I need some ZF6 badges too.

LOL!! the badges are almost done thay should be back from the platers this week i hope. ill defenetly post picts all finished up . Well i dont know if i would be making thees theres 8 hrs per set of machine time in thes not including all the fisinh work dooing the radiuses (sp?) and smothing of the tooling marks. there is a gentalman on hear tho who makes a good set of ZF badges as well he proably has a better price than what i would charge for a set of mine lol
The4wheeler@hotmail.com when ever you git a fiew minits to send some picts
thanks