REVIEW: Skunk2 Dual Bend Short Shifter + Skunk2 Billet Knob

These are my views only, you do not need to agree with them.

Installed these on my car today blindly so took like 3 hours due to lots of pondering. Research would of helped heaps. Well onto the review.


The short shifter is pretty light. Or at least alot lighter than the stock DC2 Shifter. Its alluminium after all. Even then it feels nice and solid and claimed by skunk it wont break like other alluminium shifters. Complaint I have about the one I received is that one side of the allumium bushing is a tight fit. I had to use a hammer and gently hammer it in to get it in but then thats manufacturing for you.

The knob feels great. Build quality is flawless and has a nice weight to it. My complaint was that the locking nut that was provided is tapped too small. Which to me isnt acceptable as the locking nut didnt fit over the thread of the skunk2 shifter when they were supposedly made for each other. Good thing I had a tap set so I was able to retap the hole to fit the 10 x 1.5 thread size of the shifter.

My stock shifter was cut previously which already had shortened my throw so with the skunk2 shifter installed the throws are virtually the same (except the skunk2 sits more neutral). Shifting is just a touch better, nothing dramatic. The only problem with the previous guy cutting the stock shifter is that you lose the threads and the only size I was able to thread it to without needing to grind it down was 12 (Skunk2 Knob is 10 x 1.5).

I havent tried the knob on a stock DC2 shifter before so I'm not sure if using the knob on the Skunk2 shifter is any better than using it on the stock DC2 shifter. So in my situation the price for the 2 is not justified as the results were only a fraction better than the previous setup I had in my car. But I will gladly retract my comments if someone tells me that the knob feels alot better on the skunk2 shifter than it does on the stock DC2 shifter.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zorrt

My stock shifter was cut previously which already had shortened my throw so with the skunk2 shifter installed the throws are virtually the same (except the skunk2 sits more neutral). Shifting is just a touch better, nothing dramatic. The only problem with the previous guy cutting the stock shifter is that you lose the threads and the only size I was able to thread it to without needing to grind it down was 12 (Skunk2 Knob is 10 x 1.5).
.

---

i think you are confused as to how short shifters work. cutting a shifter won't shorten the 'throw'. short shifters are usually longer in length to the linkage hence you move it less to change gears (ie. less 'throw')

as seen in this pic
http://www.g-owners.com/article_imag...ter_vs_OEM.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by panda[CRX]

i think you are confused as to how short shifters work. cutting a shifter won't shorten the 'throw'. short shifters are usually longer in length to the linkage hence you move it less to change gears (ie. less 'throw')

---

Try it out. Hold you gear stick at different positions, the higher up you hold it the longer your throw feels but easier to get into gears. Lower the hard to get into gears but shorter hand movements required. So yes cutting the shifter will shorten your throws at the expense of you needing more effort to get into gears. Which is the same as what the short shifter is doing, shorter throws more effort. But since the skunk2 knob sits so high up (cuz of the nut), the throw in the end feels the same as if you cut the stock shifter.

I can lend you my old shifter to try it out if you really want to prove me wrong.

The only part where I'm unsure of is if the combination of the knob and the shifter is actually better than if the knob was used on the stock shifter.

dude the wort 'short' in short shifter isn't in regards to shifter height. i know what you are saying but the traditional short shifter will just be longer at the bottom to provide more leverage, hence having a shorter throw. usually short shifters will sit at the same height once installed.

i know what they are like chopped and i know the difference between stock/chopped/short shifter as i have installed all three on my car

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by panda[CRX]

cutting a shifter won't shorten the 'throw'.

---

But it does!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by panda[CRX]

short shifters are usually longer in length to the linkage hence you move it less to change gears (ie. less 'throw')

---

This is the other method to getting shorter 'throw'.

Two ways of getting the same result dude.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Gear_Throw.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by panda[CRX]

dude the wort 'short' in short shifter isn't in regards to shifter height.

---

ahah mate i know that already. I didnt say a short shifter is a shifter that is shorter at the top. My point is that cutting the stock shifter does shorten the length of the throw.

thanks guys for backing up my point. Panda refer to the diagram aimre drew up. It illustrates my point perfectly in case I'm explainin my point wrong somewhere.

all true..


if u cut the shifter you will reduce the length of shift too.. jsut not in the right ergonormic poistion..

Im sure you can cut a OEM shifter to make the shifting shorter than an aftermarket shifter short shifter.. just how in the world u are gonna reach it is another story,.


I sometime hold my stock shifter abit lower (over the boot) and shift as its shorter

yeah i knew what u meant. however the amount of thow lost is nowhere like in aimre's gangsta ass diagram lol

Well aimre's diagram would apply if I were to cut my dads hilux's stick. Its like 1m long ahah. Its a dream changing gears tho, so easy.

zorrt, for someone who has a stock DC2 shifter and linkages, would this be a noticable upgrade?

yes you would notice a difference.

I agree with both theories as i have done this on my mates corrolla, if you cut the shifter shorter it does make the throw shorter but more effort is required, but like panda crx has shown us the picture of the two shifters, one has the eye further from the ball than the stock one, this is a more efficient way of having a short shifter as the throw is shortened while no leverage is lost, now ask yourself if the ball is higher and the linkage has to move the same distance as it would, what would happen? Ill tell you what would. The leverage point is raised higher which means the distance need to be travelled inbetween shifts to obtain the full distance for the gear selection in the gearbox is reduced at the throw as the eye travells a longer distance per throw, there is a rough drawing below now if you guys want to go short short then bring both theories into play, but the best way to have a short shifter is to actually lengthen the bottom eye than cutting your shifter, it feels heaps better and no effort is required to shift like you would on a cut shifter.

Attachment 4284


hope this is helpfull for others but its something to take into account when short shifter is mentiond, it is left to personal choice on which way you guys want to go,

:D

/\ FYI on short shifters, the white ball isnt higher. the link (below the white ball) to ur shifter link is longer.

yes that is true but im trying to set it in basic form for most people