Short Shifter...what to buy

[EdZorX]

So i'm tired of traveling like 6 inches from gear to gear and want a short shifter kit but here's the thing:

I DEF under no circumstance want to exchange my gear knob

What are your suggestions?

Tis a 6speed BTW

[weasel like]

So i'm tired of traveling like 6 inches from gear to gear and want a short shifter kit but here's the thing:

I DEF under no circumstance want to exchange my gear knob

What are your suggestions?

Tis a 6speed BTW

I've been debating this myself... Similar but not quite the same situation. I think I'm going to end up going the understeer.com route and getting a E46 M3 shifter and a weighted linkage, possibly a weighted knob too.

I hear mixed reviews on the hi-po SSK kits, from "too notchy" to "too much effort to shift", both of which are cool when driving the snot out of the car but in traffic and parking, ugh, not for me. Plus OEM FTW.

[thrilos5]

go to your BMW dealer and ask for an '05 545 shifter, same as the Dinan m5 shifter 1 hour to install and about $60

I have it in my car, just perfect throws

[Steve530]

I have an M5 shifter, 25-11-2-228-069. 25% shorter than stock, so it's sort of a conservative approach. Kind of a "not too short shifter".

[azaytsev]

I second that, go with e60 545i short shifter (part number # 25117546373)
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=103511

[smooth6]

I love my Rogue SSK w/WSSR.

[atl540i]

I second that, go with e60 545i short shifter (part number # 25117546373)
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=103511

+1

This is what I am going to do.

[Steve530]

+1

This is what I am going to do.

I'd bet the 545 shifter is a great mod. Reasonable cost and designed for a car much like the car it's being fit to.

[gdizzle]

oooo good idea.. My friend wants one i will tell him about this



any good ideas for 528i 5 speed.. i would like to stay away from the "too notchy" to "too much effort to shift" as well..

[English]

I have UUC in my car. 2nd-6th is fine but the 1st to 2nd shift sucks. But I had a B&M in my VR6 jetta, and that was horrible.

[Jo@EuroDyne]

do you have balls of steel??? =) UCC short shifter is getting good reviews with theirs...

trivia: UCC stands for Underground Car Club and was originally formed by a bunch of guys who were secretly customizing parts behind their wives' backs! look how big they are now! =)

[karlw]

I just put in the B&M sport shift kit - it's great. I don't think it's the "full race" version which is louder and harder on the hands. This one is very crisp and definitely quickens the shifting and shortens the throws. Not that much more effort than the standard one, IMO.

-K

[gdizzle]

thanks.. considering i drive this car almost daily, i'm not looking to make a hassle out of shifting

[gdizzle]

I have an M5 shifter, 25-11-2-228-069. 25% shorter than stock, so it's sort of a conservative approach. Kind of a "not too short shifter".

i didnt realize that you have a 530i.. does that mean that the m5 shifter would work in a 528i.. i didnt think it would

[detroit635csi]

ucc?? pretty sure its uuc..

[EdZorX]

AHHH wait i really like azaytsev idea but can i use my stock knob with it? how much does that cost? Can any 5speed fit into the 6speed one?

[chiefwej]

If you want to spend for a really good SSK, go w/ Rogue Octane SSK. The weighted rod makes a real difference. It cost about $285, but it is great. I was lucky and found mine for $100 from a friend.

If you are on a budget, go w/ the Budget SSK from understeer.com. $80, and it comes w/ pivot cup, washers, and clips. They even have instructions on their web site to make your own weighted selector rod (see Cheap WSR).

I have the Rogue, and a friend has the understeer. The Rouge is better, but $200 better? I think not.

[atl540i]

The 545 sport shifter is less than $60 from crownauto. Also, your existing knob will work with it although you will probably want to go ahead and spend another $60 on a weighted ZHP knob off Ebay. They come with 6-speed indicators as well and look sharp. Look at asaytev's post - he has a pick of this mod with the ZHP knob on his M5. Very slick and low cost. Agreed - though - if you have the $$$ go for the Rogue SSK.

[ranger22]

First post here.....

I have a '98 540i Sport with the B&M shifter on it. I got talked into it by a shop here in DFW in order to fix my complaints about a sloppy shifter. Well it didn't work and I can't stand how notchy and loud the B&M shifter is.

I've talked with a stealership here and they told me that using a M-Coupe shifter would give me a short shifter that isn't notchy or noisy. I've read dozens of posts on this forum, but I haven't seen much on this. Is the M-Coupe shifter the same as an M3 shifter? Is this a good mod? The stealership recommended the M-Coupe over using the 545 shifter that many have had good success with, what do y'all think? Thanks in advance for your advice.

[525iT_Feen]

Go with the Rogue SSK! I f*cking love mine.

[Steve530]

The 545 sport shifter is less than $60 from crownauto. Also, your existing knob will work with it although you will probably want to go ahead and spend another $60 on a weighted ZHP knob off Ebay.

Why not just buy the shift knob from Crown, too?

EDIT: The ZHP knob is 25 11 7 896 031 $55.38 form Crown BMW; $54 (shipped) from from Tischer BMW.

[peter91118]

i just installed a m5 shifter today. it took all of 15 min and i absolutely love it. its not notchy and its not too short of a throw. by the way, it only cost me 30 bucks shipped on ebay. you should try it and if you dont like it then only 30 bucks lost..

[jnyost]

I bought an oem one from an E46 M3. It's not too short. I weighted the rod with solder too.

[toez540]

I love my Rogue SSK w/WSSR.

i have the same kit, great setup and reasonably priced

[Krazy16]

I just got done installing the 545i short shifter. Shifts are really short but not to difficult. It's a little notchy but I didn't change to Royal Purple trans fluid yet. I'm hoping that after I change the transmission fluid it will feel the same as stock.

The only down side is that it is nowhere near centered. In fifth gear it's all the way up against the center console. Second gear is about where neutral use to be. I took some pictures but I can't post them, if anyone would like to post them for me send me an email.