The Corral

Shifter Shootout at The Corral

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 October 2008 15:14 Written by Christopher Ihara Sunday, 22 October 2000 14:00

Drivetrain

Please note that this article is a "Work-In-Progress" and will change as we continue to evaluate new shifters and implement reader feedback. Additionally we will be measuring throw length and other criteria to provide concrete data for the evaluations. Keep checking back for the latest updates!

Introduction
One of the most frequently asked questions on The Corral is, "What shifter should I get?" This age old question has plagued many a Mustanger for years. So we decided to evaluate some of the offerings out there and see which one really is the best. So far we have installed the Pro 5.0, Steeda Tri-Ax, and Mac Racer's Choice. Unfortunately there is no simple answer as selecting the right shifter involves not only price, but taking into account inherently difficult factors like the driver's particular driving style, brand loyalty, innate preferences and his or her body type.

Each shifter evaluated will work on either a 1985 - 1995 T5 transmission or 1996 and later T-45 transmission. We identified several critera that we felt were important in evaluating a shifter. We assigned each criteria a grading range and a commensurate point score based on grade and importance to the overall function of the shifter. The most important aspects - and consequently most valuable in terms of grading points - were:

• Shifter feel - Poor to Excellent (0 to 3 points)
  Shifter feel is one of the most important criteria in our scale. In this category we are looking for clean, precise, firm shifts. Any binding, "notchy" feeling, or difficulting in navigating the shift pattern will detract from this rating. An excellent shifter will have a crisp snap into each gear without excessive resistance. It will also shift from second into third virtually on its own. The ideal shifter will not be hampered by excessive resistance casued by shifter boots.
  
  
• Shift stop adjustment - None, Hex Type, Allen Type (0 to 2 points)
  We found that the adjustment of the shift stop is critical when installing a shifter. If the bolt stop is out too far, the transmission will not engage fully and can cause transmission damage. If the bolt is in too far then it will not properly stop the shifter from damaging the shift forks during hard shifting. If it is too close to the handle it will buzz constantly as you drive down the road. Most shifters utilize a hex-head bolt as their shift stop with a single nut to lock the shifter in place. This can make proper adjustment somewhat difficult as it is necessary to get two similarly sized wrenches into the shifter's retainer neck to adjust the bolt stops. Some shifters utilize an "Allen-type" stop bolt and a normal lock nut. This makes adjustment significantly easier as an allen wrench is used to adjust the stop bolt and a normal open ended wrench is used to lock the stop bolt into place. We really like this type of setup as it increases adjustment accuracy, reduces setup time, and is significantly easier to adjust.
  
  
• Throw length - Long, Medium, Short (0 to 2 points)
  Different shifters have different throw lengths which is largely dependent upon the length of the shift lever. The shorter the shift lever, the shorter the shift throw. With a shorter shift lever though comes a penalty in the form of increased shifting effort and decreased accessibility. We found that a handle of "medium" length provided a good balance between shorter throws, good shift effort and shifter accessibility. This was more to our liking for a daily street driven car, or road race type setup. For a serious street or drag racer though a short throw is king.
  
  
• Accessibility - Poor to Excellent (0 to 2 points)
  If you can't reach the shifter you can't get to the next gear, plain and simple. If you have your seat adjusted properly you may find that a shifter with a short throw will be difficult to reach. Selection and shifting into first, third, and fifth gears may require you to lean forward to reach the shifter. A shifter with a medium or long throw will be significantly more accessible regardless of what gear you're in. The trade-off is in throw length.
  
  

• Shift lever height adjustment - Can you adjust the height of the shifter to suit your driving needs?
  
  
• Option to use the stock shift lever - Can you use the stock shift lever? This may come in handy for short throw shifters when you'll be driving on the streets for long periods of time and wish to save the short shift lever for the track.
  
  
• Accepts stock shift knob - Can you use the factory shift knob? The old Hurst shifters had a different thread pitch than the factory knob which forced you to use their shift knob. If you've got a 35th Anniversary car you may want to continue to utilize the special aluminum shift knob that came with the package.
  
  
• Accepts aftermarket shift knob - Can you use an aftermarket shift knob? If the thread pitch is different you may need to get a custom production should you want to use something like Rasmussen Engineering's Fat Knob.
  
  
• Required to cut the stock shifter boot - Is it necessary to cut the factory inner shift boot to install the shifter? This can be important if you are prone to trying different shifters, or plan to sell the vehicle and remove the aftermarket shifter. Once you cut the shift boot, you can't put it back to its stock condition. Additionally an improperly cut shift boot can allow dangerous carbon monoxide to get inside the car.
  
  
• Inclusion of an additional shifter boot - Some shifters come equipped with a secondary boot. This secondary boot keeps dirt and debris from entering the shifter's fulcrum. This will help extend shifter life as these abrasives will not be able to contaminate the shifter's lubricant.
  
  
• Retainer neck material - What is the retainer neck made of? A steel neck may offer some added strength for those people with a Herculean shift style. The trade-off is that steel will rust over time. An aluminum neck loses some strength when compared to steel, however, it is rust proof. When properly designed an aluminum neck should prove just as strong as its steel counterpart.
  
  
• Quality of the instructions - How good are the instructions? Do they include easy to understand steps? Is a complete list of tools and materials needed specified in the instructions? Are there installation illustrations? Are the instructions laid out in a logical format? This can come in particularly handy for those who are just doing their first aftermarket installation.
  
  
• Shifter assembly - Does the shifter come fully assembled? While this is hardly an important feature, it is a nice added touch and helps cut down on installation time.
  
  

We developed this system to help assign a numerical rating to the shifters to decrease the effect of our own innate preferences on the overall outcome. This article is a work in progress as we continue to evaluate the many different shifters available on the market today.

Shootout Results