STI SHORT THROW SHIFTER

I had my STI SS put in today. Its a definate must have. But, expensive. Almost $400. It has harder, more acurate 3rd gear in this car isn't gated well, but when you miss it, it slides you right into it. But, it is completly a "feel" type of modification. I like it, and I am glad I put it in..It should have come with the car. The dealer had no problems getting it in..and the mechanic comented that it felt much better with the short shifter than the stock one. B4

Thx for the feedback! It's great to hear these opinions on these pieces so quickly. :) So is 3rd gear better with the kit or worse?

Cool, I am glad that I ordered it with my car :D I just felt like I "had" to have it. Did it come with a carbon fiber shift gate sticker??

[quote name='racerdave']Thx for the feedback! It's great to hear these opinions on these pieces so quickly. :) So is 3rd gear better with the kit or worse?[/quote] Third is better with the kit. I have no gripes with the kit. It feels like my friends STI's shifter minus pull down ring for reverse and the extra gear :D . I think the kit has harder bushings so gone is that rubber feel of the stock shifter. Now all I need is a better shift nob. :P

[quote name='Dr. Zevil']Cool, I am glad that I ordered it with my car :D I just felt like I "had" to have it. Did it come with a carbon fiber shift gate sticker??[/quote] No gate sticker...also I didn't get my original linkage back..so I have to sell my STI SS with the car if I sell it....hind sight is 20/20 :cry:

Describe the feel, which would be helpful information. That is, short shift kits often make the car feel "notchy," that is, a mechanical kind of rigidity that has a much more clearly delineated feeling of moving it to each gear, much like the gated shifter on a Ferrari. Or does the STi short shifter retain the much-talked-about smoothness (some call it rubbery, some call it smooth :lol: ) of the stock unit, while adding a bit of precision. When I added the STi short throw to my WRX, for example, first we added the shifter, then we added the Kartboy bushings. Prior to the bushings, the shorty felt rather mechanical. After the bushings, things smoothed out a bit. So...describe how it feels in relation to the stock shifter. BTW, in comparing the bushings in the WRX's STi short shifter vs. the stock WRX shift linkage, the bushings were the same hardness, which is to say, not very. I'd bet the same is true of the STi short throw for the Legacy. Kevin

I would say it feels exactly like the STI's shifter. It has a mechanical feel wich I like over stock. Not as mechanical and notchy as the Mitsubishi EVO 8's shifter wich is the pinacle of that discription. Keep in mind the Legacy gear box is not a peace of wonder work like the Miata or the RX8 (wich is amazeing) It only uses double cone syncros instead of the tripple cones syncos that I am used to.. (no cool whiring sounds when you shift). But, the only thing I can compare it too is the STI. Tight, persise..slightly notchy..slighty mechanical but not clunky or noisy. I stick with my original assesment that it should have came with the car.

Just some counterpoint on the STS: I had a chance to drive a GT Ltd sedan with the STS today. I personally did not like the inceased effort with the shifts. The throws were noticeably shorter, but the feel of the gates really didn't change for me. Also for some reason, I found it harder to get into 2nd. From a looks standpoint, the STS Momo knob looked out of place on the center console. The knob sits as high as the stock shifter and it's rounded shape stands out. In contrast, the stock knob blends into the overall dash layout much better. Just my two cents worth. Ken

Is the stock shifter leather wrapped? anyone have pics of it?

[quote name='Ken S']Just some counterpoint on the STS: I had a chance to drive a GT Ltd sedan with the STS today. I personally did not like the inceased effort with the shifts. The throws were noticeably shorter, but the feel of the gates really didn't change for me. Also for some reason, I found it harder to get into 2nd. From a looks standpoint, the STS Momo knob looked out of place on the center console. The knob sits as high as the stock shifter and it's rounded shape stands out. In contrast, the stock knob blends into the overall dash layout much better. Just my two cents worth. Ken[/quote] Its a good two cents. I don't have the MOMO nob. I thought that was un-attractive. I will get a more appealing nob. The shifter is leather wrapped. But Ken..you can we agree that it is better than the stock unit? The stock unit to me felt like a stick wrapped in gummy worms.

It sounds as if Ken is saying that it might not be an improvement over the stock unit for some people, referencing the increased shift efforts. I think the reason that the feel of the gates didn't really change is because as with the WRX STi shorty, I suspect that the bushings are about the same hardness as the stock bits. As Paul Hansen suggested in another thread, the hot ticket might be to add some stiffer bushings to the stock unit, and be done with it. Kevin