Which short shifter is best?

[luckythedonkey]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forums from Australia and own a P5 (called an Astina SP20 in Oz).

I'm looking at getting a short shifter and I'm wondering which is better out of the Kartboy and TMW?


Thanks

 

[Protephile]

Kartboy!
Welcome..actually, I've never had the TWM but hey, people like that one, too.
There's a thread around here somewhere showing pics of the big three shifters side by side. Too lazy to look myself, but do a search, I'm sure it'll come up.

 

[nealric]

I think its mostly a matter of personal preference.

I have the kartboy with kartboy shifter bushings and a kartboy shift knob. I love it. A friend of mine, however, cant stop griping about how obnoxiously short it is when he drives it.

If you dont like real short, the b+m is taller but with similar throw. Ive also heard good things about the twm but its a bit more pricy.

 

[magnumP5]

I have the TWM shifter, bushings and knob. The TWM isn't as short as the Kartboy but is shorter than the B&M from what I read but it's the perfect height for me. Shifts are stiffer now, but no more crazy-long throws and whatnot (I used to have to completely outstretch my arm to shift into 5th). It is a little more pricey than the others, but I believe you get what you pay for. Also, TWM includes spacers for the heatshield so it doesn't hit the shifter. I know you can just buy spacers from just about anywhere, but I like the fact that TWM included them with their kit.

A picture of my setup from the shiftknob thread:

 

[altspace]

Kartboy!

 

[luckythedonkey]

Cool thanks alot for the quick feedback guys!

I was leaning towards Kartboy. Now I just need to find someone that will ship Kartboy to Australia!

 

[zinx]

i use kartboy too.. but just be careful.. i hear rattle from under the shifter.. i havent inspected what is causing it, but i am pretty sure it is comming from the shifter..

oh.. also, i had to bend the heatshield that partially covers the bottom of the shifter to avoid hitting it..

i am not sure about the other shifters but mine had some problems..

 

[magnumP5]

i use kartboy too.. but just be careful.. i hear rattle from under the shifter.. i havent inspected what is causing it, but i am pretty sure it is comming from the shifter..

oh.. also, i had to bend the heatshield that partially covers the bottom of the shifter to avoid hitting it..

i am not sure about the other shifters but mine had some problems..

Eh, I get a rattle sometimes too with the TWM. I'm not quite sure what it is yet - might have something to do with the cold but I'm not about to pull everything apart again just to find everything is alright. Besides, when I hear the noise I just put my hand on the shifter and it kills it (first) .

 

[Rosshole]

tada, here it is

 

[Rosshole]

b&m

 

[magnumP5]

tada, here it is

Weird, my TWM looks nothing like that. The lines were much smoother, it was black (like that matters) and shorter (by comparison to stock shifter) Didn't they change their design not too long ago?

 

[NJP5Guy]

i use kartboy too.. but just be careful.. i hear rattle from under the shifter.. i havent inspected what is causing it, but i am pretty sure it is comming from the shifter..

oh.. also, i had to bend the heatshield that partially covers the bottom of the shifter to avoid hitting it..

i am not sure about the other shifters but mine had some problems..

the rattle is from the bushings. they transmit more sound and vibration because they are so stiff.

 

[Rosshole]

i don't know... but maybe someone can find a more updated picture?

 

[Moonman8]

I had the TWM and hated it. The only good thing that I liked was that the kit came with spacers to lower the heat shield so I didn't have to cut it. I must have checked and changed the torque on the bolts to try to loosen up the shifting a little, nothing worked. It was just way too stiff for me.

My recommendation is my current setup. I currently have the shift rod from a MSP with Kartboy bushings. The shifts are a hell of a lot smoother but are directed well because of the bushings. The MSP shifter maintains the stock linkage geometry but is about 2 inches shorter than the stock P5 lever. The throws aren't as short as my TWM obviously but the height reduction allows for some throw reduction. The only problems are that you can't buy a MSP lever from the dealer without the VIN from a MSP (shows that you own one) and the stock P5 shift knob doesn't fit. I bought my MSP lever used here on the forum and a brand new MSP knob from the Mazda dealer (also where I work...employee cost for the knob was $35 discounted from $65 list). This setup is an improvement for a P5 but the MSP owners just call it stock.

Here is a pic from my car:

 

[2k3 PrO RiDa]

I have no clue why many say the twm is way too stiff. It does come with bearings in place of the crappy bushings that go into the bottom of the lever so they wont be broken in right out the box. Mine actually was a bit stiff for like the first week until I started getting used to the shorter throws. It's been about 3 weeks now and the shifter feels fine. Of course it's still a little notchy but I enjoy having a bit of the notchy feeling in my shifts.

 

[Moonman8]

I have no clue why many say the twm is way too stiff. It does come with bearings in place of the crappy bushings that go into the bottom of the lever so they wont be broken in right out the box. Mine actually was a bit stiff for like the first week until I started getting used to the shorter throws. It's been about 3 weeks now and the shifter feels fine. Of course it's still a little notchy but I enjoy having a bit of the notchy feeling in my shifts.

I knew someone was going to come in and praise the TWM. I didn't mean to say that it is a crappy product, it just wasn't what I liked. It was actually a very high-quality, well crafted piece that installed with zero problems. It was just too stiff for me (actually slowed my shift speed thus defeating the purpose of a short shifter) and I had mine in for about 1000 miles before I switched. If you like really, really short throws and a notchy feeling like 2k3 Pro Rida then the TWM will do you right. I just wanted to share my experience.

 

[magnumP5]

I have no clue why many say the twm is way too stiff. It does come with bearings in place of the crappy bushings that go into the bottom of the lever so they wont be broken in right out the box. Mine actually was a bit stiff for like the first week until I started getting used to the shorter throws. It's been about 3 weeks now and the shifter feels fine. Of course it's still a little notchy but I enjoy having a bit of the notchy feeling in my shifts.

Yeah I have to agree with this. I like the stiffness and resistance in my shift - just makes me feel like I'm doing something. This is one of the things that turned my down from Hondas - I just didn't like that it took almost no effort to shift. Sure, I know a lot of people like that but I like feeling the resistance and cranking through the gears. To each his own though.

 

[Moonman8]

Yeah I have to agree with this. I like the stiffness and resistance in my shift - just makes me feel like I'm doing something. This is one of the things that turned my down from Hondas - I just didn't like that it took almost no effort to shift. Sure, I know a lot of people like that but I like feeling the resistance and cranking through the gears. To each his own though.

I agree with Magnum in that resistance is a good thing. I found that the right amount of resistance for me was found with the Kartboy bushings. With those installed and the proper torque specs on the shift rod, I have smooth shifts but it's not buttery like Hondas (I hate that too...Honda shifters feel like they aren't even entering/exiting a gear). Like you said Magnum, to each his own. In fact I felt like I was doing something wrong due to the fact that every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a short shifter on their Protege, but it turned out it just wasn't my preference.

 

[overdrivex]

i got the cart boy shifter and bushings will post pics when i pickup the digital camera. i got the vibration sound too. at first i thought it was an extra clip i hide in there, but i took it out and it still comes back everyonce in a while. checked under the car and started wiggling things and couldnt figure out what it was. my shifter doesnt hit the heat sheild. if everything fits properly and is tight than shouldnt be getting any vibration sounds. its kinda getting annoying

 

[rednecks_r_us]

Here are pictures of my kartboy