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Today we will be reviewing a few Torque Solution products sent to us from our Elite Merchants, South Side Performance (SSP).
We have three products featured here - shifter bushings, a short shifter, and some exhaust hangers.
Without further ado:
By: Kidneythief13 & Nohan
Edited by: Kooldino
What's in the box:
![]()
Hardware & short shifter.
Install time and difficulty: Just about 60 minutes, had I not run into a hitch with the supplied 7/16" shift boot retainer. Install is really quite simple, provided you have the right tools. Read below for details.
Price: $134.99
To Order: http://www.sspperformance.com/products/product_info.php?products_id=156
Product Description: Machined from 4130 Chromoly steel. The short throw shifter is a direct replacement for your long throw stock unit. The unit reduces throw by 32% & height by 1.25". It is compatible with stock and aftermarket shift knobs & changes the factory offset to center shifter closer to the driver.
Thoughts and Impressions: I recently obtained and installed a Torque Solutions short shifter and the following is my take on it. Hopefully the review will be helpful for any others who are in the market for a short shifter, or for that matter, anyone who is trying to decide which part to get next. My Evo X GSR is the first performance car I’ve ever owned and I’ve never driven a car with a short shifter before. I’m not experienced with installing mods nor am I what you might call “mechanically inclined.” Some might think this to be a bad thing, perhaps hoping the reviewer was someone with more experience on the matter. However, due to these circumstances, you’ll be getting a review from a normal guy without any bias.
Before you can use the short shifter, you’re going to have to install it! Although I found the project to be a little intimidating, the install was surprisingly quick and easy. To start, I found a “how-to” file online – a step by step walkthrough with pictures. The directions were straight-forward and easy to follow. In the list of tools required, they recommended that you have a Dremel. Well, let me just say that you don’t want to attempt the install without one, it was extremely helpful.
Obviously, the stock shifter has to come out first. In order to do so, you have to remove a couple of push nuts. The directions say you *could* use a screw driver and a hammer to pry them off. But that is most likely a total pain. If you have a Dremel handy, this step is quick and easy.
In total, the install should have taken about an hour – except for one minor hitch. I had a problem with the part referred to in the directions as the “special shift boot retainer.” It was basically a metal disc which was supposed to slide down the shaft of the shifter, once in place, there was a little screw you could turn to keep it stationary. This part is meant to ensure the top of the shift boot stays where it’s supposed to.
“What’s the problem,” you ask? Well, the hole in the center of the shift boot retainer wasn’t big enough! There was a spot on the shaft of the shifter where the threads got thicker. In the directions, you are supposed to be able to slide the retainer past the thicker threads. Try as I might, I could not get the part to slide down far enough. I even attempted using my Dremel to grind the hole larger, but it was to no avail. Was I just unlucky? I don’t know, but that was definitely frustrating. With a little improvisation, I figured out that I could just use a small worm clamp in place of the shift boot retainer.
Once I got everything put back together and screwed the shift knob on, I was blown away by how great it looked. I know that some companies sell shift boots made especially for short shifters, but it really isn’t necessary. I think the extra bagginess of the boot is really nice. At this point, I was happy with how it looked, but how did it perform?
It felt quite odd when I reached to put the car into gear, I didn’t realize until then how much shorter this shifter was. After a very quick adjustment, I soon came to appreciate the reason why people get short shifters. The time it takes between shifts is dramatically reduced. The specs say that shifts are reduced by 32%, but it felt even faster. I’m sure my weighted shift knob helped, but the shifts were smooth as butter. As I drove around town, I actually looked forward to red lights (that’s a first). A red light meant I got to run through the gears again, which I was really having fun with.
For those who want a simple breakdown, or for those who were too lazy to read the review, let’s recap:
Pros:
Overall, the install is pretty painless
It looks great
Shifts are lightning quick
Shifts are nice and smooth too
Cons:
Had trouble with the shift boot retainer
The Bottom Line:
If I didn’t have the issue with the shift boot retainer, I would easily have given this short shifter a 10 out of 10. I haven’t had it very long, but I can already tell the short shifter is one of my favorite additions. The bottom line is - if you’re driving without a short shifter (and weighted shift knob) you are missing out!
Emoticon Rating: :thumbup:
![]()
We have three products featured here - shifter bushings, a short shifter, and some exhaust hangers.
Without further ado:
Torque Solution Short Shifter
By: Kidneythief13 & Nohan
Edited by: Kooldino
What's in the box:
Hardware & short shifter.
Install time and difficulty: Just about 60 minutes, had I not run into a hitch with the supplied 7/16" shift boot retainer. Install is really quite simple, provided you have the right tools. Read below for details.
Price: $134.99
To Order: http://www.sspperformance.com/products/product_info.php?products_id=156
Product Description: Machined from 4130 Chromoly steel. The short throw shifter is a direct replacement for your long throw stock unit. The unit reduces throw by 32% & height by 1.25". It is compatible with stock and aftermarket shift knobs & changes the factory offset to center shifter closer to the driver.
Thoughts and Impressions: I recently obtained and installed a Torque Solutions short shifter and the following is my take on it. Hopefully the review will be helpful for any others who are in the market for a short shifter, or for that matter, anyone who is trying to decide which part to get next. My Evo X GSR is the first performance car I’ve ever owned and I’ve never driven a car with a short shifter before. I’m not experienced with installing mods nor am I what you might call “mechanically inclined.” Some might think this to be a bad thing, perhaps hoping the reviewer was someone with more experience on the matter. However, due to these circumstances, you’ll be getting a review from a normal guy without any bias.
Before you can use the short shifter, you’re going to have to install it! Although I found the project to be a little intimidating, the install was surprisingly quick and easy. To start, I found a “how-to” file online – a step by step walkthrough with pictures. The directions were straight-forward and easy to follow. In the list of tools required, they recommended that you have a Dremel. Well, let me just say that you don’t want to attempt the install without one, it was extremely helpful.
Obviously, the stock shifter has to come out first. In order to do so, you have to remove a couple of push nuts. The directions say you *could* use a screw driver and a hammer to pry them off. But that is most likely a total pain. If you have a Dremel handy, this step is quick and easy.
In total, the install should have taken about an hour – except for one minor hitch. I had a problem with the part referred to in the directions as the “special shift boot retainer.” It was basically a metal disc which was supposed to slide down the shaft of the shifter, once in place, there was a little screw you could turn to keep it stationary. This part is meant to ensure the top of the shift boot stays where it’s supposed to.
“What’s the problem,” you ask? Well, the hole in the center of the shift boot retainer wasn’t big enough! There was a spot on the shaft of the shifter where the threads got thicker. In the directions, you are supposed to be able to slide the retainer past the thicker threads. Try as I might, I could not get the part to slide down far enough. I even attempted using my Dremel to grind the hole larger, but it was to no avail. Was I just unlucky? I don’t know, but that was definitely frustrating. With a little improvisation, I figured out that I could just use a small worm clamp in place of the shift boot retainer.
worm clamp quick fix:
![]()
Once I got everything put back together and screwed the shift knob on, I was blown away by how great it looked. I know that some companies sell shift boots made especially for short shifters, but it really isn’t necessary. I think the extra bagginess of the boot is really nice. At this point, I was happy with how it looked, but how did it perform?
It felt quite odd when I reached to put the car into gear, I didn’t realize until then how much shorter this shifter was. After a very quick adjustment, I soon came to appreciate the reason why people get short shifters. The time it takes between shifts is dramatically reduced. The specs say that shifts are reduced by 32%, but it felt even faster. I’m sure my weighted shift knob helped, but the shifts were smooth as butter. As I drove around town, I actually looked forward to red lights (that’s a first). A red light meant I got to run through the gears again, which I was really having fun with.
For those who want a simple breakdown, or for those who were too lazy to read the review, let’s recap:
Pros:
Overall, the install is pretty painless
It looks great
Shifts are lightning quick
Shifts are nice and smooth too
Cons:
Had trouble with the shift boot retainer
The Bottom Line:
If I didn’t have the issue with the shift boot retainer, I would easily have given this short shifter a 10 out of 10. I haven’t had it very long, but I can already tell the short shifter is one of my favorite additions. The bottom line is - if you’re driving without a short shifter (and weighted shift knob) you are missing out!
Emoticon Rating: :thumbup:
