Minnesota Focus Owners Club

I was thinking about threading the shift lever down a couple more inches and chopping it off about 1" - 1.5" shorter. I don't want to spend $100+ on a STS, but I want a slightly shorter throw.

I've seen it done before on other cars, and never heard of any problems. Just make sure you remove it from the car to do it. heh... seen that go bad before. lol... 94 jetta shifter and a riciprocating saw... good times...

Yep, it works just fine. A bunch of people have done it. Just cut it and re-tap the thread.

A Short Throw Shifter actually moves the pivot point to create less upper movement and quicker shifts. By cutting the lever you will create a shorter lever but not a short throw shifter.
I would spend the money to get an actual one

Geometry says you're wrong. The distance between two points on a triangle is directly related to the length of a side. Read: 1 is longer than 2. The only reason they move the pivot point is to reduce the amount of effort needed to shift.

*edit*
Geometry FTW!

hermitmaster wrote: Geometry says you're wrong. The distance between two points on a triangle is directly related to the length of a side. Read: 1 is longer than 2. The only reason they move the pivot point is to reduce the amount of effort needed to shift.

*edit*
Geometry FTW!

Lol...
Maybe buy a super CHEAP short shifter, and then cut it... ooh?

Stilz wrote:

hermitmaster wrote: Geometry says you're wrong. The distance between two points on a triangle is directly related to the length of a side. Read: 1 is longer than 2. The only reason they move the pivot point is to reduce the amount of effort needed to shift.

*edit*
Geometry FTW!

Lol...
Maybe buy a super CHEAP short shifter, and then cut it... ooh?

zero turn shifter?

Monkey-Gein wrote:

Stilz wrote:

hermitmaster wrote: Geometry says you're wrong. The distance between two points on a triangle is directly related to the length of a side. Read: 1 is longer than 2. The only reason they move the pivot point is to reduce the amount of effort needed to shift.

*edit*
Geometry FTW!

Lol...
Maybe buy a super CHEAP short shifter, and then cut it... ooh?

zero turn shifter?

lol, idk. I know (thanks to a tiny meet in hudson a few years back with nils, randy and a couple others) I have a short shifter in my SVT... i had no clue. I am planning on doing this to mine as well... later this year maybe. When I'm bored this summer and have spare time. heh.

If I can talk myself into i'll just buy a Steeda one.

all your doing is making it harder for you to shift and in return longer time to shift.

A proper short throw is not only shorter on top but has a redesigned lower section which provides a shorter lever but also maintains proper leverage.

Cutting it down will make a difference but it won't work as well as a real short throw.

FORDSVTPARTS wrote:A proper short throw is not only shorter on top but has a redesigned lower section which provides a shorter lever but also maintains proper leverage.

Cutting it down will make a difference but it won't work as well as a real short throw.

SO...
A short throw that is cut... would that be double good?

I cut 2 some inches off mine.
Had a short throw from FC before (gave away free).
I didn't notice any ill effect or difference between the 2. Seems the effort part is all in the condition of your shift cables (mine are shit).

IIRC I threaded mine for 1/2 x 20, seemed to be a common pitch for aftermarket knobs.

i prefer my long throw.....

I'll most likely only take it down an inch. I mainly want the boot to look better with the shift knob I got from Steve, right now it looks a little stretched. I also want a shorter throw though.