The birth of a short shifter ---- TWM Performance
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The birth of a short shifter ---- TWM Performance
TWM Performance and the Nissan 350Z/370Z and G35/G37 short shifter
As many of you may now know, we released our Nissan 350Z/370Z and Infiniti G35/G37 short shifter a little over 3 months ago. It’s a great product with awesome features that have never been seen before in the world of Nissan short shifters! So I just wanted to make this thread to give you all a little background on how this awesome piece came to be, and why we designed it the way we did.
Like many of our designs, we started by doing research on the 350Z to see exactly what people wanted from their shifter and if there were any weak points to the construction of the OEM shifter and short shifters already on the market. What we found was quite surprising; there didn’t seem to be 1 shifter that the Nissan community as a whole liked. So we started to look at why!
Basically we noticed 3 major problems with the OEM shifter. The first was that the lower pivot on the shifter was of very low quality. Made from nylon bushings with a rotating metal sleeve, the bushings are prone to crack and compress which make for a loose fit as time goes by. Furthermore, these types of bushings systems allow dirt and grime to enter which speeds up the deterioration process of the bushing, and will eventually make for a rough and imprecise shifting action. With the earliest 350Z’s now starting to reach 7-8 years of age, it’s very common to see Z’s with over 80 000 miles on them. At these types of mileage, you can bet that your shifter sleeve and bushing are begging to be changed.
The second flaw with the OEM shifter is the OEM vibration dampener. Made from a very flimsy rubber, while it may function well to reduce rattle, it adds to the imprecision of the stock shifter. Seeing as everyone always likes a tight shifter, we knew we had to improve on this design.
Finally, while the stock Z shifter is fairly short for an OEM shifter, you can always go shorter! Many people AutoX with their Z’s and loosing time in between shifts is never a good thing. Also with shifter extensions becoming more and more popular in the racing world, a short shifter is always welcome to bring those shifts back to a reasonable throw.
Next we looked at the aftermarket short shifters currently on the market and we notice two major problems. The first issue was that nearly every aftermarket short shifter would rattle and buzz making an incredibly annoying sound at certain RPMs. The second major issue was the notchyness and stiff feeling of the short shifters on the market already. In some cases there were other issues like parts simply not fitting, bad clips, pins, and even shifter shafts breaking.
With all of this information, off to work we went!
Part 1: OEM vs TWM
First of all, we addressed the issues with the stock shifter. The nylon bushing design was something we needed to improve upon therefore we decided to go with a high quality ball bearing and metal sleeve system. With this ball bearing system, we would assure the smoothest possible shift with the minimum resistance. Furthermore, the ball bearings we used were sealed which would prevent any dirt from entering the rotating assembly and causing rough shifts over time! That means with a TWM short shifter, you’re guaranteed a smooth and tight shift for the rest of your days!
After addressing the lower pivot point issue, we tackled the next problem with the OEM shifter; the vibration dampening system. We needed to find a material that would be soft enough to absorb the vibrations from the shifter, but solid enough to make for precise and solid shifts. After many months of R&D, we developed a bushing made of an industrial grade rubber that would meet these requirements. Even after nearly 1 year of testing, our shifters have not had one rattle and provide a clean, solid, and precise shift, every time!
Now for one of the most important parts; the throw! The throw of the 350Z needed a bit of improvement so we provided a 35% throw reduction for the 370Z and G37, and a 37% reduction for the 350Z and G35. How did we come to this number you ask? Well we didn’t pick it out of a hat as some of you may be thinking! This specific short shifter underwent heavy testing since it had so many new features. We developed many prototypes and with the prototypes we also tried different throw reductions ranging from 25% to 45%. Right in the middle is where our test car drivers and customers felt it was perfect!
Finally, we included a few more details in the short shifter kit that we developed for the Z to make it go above and beyond the call of duty. With every short shifter kit, we include a stainless steel spacer, new extended bolts, and two solid stainless steel bushings for the lower pivot point to replace the soft nylon OEM ones. This means that the stainless steel bushings will never corrode which will assure you a smooth shift forever!
350Z/G35 short shifter
370Z/G37 Short Shifter
PART 2 a couple of posts down!
As many of you may now know, we released our Nissan 350Z/370Z and Infiniti G35/G37 short shifter a little over 3 months ago. It’s a great product with awesome features that have never been seen before in the world of Nissan short shifters! So I just wanted to make this thread to give you all a little background on how this awesome piece came to be, and why we designed it the way we did.
Like many of our designs, we started by doing research on the 350Z to see exactly what people wanted from their shifter and if there were any weak points to the construction of the OEM shifter and short shifters already on the market. What we found was quite surprising; there didn’t seem to be 1 shifter that the Nissan community as a whole liked. So we started to look at why!
Basically we noticed 3 major problems with the OEM shifter. The first was that the lower pivot on the shifter was of very low quality. Made from nylon bushings with a rotating metal sleeve, the bushings are prone to crack and compress which make for a loose fit as time goes by. Furthermore, these types of bushings systems allow dirt and grime to enter which speeds up the deterioration process of the bushing, and will eventually make for a rough and imprecise shifting action. With the earliest 350Z’s now starting to reach 7-8 years of age, it’s very common to see Z’s with over 80 000 miles on them. At these types of mileage, you can bet that your shifter sleeve and bushing are begging to be changed.
The second flaw with the OEM shifter is the OEM vibration dampener. Made from a very flimsy rubber, while it may function well to reduce rattle, it adds to the imprecision of the stock shifter. Seeing as everyone always likes a tight shifter, we knew we had to improve on this design.
Finally, while the stock Z shifter is fairly short for an OEM shifter, you can always go shorter! Many people AutoX with their Z’s and loosing time in between shifts is never a good thing. Also with shifter extensions becoming more and more popular in the racing world, a short shifter is always welcome to bring those shifts back to a reasonable throw.
Next we looked at the aftermarket short shifters currently on the market and we notice two major problems. The first issue was that nearly every aftermarket short shifter would rattle and buzz making an incredibly annoying sound at certain RPMs. The second major issue was the notchyness and stiff feeling of the short shifters on the market already. In some cases there were other issues like parts simply not fitting, bad clips, pins, and even shifter shafts breaking.
With all of this information, off to work we went!
Part 1: OEM vs TWM
First of all, we addressed the issues with the stock shifter. The nylon bushing design was something we needed to improve upon therefore we decided to go with a high quality ball bearing and metal sleeve system. With this ball bearing system, we would assure the smoothest possible shift with the minimum resistance. Furthermore, the ball bearings we used were sealed which would prevent any dirt from entering the rotating assembly and causing rough shifts over time! That means with a TWM short shifter, you’re guaranteed a smooth and tight shift for the rest of your days!
After addressing the lower pivot point issue, we tackled the next problem with the OEM shifter; the vibration dampening system. We needed to find a material that would be soft enough to absorb the vibrations from the shifter, but solid enough to make for precise and solid shifts. After many months of R&D, we developed a bushing made of an industrial grade rubber that would meet these requirements. Even after nearly 1 year of testing, our shifters have not had one rattle and provide a clean, solid, and precise shift, every time!
Now for one of the most important parts; the throw! The throw of the 350Z needed a bit of improvement so we provided a 35% throw reduction for the 370Z and G37, and a 37% reduction for the 350Z and G35. How did we come to this number you ask? Well we didn’t pick it out of a hat as some of you may be thinking! This specific short shifter underwent heavy testing since it had so many new features. We developed many prototypes and with the prototypes we also tried different throw reductions ranging from 25% to 45%. Right in the middle is where our test car drivers and customers felt it was perfect!
Finally, we included a few more details in the short shifter kit that we developed for the Z to make it go above and beyond the call of duty. With every short shifter kit, we include a stainless steel spacer, new extended bolts, and two solid stainless steel bushings for the lower pivot point to replace the soft nylon OEM ones. This means that the stainless steel bushings will never corrode which will assure you a smooth shift forever!
350Z/G35 short shifter
370Z/G37 Short Shifter
PART 2 a couple of posts down!
Last edited by TWM Performance; Nov 19, 2010 at 10:08 AM.
Other short shifters have used vibration dampening in the shifter itself, but still end up rattling like rocks in the tranny. How does your short shifter perform in this area? To date, I think I may have tried 3 different shifters all with the same annoying results.
I've followed your products on other forums for other makes and models, so it's nice to see this come through for us here on the Nissan side of things. But just curious.
I've followed your products on other forums for other makes and models, so it's nice to see this come through for us here on the Nissan side of things. But just curious.
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Other short shifters have used vibration dampening in the shifter itself, but still end up rattling like rocks in the tranny. How does your short shifter perform in this area? To date, I think I may have tried 3 different shifters all with the same annoying results.
I've followed your products on other forums for other makes and models, so it's nice to see this come through for us here on the Nissan side of things. But just curious.
I've followed your products on other forums for other makes and models, so it's nice to see this come through for us here on the Nissan side of things. But just curious.
The first part is the shifter shaft, and the second is the lower part with the barel that is machined as a single piece. The are 0 nuts and bolts that hold this shifter together, only the vibration dampening system.
That is the difference between the competitions vibration dampening systems and TWM's
Patrick
Team TWM Performance
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From: Montreal
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Part 2: Comparing to the aftermarket
After having improved on the OEM shifter, we wanted to go one step further and improve upon everything currently on the market in terms of aftermarket short shifters. What we found was pretty surprising!
Above is a picture of a well known brand in the Nissan aftermarket industry. The first major flaw we found was that some companies had plastic reverse lockout pins. From our experience in the Short shifter world, these plastic RL pins tend to break frequently. This is a huge problem in the Mazda world where many people break their stock RL pins. This is why at TWM Performance, we stay away from plastic pieces. Even the OEM Nissan Z shifter has a metal RL pin. We know the importance of a solid RL pin so ours is a metal pin that is pressed into the shifter for a solid and durable reverse engagement.
The next major problem we found with all aftermarket short shifters was the poor lower pivot bushing setup. Most aftermarket manufacturers went with a similar system to the OEM one while others went with an even worse system.
Pictured above is a photo of another common short shifter brand and their nylon bushing system. This short shifter was installed for about 100 kms, and you can already see the wear and dirt in the sleeve.
The above picture is of another system on one of the most popular aftermarket 350Z short shifters. This design uses a metal sleeve that is improperly offset and a bushing on the inside that is so stiff that the shifter becomes very notchy and difficult to move. As explained in Part1, TWM’s ball bearing lower pivot system is far superior to both of these systems due to it being sealed from any dirt and providing a liquid smooth rotation.
Another point worth noting is the competitions vibration dampening techniques. Many companies use 4-5 piece shifters with bolts that go through them in an attempt to make a vibration dampening system to imitate the stock one. They use so many different pieces to cut on fabrication costs, however the end result is a shifter whose many nuts, bolts and pieces still rattle together due to the inherent slack from one piece to another. Some aftermarket shifters like the ones pictured below have so many pieces that they rattle in your hand (imagine what kind of noise it’ll make at 6000rpm!) and others have o-rings that don’t even cover the entire seating area! Here are a couple pictures of common aftermarket shifters that may surprise you:
All of this goes to show that you need to be careful about what you buy for your car. When modifying your ride, the goal is to make it better than stock, so why would you want to downgrade to a part that will make shifting hard and make a horrible racket? Here at TWM Performance, our main goal is to provide pieces for your car that will actually IMPROVE the driving experience
Here’s a little summary:
The TWM Performance short shifter features unique designs in the industry, like ball bearings and vibration dampening in the upper part of the shifter! This new short shifter features a 37% throw reduction as well as 0.25” (1/4”) overall height reduction.
Specs and Features for the 350Z/G35 short shifter:
-37% throw reduction
-0.25” height reduction
-CNC machined of high strength steel
-Vibration dampening technology
-Ball bearing design for a liquid smooth operation
Here’s a quick comparison of the competition. We’ll do this fast!
-Competition uses nylon bushings which wear quickly (TWM Performance uses BALL BEARINGS)
-Competition uses a design that is half steel, half aluminum (TWM Performance uses a FULL steel design that is guaranteed to NEVER break)
-Some of the competition make you re-use worn, OEM parts (TWM Performance is a full kit that comes with new, superior, ball bearings, bushings etc so you don’t translate worn old parts to your new short shifter)
-Some of the competition only provides a 20% throw reduction (TWM Performance nets you a 35% reduction in throw!)
-TWM Performance is the only company including stainless steel bushings to place the shift rod in the correct angle to operate smoothly with the short shifter installed!
This is IMPORTANT stuff! With TWM Performance, you know you’re getting the best part available for your car. We stop at nothing to bring you guys the highest level of quality and satisfaction!
As always we appreciate any feedback or questions concerning our products and articles. We can be reached 24/7 by email at sales@twmperformance.com or give us a call between 08:00 and 17:30 Eastern Standard time at 1-877-655-0540 and one of our representatives will be happy to answer your questions!
Thanks,
Patrick
Team TWM Performance
After having improved on the OEM shifter, we wanted to go one step further and improve upon everything currently on the market in terms of aftermarket short shifters. What we found was pretty surprising!
Above is a picture of a well known brand in the Nissan aftermarket industry. The first major flaw we found was that some companies had plastic reverse lockout pins. From our experience in the Short shifter world, these plastic RL pins tend to break frequently. This is a huge problem in the Mazda world where many people break their stock RL pins. This is why at TWM Performance, we stay away from plastic pieces. Even the OEM Nissan Z shifter has a metal RL pin. We know the importance of a solid RL pin so ours is a metal pin that is pressed into the shifter for a solid and durable reverse engagement.
The next major problem we found with all aftermarket short shifters was the poor lower pivot bushing setup. Most aftermarket manufacturers went with a similar system to the OEM one while others went with an even worse system.
Pictured above is a photo of another common short shifter brand and their nylon bushing system. This short shifter was installed for about 100 kms, and you can already see the wear and dirt in the sleeve.
The above picture is of another system on one of the most popular aftermarket 350Z short shifters. This design uses a metal sleeve that is improperly offset and a bushing on the inside that is so stiff that the shifter becomes very notchy and difficult to move. As explained in Part1, TWM’s ball bearing lower pivot system is far superior to both of these systems due to it being sealed from any dirt and providing a liquid smooth rotation.
Another point worth noting is the competitions vibration dampening techniques. Many companies use 4-5 piece shifters with bolts that go through them in an attempt to make a vibration dampening system to imitate the stock one. They use so many different pieces to cut on fabrication costs, however the end result is a shifter whose many nuts, bolts and pieces still rattle together due to the inherent slack from one piece to another. Some aftermarket shifters like the ones pictured below have so many pieces that they rattle in your hand (imagine what kind of noise it’ll make at 6000rpm!) and others have o-rings that don’t even cover the entire seating area! Here are a couple pictures of common aftermarket shifters that may surprise you:
All of this goes to show that you need to be careful about what you buy for your car. When modifying your ride, the goal is to make it better than stock, so why would you want to downgrade to a part that will make shifting hard and make a horrible racket? Here at TWM Performance, our main goal is to provide pieces for your car that will actually IMPROVE the driving experience
Here’s a little summary:
The TWM Performance short shifter features unique designs in the industry, like ball bearings and vibration dampening in the upper part of the shifter! This new short shifter features a 37% throw reduction as well as 0.25” (1/4”) overall height reduction.
Specs and Features for the 350Z/G35 short shifter:
-37% throw reduction
-0.25” height reduction
-CNC machined of high strength steel
-Vibration dampening technology
-Ball bearing design for a liquid smooth operation
Here’s a quick comparison of the competition. We’ll do this fast!
-Competition uses nylon bushings which wear quickly (TWM Performance uses BALL BEARINGS)
-Competition uses a design that is half steel, half aluminum (TWM Performance uses a FULL steel design that is guaranteed to NEVER break)
-Some of the competition make you re-use worn, OEM parts (TWM Performance is a full kit that comes with new, superior, ball bearings, bushings etc so you don’t translate worn old parts to your new short shifter)
-Some of the competition only provides a 20% throw reduction (TWM Performance nets you a 35% reduction in throw!)
-TWM Performance is the only company including stainless steel bushings to place the shift rod in the correct angle to operate smoothly with the short shifter installed!
This is IMPORTANT stuff! With TWM Performance, you know you’re getting the best part available for your car. We stop at nothing to bring you guys the highest level of quality and satisfaction!
As always we appreciate any feedback or questions concerning our products and articles. We can be reached 24/7 by email at sales@twmperformance.com or give us a call between 08:00 and 17:30 Eastern Standard time at 1-877-655-0540 and one of our representatives will be happy to answer your questions!
Thanks,
Patrick
Team TWM Performance
This looks like a very nice piece. Most of the reviews I've heard about the other short shifters haven't been positive. I'm looking forward to seeing reviews for this.
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It'll be worth the wait
Also I came across this review of our short shifter by a member on the forum here in one of our other threads.
Patrick
Team TWM Performance
Also I came across this review of our short shifter by a member on the forum here in one of our other threads.
"I just installed my TWM shifter on my 07 Base model and all I can say is WWOOWW what a difference. I was worried when i bought the car 2 weeks ago because my previous car (2000 celica GTS, cable shifter) with a short shifter, and bronze bushings on the transmission side felt 3x more accurate and definite then the Z.
Took me about 1.5 hrs to install and I can honestly say its was worth every penny. No vibration issues, shifter feels so tight and exact its amazing.
A+ product"
Took me about 1.5 hrs to install and I can honestly say its was worth every penny. No vibration issues, shifter feels so tight and exact its amazing.
A+ product"
Team TWM Performance
Last edited by TWM Performance; Nov 29, 2010 at 05:51 AM.
