bmw short shift

[ipswich318ti]

To all you guys thinking of buying a short shift kit here is some info for you

the Z3M SSK here's the part numbers

- 25.11.7.527.254 = Shift lever £38 x1
- 25.11.1.220.600 = Shift lever bearing £5.70 x1
- 25.11.1.220.439 = Spacer ring £0.14 x 4 (in case you lose 2)
- 25.11.1.220.379 = Circlip £0.28 x2 (in case one is lost)

The shift lever does need to be bent slightly before fitting

This will be of help to when you come to fit, Though the part numbers above are the ones you need, as some have been superseeded since that write up.

http://www.understeer.com/shiftlever.shtml

BMW used different levers in different 3-series models for various reason such as the different tranmissions. The trick is knowing what lever to swap in to your car to reduce the shift throw. For an E30 or E36 318, 323 or 325 you can use a Z3 1.9L lever to get a 29% reduction in shift throw or you can use a 328/M3 lever to get a 33% reduction. There are about a million used 328/M3 levers out there because so many 328/M3 owners have upgraded. BMW no longer sells new M3/328 levers so if you want one you've got to buy it used, expect to pay £15. A new Z3 1.9L is £32 at the dealer. Some 318's have a damnpening ring attached to the driveshaft that may contact the selector rod when you install a different shift lever. If so you'll need to bend the selector rod slightly to clear it. No biggie, it's easy to do.

For a 328 or a M3, a stock M-Roadster lever will give you a 35% reduction in shift throw and will run you £32 at the dealer. The only issue is that the M-Roadster lever does not have the same "bend" to it that the other levers do. If you don't bend the lever then the knob position will be a little farther foward and to the right of normal.