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Short Throw Shifters

Author: GCope

Aftermarket short throw shifters give your Mustang a noticeably better shifting feel and quicker shift from gate to gate over the original manufacturer's shifter. A shifters' throw is how far the shifter moves between gear selections. Ford does usually build decent shifters into their Mustangs, however, most stock shifters are a compromise of performance and NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) reduction. Usually leaning towards the low NVH side. Choosing an aftermarket short throw shifter for your Mustang will improve your driving experience tremendously. Short throw shifters are a very popular upgrade because they provide many benefits in all sorts of driving scenarios. Plus the new custom look and feel will definitely put a nice touch on your Mustang's interior style.

With a short throw shifter, the distance the stick must travel between each selected gear is reduced. This means that the gears will fall into place with greater fluidity. The shorter distance and positive feel will improve your times in both acceleration and deceleration.

All of these heads will really wake up that 5.0L slumbering beneath the hood. Furthermore, they are available in different stages and packages. For example, you can by these aftermarket heads as cast. Or, if you prefer some more power, at an added cost, you can opt to purchase a CNC machined version, which will have better airflow over the as cast version. Each head can come equipped with different spring packages, smog equipment provisions etc. There really is nothing the Edelbrock, Ford Racing or Trickflow has left out. Extra power certainly can be squeezed out of the stock E7’s, but with the design and technology implemented within the modern aftermarket heads they really are the best choice.

looking from the bottom up

A short throw shifter modifies the geometry of the shifter so that the travel of the shift lever is reduced. It moves the pivot point higher up the shift rod causing you to move the shifter less distance, hence the shorter throw. Most short throw shifters include a shorter shift handle so that the reduced action is complemented by the height of the lever. Some people find the look of a shorter shifter too much of a departure from stock so some manufactures have engineered the fulcrum point so that it has a shorter than stock travel yet retains the same stick height. Many enthusiasts consider this trade off worth it though.

The tighter and more controlled shifting characteristics adds precision to stepping through the gears that longer shifters just cannot offer. This is because the short throw shifter removes that jerky off track shift that comes with the original manufacturer's equipment. You will feel ultimately more connected with your car and driving with this enhanced control and precision.

Short throw shifters can also offer more durability with less all around wear and tear on your manual transmission. They can reduce shift fork damage by removing the tendency to miss shifts from a sloppy stock shifter and some include positive stops to prevent the lever from traveling too far. Preventing transmission problems makes an upgrade to an aftermarket shifter even more valuable

Most short throw shifters allow a wide range of choices of shift knobs to further personalize the appearance of your Pony. When you wrap your hand around a shift knob you want to feel a perfect fit. With the variety and types available, there is a shift knob that fits any hand and any style.

Retro style shift knobs are a popular choice for any year Mustang. These round knobs come in four, five or six speed varieties and have a choice of colors plus the classic; white, black, satin brushed finish or chrome. An alternative to a round style are the digital shift knobs. The digital shift knobs are the ideal for more high-tech style tastes. The knob has a bright LCD digital display that shows what gear the car is currently in. They even have a choice of 256 color LCD display which will work perfectly in the newer Mustangs that have the "My Color" ambient lighting feature.

Other options include Billet T-Handles. These knobs will fit just about any year Mustang. Drivers that enjoy a lot of leverage opt for the pistol grip shift handles or the more common old school T-shaped handles. Although most racing school instructors do not recommend Pistol or T-handle grips for most racing scenarios.

When considering aftermarket parts for your Mustang, short throw shifters are a good early modification to make. They have the style, the enhanced driving performance and can offer a longer life for your transmission. You can install them in your own garage easily, or have them installed at a professional garage. Either way you will most likely be really glad you made this upgrade.