Why does my Hurst shifter rattle??
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Why does my Hurst shifter rattle??
Title says it all. I bought the car with the Hurst shifter, so I have nothing to compare it to. It rattles like a tin can filled with marbles when I step on the loud pedal. If my hand is off the shifter, and I accelerate like a bat out of hell, especially in 3rd gear, it starts to rattle like crazy around 3000rpm, and keeps rattleing up through the rpm band. It sounds AWFUL!! I think the car is falling apart everytime it happens. I have tried everything, tennis ball mod, tried adding a huge amount of mass to the shifter in hopes of changing the resonant frequency, tape around the threads between the shifter and ****, greased the ball and cup thinking there was some play, even replaced the shifter with a brand new Hurst thinking mine was "broke", none of which helped at all. I have an LG Motorsports Delrin **** (a most awesome shift **** - aint gonna gid rid of it). I dont really need a super short shifter for lightening fast shifts, the car is a street driven, sunny day toy, but I do like to drive it, "aggessively". Will a stock C5Z or C6Z shifter (with my LG ****) cure my rattles?? Any help or advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Please note, there isnt much left on the car drivetrain, engine, or exhaust wise that is stock. Not sure if that is contributing to the problem.
Please note, there isnt much left on the car drivetrain, engine, or exhaust wise that is stock. Not sure if that is contributing to the problem.
Last edited by ssmith512; 08-19-2011 at 01:51 PM.
#2
Race Director
Unfortunately, many of the billet construction after market shifters rattle. They don't have the rubber isolation of oem. Only a few after market shifters have rubber isolation. It's the billet construction that offers more "precision" shorter shifts, but at the expense of more vibrations into the cabin.
The C6/Z06 shifter is still very popular. It's rubber isolated so vibrations shouldn't be an issue. It uses a different manner of mounting for the **** though. The ergonomic C6/Z06 **** is mounted via a flat at the end of the lever and a fastener on the side of the lever.
The B&M "Sport" shifter is also rubber isolated. It uses a threaded **** in 9-16"x18 just like oem C5/Z06. I chose that for my car.
You might look at the MGW shifter. It's not inexpensive, but it offers a lot of versatility with the lever mounting system. You can get the lever in C5/Z06 (9-16"x18 threads) or C6/Z06 style.
The C6/Z06 shifter is still very popular. It's rubber isolated so vibrations shouldn't be an issue. It uses a different manner of mounting for the **** though. The ergonomic C6/Z06 **** is mounted via a flat at the end of the lever and a fastener on the side of the lever.
The B&M "Sport" shifter is also rubber isolated. It uses a threaded **** in 9-16"x18 just like oem C5/Z06. I chose that for my car.
You might look at the MGW shifter. It's not inexpensive, but it offers a lot of versatility with the lever mounting system. You can get the lever in C5/Z06 (9-16"x18 threads) or C6/Z06 style.
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Bobbo76 (10-16-2023)
#3
Melting Slicks
There is also some inherit rattling that appears to come from the area of the shifter on all C5's with manual transmission.
Mine had a slight rattle sound before I switched over to the B&M Ripper shifter. Turn the radio up a little higher, it's nothing to worry about.
Mine had a slight rattle sound before I switched over to the B&M Ripper shifter. Turn the radio up a little higher, it's nothing to worry about.
#7
My B&M ripper rattled like that. I took a piece of heater hose and clamped it to the shifter. Sounds cheesy, but you can't see it under the shift boot and worked like a charm.
#10
Burning Brakes
Are you sure it isnt just the Hurst ****? My shifter ball rattled a bit so I removed it and filled the areas around the brass threaded insert on the bottom of the ball. Stopped the rattle.
Super glue...
Super glue...
#12
Former Vendor
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
From what I have seen all of the aftermarket solid stick shifters rattle.
Make sure you transfer over the plastic cup on the pivot ball from the stock one over to it, and I generally do not grease this part but make sure it still fits in the retainer cup nicely.
I generally pull the hurst apart, clean it and pack it with grease and put it back together. That will generally keep it a bit less noisey but I would still get some rattles WOT in 3rd.
When you do one of these shifters you loose that big rubber isolator there on the shaft like the OEM so a lot more of the drivetrain and 'road noise' gets transmitted through the shifter like an amplifier.
Make sure you transfer over the plastic cup on the pivot ball from the stock one over to it, and I generally do not grease this part but make sure it still fits in the retainer cup nicely.
I generally pull the hurst apart, clean it and pack it with grease and put it back together. That will generally keep it a bit less noisey but I would still get some rattles WOT in 3rd.
When you do one of these shifters you loose that big rubber isolator there on the shaft like the OEM so a lot more of the drivetrain and 'road noise' gets transmitted through the shifter like an amplifier.
#18
Burning Brakes
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You answered your own question, it's the weight on the shaft, the stock has that weight that tapers up and cancels out the vibraion. Again the GM engineers did their homework to make the interior comfortable. Then we get the car, want a race car and change out stuff for speed and then wonder why things don't work in harmoni or balance with the rest of the vehicle. Go back to the stock setup if you don't want the rattles to go.. I had a friend do similar with his vette, got Blistein shocks for that solid race car feel, then complained that the vette rides like his truck now.. The stock C5 was designed by engineers with degrees, the mandate goal was a balanced sports car that was streetable to the user for comfort and some sports driving, with that balance they accomplish it, what you see is the end results. Modify anything and you can throw off that comfort. If you were in a C5R race car, you would love it on the track, but if you rode it home on the street, you would never drive it, to harsh, stiff... Balance is the key here... Enjoy the ride..
#19
Yes, GM did their homework with the C5, but did they have to make the base C5 ride like a large Buick? That is where they missed the mark.