B&M Ripper Shifter...

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Jul 21, 2002 | 03:27 AM

Jackal

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Drifting

Joined: Jan 2002

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From: Sacramento CA

B&M Ripper Shifter...

OMG!!! This shifter is AWESOME. My vette is a whole new car! I can't belive I went so long without installing this thing. If the previous owner hadn't left me with spilled mocha behind the dash, the install would have been less than an hour. Can you belive some people? It was even moldy.. :U

Anyways, I love the new feel. And I got rid of the musty smell. If I ever talk to that guy again I am going to give him a hunk of my mind... :mad

Jul 21, 2002 | 09:04 AM

wickedvette

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From: Wildwood FL

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Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (Jackal)

Jackal -

I have had my Ripper a little over a year and totally agree. One of the better mods I have done. :yesnod: :cheers:

Jul 21, 2002 | 09:43 AM

ambitin

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From: Cypress TX

Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (wickedvette)

Yes, this a "first mod" on my next car. I was sitting in a car at the dealership the other day rowing the gears and immediately said to myself "if I buy this thing, I'm going to have to put a ripper in it".

Glad you've seen the light!
Justin

Jul 21, 2002 | 11:05 AM

Smoke-N-Shot

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From: Lynnfield MA

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Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (Jackal)

With time my shifter got even better and is much easier to shift than in the begining... Congrats! :cheers:

Jul 21, 2002 | 04:43 PM

HIGHRPM

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Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (Smoke-N-Shot)

The shifter does not "break in" with time. The transmission shifting forks and gearing are the source of all the resistance. The Ripper has the worst leverage of any after market shifter....the upper/lower arm ratio is 2.00:1...this is fixed and not subject to break in...you just got used to the extra effort...the Hurst on the other hand has a upper/lower ratio of 2.40:1 making for easier shifts than the Ripper, the Kirban has a 2.70:1 ratio and shifts even easier. The Ripper is OK for everyday, but with its poor upper/lower arm ratio, too slow for high perrformance driving.

Jul 21, 2002 | 07:07 PM

99C5JA

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Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (HIGHRPM)

Well you are correct on the Ripper having the worst leverage of any of the aftermarket shifters you mention, but I fail to see how this makes it unsuitable for performance driving. It may take more effort to overcome the lack of leverage, but once accomplished the short throw will take less time to shift. The Ripper shifts very quick and positive for me and I would not want to do any performance driving without it. It finds the gears without fail, and is very quick (I do not find the extra effort at all annoying). By your argument anyone wanting to do some "performance" driving should be using the stock shifter as it offers more leverage than any of the aftermarkets. And I'm sure that all my friends with F-bodys who purposefully shorten the sticks on their stock or aftermarket shifters and report an improved driving experience are all deluding themselves.

[Modified by 99C5JA, 5:08 PM 7/21/2002]

Jul 21, 2002 | 09:36 PM

HIGHRPM

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Re: B&M Ripper Shifter... (99C5JA)

The point of my last post was the Hurst gives the same short positive shifts of the Ripper with less effort......so with the same hard effort the Hurst will shift faster. Both shifters sit at the same height, but the Ripper's lower arm w/plastic cup sit deeper into the mating transmission cup. Therefore this makes the overall length of the Ripper longer from top to bottom. The overall shorter Hurst has the same length of throw, but with a higher (therefore quicker) upper/lower arm ratio. The Hurst and Ripper are both good alternatives to ther loose/inaccurate stock shifter. The Hurst just does the same thing as the Ripper a little quicker with the same effort. For performance driving, quicker is better. I think most of us removed the stock shifter because of its inability to produce reliable shifts. I missed the 2-3 shift many times with the stock unit......very, very rarely with the Hurst or Ripper......again, both are good products, each with its loyal following.