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Hi. I recently installed a B&M Ripper Shifter in my C5. I like the shifter, but I got to wondering how these short-throw shifters actually do their job. I don't see any radical change in geometry at the shifter itself. Even though the shifter has a shorter throw does it still allow the linkage at the transmission to go through its full range of travel or only enough to just barely engage the gears? I am curious if these shifters might shorten the life of a transmission. This might seem like a silly question to some of you experts, but I am only trying to get educated on the subject.
Shorter height and a change in the fulcrum point allow the shorter throw with the same transmission shaft travel. Downside of course is the loss of leverage means it's harder to shift.
I found the short throw shifter, eaiser to shift.
I am now back with a stock shifter and it is harder to shift. (this was due to problems with the vette, not the shifter :smash:
Short shifter :thumbs: to be reinstalled soon
In order to partially compensate for the shorter lever and it's increased effort, I installed a custom 2.25" shifter ball (a drilled & tapped black cue ball) mounted low on a 1" shortened B&M.
The greater surface area of the large ball on the hand "seems" to take less effort. What it actually does is spread the force onto a larger area of the palm. Just an issue of changing perceptions, but I like it. All the best. :yesnod:
The change in fulcrum points (i.e. ratio of upper half-to-lower half lengths, or *leverage*) is hard to see, as it's only slightly different. But only a little ratio change makes for a significant difference in throw length and required effort. Last summer, there was a post that discussed the ratios for stock, Hurst, and Ripper shifters. I think the Ripper had the highest ratio, just a touch higher than the Hurst. The stock shifter has lowest ratio, and thus more leverage....longer throw makes for easier (as in pounds of force required) shifts.
But we don't need no stinkin' easier shifts....we want quick, precise shifts!!
Avanti, do you have any pics of your install? I would like to see what it looks like with your setup! If so :cool: , If not, its not a huge deal! Thanks KyleW. :steering:
i took a hacksaw and sliced about an inch off the stock stick ,but left enough thread, and put on the momo leather ****. Although it is still the stock shifter it has a much better swing to it with much shorter throw.