Short Shifter for A4?

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Can anyone recommend a short shifter mod for the A4 cable shifters? Still getting used to that throw to 3rd gear. Sure would like to eliminate it altogether.
 

Peter Cheuk

Gasser :P
Joined
Aug 31, 1998
Location
Daly City, Calif., USA
TDI
'06 Jetta GLI
There's two available. One is from Neuspeed and the other is from Air and Water Enterprises (AWE tuning). They're not cheap.

On my car, I shortened the link on top of the tranny that controls front-to-back movement of the shifter. Reduced throws about 25-30%. Not bad considering I spent about $11 to do it compared to $200+ for one of those I mentioned above.
 

Jimmy

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 1999
Location
Canada
You should also consider "bobbing" the stick. All you need is a few tools -
Torx driver for screws
The odd wrench for a couple of bolts
A cutting pliers
A Hack saw - to cut an inch from the length
A small (4") high speed hand grinder - To remake the taper and retaining ring near the top.

Remove the stick assembly from the car to do this deed. While you are at it placement of som brass shims can also reduce sloppyness.

And, an added benefit, much easier access to the heating controls.
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Peter, I would be interested in how you did this (pictures ??). Definitely interested in shortening the throw, not just making the shift stalk shorter.
 

Peter Cheuk

Gasser :P
Joined
Aug 31, 1998
Location
Daly City, Calif., USA
TDI
'06 Jetta GLI
I have to apologise. When I posted before, I had assumed that the newer cars and the older cars were similar. After looking at the way the newer cars are (Trahloc's '00 Jetta GLS TDI), I have to say that I don't honestly know what to do on your cars. They're very different.

From what I could see, there is an arm that reproduces the front to rear throw from the shifter on top of the tranny. If you can figure out how to shorten it without changing the way everything else on the shifter works, then it will reproduce my results.
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Ah yes, uncharted territory. Guess the lazy way out isn't there and I'll have to reverse engineer it myself since I can't afford the alternatives. Now, where did I leave those geometry texts??
 

Tom Bombadill

Veteran Member
Joined
May 15, 1999
Location
MA. USA
I know the MK4 VWs use a cable shifter on the VR6 tranny, did the Mk3's as well? I believe that the short shift kit for these from Neu$peed at least is $379.00???
 

Peter Cheuk

Gasser :P
Joined
Aug 31, 1998
Location
Daly City, Calif., USA
TDI
'06 Jetta GLI
Tom, the A3 cars with the VR6 and TDI motors use the cable shifter and use the same short-shift kits. The newer A4 cars all have the same, redesigned shifter mechanism at both ends. The redesigned Neuspeed short-shifter for the new cars is less expensive probably because it's cheaper to produce than the older design.
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
$379??!! Oh my God! I just want a reduced throw. Last transmission mod that cost me that much was replacing a swingaxle on the '62. This weekend will be spent under the hood examining what's on the other end of the cables. There's got to be an easier way.
 

Peter Cheuk

Gasser :P
Joined
Aug 31, 1998
Location
Daly City, Calif., USA
TDI
'06 Jetta GLI
carolinagolf, the SS for the older cars is $379. The newer cars are more like $200.

While poking around under your hood, remember that if you shorten the lever arm, you shorten the throws. At the shifter end, lengthening the arm shortens the throw. Don't mess with the side-to-side throws.
 

RED RIDER 1

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 1999
Location
Redding, Ca USA
carolinagolf,

Check out Nuespeed! I've seen a couple of advertisements in the VW magazines that offer a Mk 4 short shifter kit for less than 100 bucks. I think it bolts inplace of the existing shifter, supposed to be pretty easy.

99.5 Jetta Gl TDI
99 Dodge 24V Cummins
May the Torque be with you!
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
OK, that's more like it. Trip to Books-A-Million coming up. I have to get up to speed on the water cooled side of things. Believe it or not, my TDI is the first water cooled VW I've ever owned, so I'm not in the know on aftermarket suppliers. I was surprised at the response when I asked some of my air cooled contacts for information. Anyone else out there experience an almost snobbish behavior from some people between what seems like two separate camps?

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'00 Jetta GL TDI 5spd
'68 Beetle convertable
'62 Beetle convertable
 

osidak

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 13, 1999
Location
Charlotte NC
TDI
'17 BRZ Limited PP
CarolinaGolf-where are you located at in NC, I live in Concord



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Omar Sidak
00 Jetta Gls TDI
78 911 SC Euro Targa
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Omar, I'm on the coast near Wilmington, otherwise known as Cape Fear Hurricane Alley. Heavy growth. Area might catch up to the rest of the east coast in another ten years or so. (Deisel heh? How many cylinders do that ther thang hev?)
This weekend was a bust on the shifter research. Didn't even make it to the bookstore. Maybe better luck on Friday.
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Received a reply from Dave at Vsport on the Neuspeed product. Here it is for those that desire a more reasonable shift throw.

"We sell the Neuspeed short shifter as they are the only company that has
short shifter for the cableshift cars (Corrado G60, A3 VR6 cars, and the
Golf, Jetta IV) However they do not make one yet for the 00 cars (VW changed
the shifter mechanism on the 00 cars) they will have one eventually, However
they have not given us an expected time frame on when they will be released
yet. They should sell for the same price as the 99 and under cable trans
short shifters ($289) We will be offering free shipping on them when they do
come available
Thank you for your inquiry if there is anything else we can help you with
please feel free to ask."

Guess I'll have to wait until they are available and then find some way to justify this cost. I looked at the linkages to examine the feasability of changing it myself at the transmission. While it looks doable (move tie in closer to pivot) I dont see an easy way to get the assembly I would have to drill out of the car. There is also the question of how much increased force would be required to move the new arrangement.
 

Peter Cheuk

Gasser :P
Joined
Aug 31, 1998
Location
Daly City, Calif., USA
TDI
'06 Jetta GLI
This changes things. Do me a favor and look under your shift boot and tell me if you see a plastic ball that the shift lever goes into or if the lever goes into a kind of cross looking plastic piece? can anyone with a 99.5 Golf/Jetta/NB do the same?

Dario's car is a '00, I believe. I naturally assumed that all A4 cars were like his (and you know what happens when you assume, don't you?).
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
I'll take a look this weekend if possible. Any tricks to getting to the underside of the boot area I should know about? I can hear the wife now if it requires seats being taken out or some other major disassembly, "You just bought that car...."
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
That was easy! VW definitely doesn't want anything infiltrating this area from the sides though. Looks like 1 inch thick carpet underlayment on all sides of the boot area. Definitely a white plastic ball arrangement with some loading springs to the driver's side of it.
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Just received an update from Sunny Thomas at http://www.autobahnint.com/ stating that the A4 short shifters are available from Neuspeed for $249. Have to wait for the tax man to respond before I give it a try but I'll let everyone know how it goes.

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'00 Jetta GL TDI 5spd
'68 Beetle convertable
'62 Beetle convertable
 

HowardZ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
m
I'm going to regret this, because I will be sounding like Ric, but here it goes:

I think the shifter on my 2000 New Beetle is excellent. What don't you like about it?
 

carolinagolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Location
Bolivia, NC USA
TDI
Jetta 2000 White
Some things just are meant to be. A car with a smooth, short engagement clutch, much torque, and responsive steering with feel, deserves to have a shift throw that aids in quick shifts. I repeatedly find myself coming off the clutch right at the edge of third gear engagement (with much disconcerting audibles). This is like driving a Renault rally car with a Dodge Stratus shifter. It just doesn't "feel" right.

[This message has been edited by carolinagolf (edited February 04, 2000).]
 

colucci

Veteran Member
Joined
May 13, 1998
Location
MPLS, MN USA
TDI
Jetta 1998 Green
I did what Jimmy did - only a little more hack
I hack-sawed off about 1.5" from my shifter, AFTER threading a 12x1.5 mm die down the shaft. Once I hacked off the top, I simply cleaned out the threads with the die as I unscrewed it. The whole process took 1/2 hour and the die cost $5. I haven't missed third gear since....


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98 Jetta TDI: mit Wett chip
Bleeding, Shine Racing springs, Bilstein HDs
Hella dual rounds, MAF de-screened, Naylor ramair
 
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