[Adidasone456]

My friend wants to lower her shifter... But doesn't want to go through installing a short shifter.. she just doesn't like how tall it is... .So Basically she wants to know if you could just to cut the shifter stick an inch or 2..would it do any harm... If not what kind of saw would you use?

 

[92BLKINTEGRA]

it wouldn't do any harm, i remember my brother did it to his before but unless you rethread it you won't be able to screw on the shift knob if hers screws on obviously.
just a hack saw or a powered one.

 

[Adidasone456]

Well she has a after market shift knob that doesn't use the threads but wouldn't a hacksaw take forever?

 

[92BLKINTEGRA]

nah it wouldn't take forever if you had a sharp one, and when you cut it don't forget to put a rag or something around the bottom, so you dont get shaving all up in her interior, haha.. well you could use a saw saw or w\e they are called, it's late and im half brain dead atm lol.

 

[Adidasone456]

something like saws all.. or w/e i cant remember, but i dont have one of those, What about a skill saw? Think one of those would work? or at least help?

 

[92BLKINTEGRA]

a circular saw? i dunno about that one.. i would just try and find a hack saw myself.

 

[macura2001]

a dremmel will do it. with circle cutting wheel

 

[Adidasone456]

Nooo not a circular saw i meant a jib saw lol sorry

 

[Adidasone456]

jig*

 

[92BLKINTEGRA]

not familar with a jib saw but if you think it will work then i guess just try it on a piece of metal similar or something but anywho im going to bed.

 

[muteinfocus]

-_-

in the long run your lowering the cars worth.




and the people who stole my car CUT my shift knob off, not unscrewed it.

dont do it, just get a short throw and smile!




oh, and for #2, if you cut even 2" off, the stub may be too thick for you to even fit the knob on comfortably! The new knob will move and probably often come loose because the shifter is angled, and bottles at the top.

 

[HeroOfTheDay]

HAHA! Just get a short throw shifter...

...and please don't try cutting it off inside your car with a jig saw or sawzall, You're going to cut you interior to smithereens. A cut-off wheel is going throw sparks all over inside your car, and a hacksaw is going to make a HUGE mess.

 

[johnbordumb]

Clean way.

drop the shifter out of the car, grind down the size you want and make it skinny enough to fit the AM shift knob. That's what we did in my old Accord because I hated how freakin truckerish I felt.

Easy way.

get a sawzall and lay down something to pick up the shavings... I'm sure you know someone with a sawzall. or any sort of recipicating saw with a metal cutting blade. or manpower it with a hacksaw. it's not that hard. it doesn't take forever.

 

[JDMInline4]

-DO NOT CUT THIS OFF IN YOUR CAR.

-IF you must cut it off you will need to reweld the upper half back on to maintain the threads,

-USE a cut off wheel of one sort or another

-DO not use a jig saw, or a Circular saw

-Taper the edges of both pieces you are going to re weld,

if you cut out the part that "juts" or directs the shifter back twards the driver i would reccomend purchasing some decent steel at least 1/4 think and making a small extension so it would look like this

O< shift knob
I
====< 1/4 steel brings shifter closer to driver
I
---------< base of shifter to pivoit point

Sorry for the poor pic but hopefully it makes since, if you do not due this it will be a reach to shift 3rd and 5th
if i get a chance ill show you what mine looks like
I welded on flange nuts to both pieces and used flanged bolts to secure everything, this way it is semi adjustable and easy to remove.

You may also want to concider extending the lower section (below the pivioit) 1/4 or so but no more than 1/2 or you will be close to most aftermarket short shifters which will increase wear on synchros and what not (imo)

Id also replace the nuts and bolts, often the the weld nuts on the cabin side of the shifter plate will strip out so remove them and replace them with a regular nut and bolt.

Again id reccomend to dis-assemble the pivoit at the base of the shifter and clean / re lube it.

just my 50cent

 

[JDMInline4]

Sorry forgot to mention, no real way to do what she is looking for with out getting a bit involved.
the stock shifter looks like this from a side view


O
I
/
I
I
----------

 

[HeroOfTheDay]

Your basically going to end up taking the shifter out of the car, one way or another, whether you cut it or just put in an aftermarket short throw.

Save yourself the work and do it right the first time.

 

[drcheap]

You should try searching a bit more as I made an entire write up about doing this before.

one of these days I'll turn it into an official article!