N55 Short Shifter's

[NORAGRETS]

Anyone have good results with a short shifter kit on an N55? Did it make the throws feel too short? Reduce vibration at idle at all?

[b1aze]

This is at the top of my list of things to do next. I was amazed at how long the throws felt. BMW Performance kit seems to be pretty solid and it comes with a new boot and shift knob for ~420 shipped from vendors on here. Not sure on the N55 platform though.

[NORAGRETS]

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-61...135i-2011.aspx

this UUC kit from Turner looks good...$480 however...it kinda makes a statement that its the only one they sell for the 135, I know nothing about this however haha

[NORAGRETS]

oh, and N55 cars have shorter shifts than N54 platforms in the OEM unit...not by much but some guys said it feels a world of difference, I've only driven 1 car with a really good short shifter and I loved it, but after about 30 mins of city driving it became a pain in the a**. not sure if this will really stiffen up the clutch or not

[b1aze]

It should not effect clutch pressure at all.

I put a TWM SSK on my STI and it was almost too short. The stock shift throw was ok but not great and the TWM was pretty extreme.

BMW advertises 35% reduction in throw which sounds like it would be just about perfect IMO. For the same price you can get OEM quality and fit with the added shift boot and knob.

[NORAGRETS]

idk about you but I get a slight rattle in the shifter at idle and sometimes have a hard time downshifting from 2nd into 1st, like the syncho's take a long time to move into 1st...hopefully this will correct both issues...any other companies you're looking at besides BMW?

[b1aze]

I also don't think a SSK will increase the gear sync. The best thing to do is blip the throttle and rev match. It also has a lot to do with trans fluid temp. If its still cold, it won't sync as smoothly. I rarely downshift into 1st anyways.

I don't notice much for vibration at idle honestly.

[NORAGRETS]

yeah its def worse when its cold, but even sometimes after 30 mins of driving it does it...again, not sure if this if a different system between the N54 and N55...hopefully someone more enlightened on the subject chimes in for us N55'ers.

In regards to vibration, its minuscule...I've driven a 911 (ok shitty comparison) that was super smooth and had zero engine vibration felt through the shifter

For the shorter clutch movement...any knowledge of the clutch stop that BMS or Turner offers?

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Twhill19

oh, and N55 cars have shorter shifts than N54 platforms in the OEM unit...not by much but some guys said it feels a world of difference, I've only driven 1 car with a really good short shifter and I loved it, but after about 30 mins of city driving it became a pain in the a**. not sure if this will really stiffen up the clutch or not

Shifter throws...

N55 stock = 70 mm's
N54 stock = 80 mm's
N54 w/Perf SSK = 55 mm's


I really think you could just use/order the Perf shift lever arm and get 80% for the SSK feel. Or... IF you really wanted to do it right... order the N54 perf SSK. Someone needs to get some balls and just go ahead and try it.

There was one SSK for the 1M (I forget who was selling it.. it might have been Turner ?) and they were using the N54 cross bar/cradle that the shifter lever sits on. Then they just used their inhouse shift lever with their "kit". They wanted close to $500 for that.

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Shifter throws...

N55 stock = 70 mm's
N54 stock = 80 mm's
N54 w/Perf SSK = 55 mm's


I really think you could just use/order the Perf shift lever arm and get 80% for the SSK feel. Or... IF you really wanted to do it right... order the N54 perf SSK. Someone needs to get some balls and just go ahead and try it.

There was one SSK for the 1M (I forget who was selling it.. it might have been Turner ?) and they were using the N54 cross bar/cradle that the shifter lever sits on. Then they just used their inhouse shift lever with their "kit". They wanted close to $500 for that.

Dack, was it the UUC kit from Turner I listed above? It's a SSK with a replacement selector arm from TMS for $480. I don't see any others that are direct replacements for the N55 OEM unit

[alex_d_22]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Shifter throws...

N55 stock = 70 mm's
N54 stock = 80 mm's
N54 w/Perf SSK = 55 mm's


I really think you could just use/order the Perf shift lever arm and get 80% for the SSK feel. Or... IF you really wanted to do it right... order the N54 perf SSK. Someone needs to get some balls and just go ahead and try it.

There was one SSK for the 1M (I forget who was selling it.. it might have been Turner ?) and they were using the N54 cross bar/cradle that the shifter lever sits on. Then they just used their inhouse shift lever with their "kit". They wanted close to $500 for that.

The N54 shifter would work in a N55, but it wont be centered properly (by alot) and makes shifting very akward...

[NORAGRETS]

Yeah def not doing that haha

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by alex_d_22

The N54 shifter would work in a N55, but it wont be centered properly (by alot) and makes shifting very akward...

How do you know that? I have not seen anyone post that they have done the shifter swap. Other than some vendors.

[t02t]

get the bmw perf shifter for e90! best bang for the buck on the 1 (70$)
Has a shorter throw compared to the 1M, Will measure the throws soon

[b1aze]

Originally Posted by t02t

get the bmw perf shifter for e90! best bang for the buck on the 1 (70$)
Has a shorter throw compared to the 1M, Will measure the throws soon

It fits and is only $70???

[t02t]

25110434219 shifter for e90 328i 63$
25111469397 shifter bushing - 12$
25111220379 clip (don't really need it unless you loose your original one) - 1$

so for a total of 76$ you can get a pretty decent shifter that fits

[b1aze]

Woooot. How was the install of it?

[t02t]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102808
about 45 minutes work,

[b1aze]

Is the throw noticeably shorter than stock??

[tracer bullet]

Hrmmm, well this thread certainly has my attention.

I've got a 2011, w/ the N55. Bought the car used through the forum here. Previous owner had the OEM BMW Perf SSK installed on it. I never knew until checking on the BMW-USA site just now that it's only supposed to be for the N54. I'm guessing that's what he installed as there's no options shown for the N55.

I changed out the shift knob and sold the original here, only because I didn't like the metal (in MN that = cold on your hands). Other than that I've had no problems. I have always felt it was where it was supposed to be, no skewing in any particular direction. I've been driving sticks for 20+ years and am an anal retentive engineer if that enforces my opinion at all

I'll try to get some pics tomorrow, show to how things are lined up.

[NORAGRETS]

Would love some pics and if you could measure the throws that would be much appreciated

[alex_d_22]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

How do you know that? I have not seen anyone post that they have done the shifter swap. Other than some vendors.

I work for TWM Performance, we specialize in short shifters. At first we thought that the OEM shifter from an N54 would actually be a short shifter in the N55 due to the different dimensions below the pivot point. When we swapped out the shifters, the stock N54 shifter was indeed a "shorter shifter" in the N55, but the bends are different, so the shifter was in a really awkward position.

As a result, N54 aftermarket short shifters would fit in the N55s, BUT since the short shifters will have the same bends as OEM, it will be in a very awkward position...