I picked up an 08 JK about a month ago, the popping out of 1st was driving me batshit... The B&M stick, and removing the inner boot makes a BIG difference, worth the $.
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B&M shifter
This isn’t much of a modification, however I haven’t seen too many write ups or reviews of this shifter. And to be clear, this is of the shift lever itself, not the short shift kit that replaces the shift mechanism.
The reason this all came about was not due to a need for performance; I was driving to work when the knob spun in my hand. I thought, “no big deal, just a loose knob.” However, that wasn’t the case and the entire lever was spinning. This caused a problem because the lever has a bend to it, and when it would spin, you would think you were shifting into third (manual transmission, to be clear), but you could be lined up with first or fifth depending on orientation. It became a requirement to look down and make sure the know was upright so you knew where you were shifting to.
Searching for a quick oem replacement, I found it easier to locate a B&M shifter. I tore the old one out and found that the shift lever uses a rubber sleeve to join the transmission shift stub, which I assume is there to quell vibrations and notchiness. The rub sleeve had been vulcanized to the surrounding metal sleeve from the factory, but had separated on mine. Decision made: I wanted that crap out and ordered the B&M.
Install was easy and I took it for a test drive. WOW!!!! All the rubberiness and indistinct feeling to the shift is gone. The weight and feel is very good, direct without being overly heavy. The shift detents are crystal clear and driving is more enjoyable. May sound crazy, but it’s well worth the minimal effort to replace the sloppy oem part with this high quality piece. Cheap improvement to the driving experience!
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The reason this all came about was not due to a need for performance; I was driving to work when the knob spun in my hand. I thought, “no big deal, just a loose knob.” However, that wasn’t the case and the entire lever was spinning. This caused a problem because the lever has a bend to it, and when it would spin, you would think you were shifting into third (manual transmission, to be clear), but you could be lined up with first or fifth depending on orientation. It became a requirement to look down and make sure the know was upright so you knew where you were shifting to.
Searching for a quick oem replacement, I found it easier to locate a B&M shifter. I tore the old one out and found that the shift lever uses a rubber sleeve to join the transmission shift stub, which I assume is there to quell vibrations and notchiness. The rub sleeve had been vulcanized to the surrounding metal sleeve from the factory, but had separated on mine. Decision made: I wanted that crap out and ordered the B&M.
Install was easy and I took it for a test drive. WOW!!!! All the rubberiness and indistinct feeling to the shift is gone. The weight and feel is very good, direct without being overly heavy. The shift detents are crystal clear and driving is more enjoyable. May sound crazy, but it’s well worth the minimal effort to replace the sloppy oem part with this high quality piece. Cheap improvement to the driving experience!
