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B&M shifter

20084 Views 18 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  McDuff
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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My 2012 Rubicon was having problems with popping out of gear. I thought the transmission was going bad. After some research, I discovered the popping out of gear was caused by the factory shift lever contacting the opening in the tunnel or perhaps the center console.

A B&M shifter tower was ordered. The budget would allow me to order the tower and lever at the same time. I figured that the tower shortening the throw should do the trick. The tower arrived and was installed with the OEM lever.

It was an underwhelming experience. A couple weeks later, the Jeep started popping out of gear again. I thought I’d wasted my money.

Turns out the primary problem is in the OEM shift lever. The rubber isolator had been getting soft with time and shifting was sloppy and vague.

A B&M shift lever was ordered and installed and the difference was night and day! The shift tower suddenly came into its own. Shifting gears became clean and precise, clicking into each position.

Together, the lever and tower are amazing. But, if you can afford only one, get the lever. The B&M tower without the B&M lever is a waste of money.

Another option is to clean out the rubber isolator of the OEM lever, drill & cross pin the lever to the mount and fill it with a hard epoxy so the lever don’t flop around. The OEM tower isn’t as good as the B&M tower, but tightening up the lever is a big improvement.

I saw an ad on this site for a Dorman tower. It’s supposed to be more durable with shorter throws than the OEM tower (and I couldn’t find a price) but without an improved lever, it’s a waste of money.
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