• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Short Throw Shifter

I'm so close to ordering the steeda short throw. Can someone put up a quick how-to, to install the steeda shifter? I know I'll need the raiser plate from Scottd. Everyone keeps saying how hard it is to install the spring. Can someone show me some pictures of this? That would be greatly appreciated.
 
About the centering spring, you don't need it.. so you won't have to worry about that hassle.

About the rotating reverse lockout shaft... I'm not sure about the B&M, but the Steeda has a pin that maintains the shaft alignment. I've had no issues with the reverse lockout not working when it should or visa versa. I personally think the height of the B&M is too short.. and the Steeda is a perfect height. I think the throw distance between them are the same (about 1/2 of stock).
 
morbid said:
About the centering spring, you don't need it.. so you won't have to worry about that hassle.
Click to expand...

yeah everyone says that but you should leave it in ... alot of people feel the shifter is sloppy or loose feeling without it ... I put one back in on a 2k and the owner was much happier with it ... but do what you like ...


as for the steeda it will come with instructions for the focus ... only difference is you install the raiser plate and have to notch the tower for the centering spring ... now I don't think I can get a good pic but I will try to discribe it ... the centering spring on a 99 is about 2 to 3 inches long and runs down the side of the shifter tower ... as you can slightly see in my picture there is a arms the mounts at the coner over the spring and sits between the two arms of the spring. the spring sits in a groove in the tower the is like an upside down T ... so when you move the shifter left or right it expands the spring providing tention and the end of the spring moves in this groove ... since the plate goes in between the base and the metal cap where the ball on the shifter is located it raises the shifter and the spring ... now since the bottom of the spring is up higher then before its end is out the grove and it can not move, therefor you can not move the shifter left or right ... one you get everything together you will see where the interference is and how much you have to cut, but its a very small amount ...
 
If I remember correctly the plate does not work on the 2000 plastic tower. I cut out the bottom under the car so there was enough room for the shifter to go and made a new plate to cover it from the elements. If there is a riser plate for 2000 I would like to see it installed. I have no spring in mine and it shifts very tightly nothing loose or sloppy about it compared to stock. And it always centers itself.
 
If it's sloppy w/o the spring, then one of your bushings is probably worn. When doing either of the short shifter installs, you should replace the flared lock bushing on the drivers side, and the white bushing that snaps on to the end of the shaft that comes off the passenger side of the ball.

I didn't do that when I installed my Steeda. I recently replaced the front/back cable end and no longer had that direction of slop, but I noticed I had side-side slop. I replaced both of those bushings and now there is no longer any slop anywhere... very crisp! You need to remove both of those bushings to install either of the short shifters, so you might as well spend the ~$8 and put everything back together with new bushings.
 
svtavino, I like that armrest mod. Very well done.
Morbid, do you have pics of those bushings? I'm sure I'll know what they are as soon as I pull apart the shifter, but I'm just curious. Thanks.
 
I don't want to start another big debate thread about the centering spring, but I don't have it and I prefer it that way. My advice is to put it together without the centering spring, and if you don't like it, then take the extra time and cut the notch to try it with the centering spring.

The centering spring is overrated in my opinion though. And the short shifter install is pretty brainless.


Jeff
 
morbid said:
If it's sloppy w/o the spring, then one of your bushings is probably worn. When doing either of the short shifter installs, you should replace the flared lock bushing on the drivers side, and the white bushing that snaps on to the end of the shaft that comes off the passenger side of the ball.

I didn't do that when I installed my Steeda. I recently replaced the front/back cable end and no longer had that direction of slop, but I noticed I had side-side slop. I replaced both of those bushings and now there is no longer any slop anywhere... very crisp! You need to remove both of those bushings to install either of the short shifters, so you might as well spend the ~$8 and put everything back together with new bushings.
Click to expand...

ok sloppy is most likely the wrong word, maybe lacking crispness is better, anyway the car we put the spring back into was a 2000 with under 40k at the time, no way the bushing are worn ....


but basically it comes to personal preference ... the centering spring is there for a reason ...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top