cvlooper Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 (edited) My dealer is offering 20% off the STI short throw shifter (or any other part). I've been looking at putting one in since the day I got my car ('09 Impreza 5-door) and I had basically decided on the kartboy version. Now I see this 20% off thing and I'm wondering if the discount would make this a better buy. I think the kartboy may produce slightly shorter throws with a bit more feedback than the STI version, but I think most have gone with it or the cobb simply because of pricing. I'm wondering if anyone here may like/dislike the STI STS for whatever reason. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. loop Edited May 18, 2009 by cvlooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I've used both, and the kartboy is physically slightly lower, so the shifts will be a little shorter. If you can get a discount on the STi shifter, I'd probably go that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 eh i suppose it depends on what the 20% off is. 20% off the part and installation?? decent deal if you dont want to install it yourself. 20% off of retail on the part? eh you could probably find it online for that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOthis Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Ive driven STI's with the STS and personally I have a kartboy in my WRX...being completely honest (when compared to my kartboy) I didnt even notice that STI had the short throw until someone told me...If I where you I would go with the Kartboy I have a feeling you will be much happier.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg donovan Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 drove a impreza with the STi short shifter and it felt awesome it was very solid. the benefit isnt as much in the shorter throws as much as it is in how it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvlooper Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Well, the 20% is for the part, not the labor (of course). I was going to install it myself, but I'm still not sure if I can get the part only or if I have to get them to install it as well. Holding off on that phone call till I know that I want it. What was said here about the length of the throw seems accurate. Apparently it doesn't really give a "short" shift OR a "shorter" shifter. From what I've heard, the knob on the STI sts sits almost as high as the stock WRX knob. Not cool... I'm not all that concerned about the length of the throw between shifts (the shorter the better I suppose). I just want to improve driver feedback during shifting. Pulling my shifter for second sometimes produces questionable engagement. Like it's got further to go or something. Very rubbery/uncertain/horrible feel. This is the main issue I need to address with new components. Also, the shift knob sits too high. Good for everyday driving with the armrest extended. Not so good for extending the sense of high performance into the cabin. Might as well be putting it in four wheel drive in a jeep or something. The thing is LONG! This is the minor issue I want to fix. Keep the advice coming everyone! Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg donovan Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 subaru makes the lever long so you dont have to reach as far to shift. the STi lever does have a shorter throw. aside from the lever length issues the Kartboy shifter bushings would probably work the best for you. they will make it feel awesome and save you a lot of time and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvlooper Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Yeah Greg, my discussion over on NASIOC and with tom at Kartboy are pointing towards giving the bushings a shot with my stock shifter. I don't know how much time it will save me (still have to pull apart the console/shifter/rear bushing assembly in order to replace both bushings) but a $60 fix sure beats anything else I've considered! If I still need a shorter throw, I can always get back in there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 If you're going with Kartboys you might also consider Turn in Concept (TiC) "pivot bushings" for the shift lever to control rod joint. Reasonably priced and made a tremendous difference in feel. Recommend highly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Really to quite honest, shifter feel is really what most people complain about. The bushings on the stock shifter setup, and even the STi short throw are so-so. The kartboy front and rear bushings are hands down the best bang for your buck. Doing nothing else but those bushings will provide the most noticable increase in shifter feel. Even the STi shifter can benefit from the kartboy bushings. As mentioned, the TiC pivot bushings can help as well, however they are not as big an issue in my mind. The only additional item to mention, which does cause slop in the shifter is the u-joint connecting the linkage to the transmission. The bushings in this joint are rather flexible, even new. The 5-spd joint is rivoted, so there's no replacement of the bushings. TiC has developed bushings for the joint on the 6-spds, however I don't know if they've come up with one for the 5-spds yet. This is primarily because the earlier 5-spds used a centering spring, while the newer ones did not. I ended up making a custom u-joint setup utilizing nylon bushings. Here's some pictures. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/jointcustom various busing options http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/joint2/ Stock 5-spd joint http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/joint/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I ended up making a custom u-joint setup utilizing nylon bushings. Agree with Legacy777, shifter feel is probably the most important factor. When I was "rebuilding" my shifter system I had to wait for the linkage bushings to arrive, so I put the TiC pivot bushings in before the Kartboy and Subaru bushings. I was very pleasantly surprised at the difference the TiCs alone made! How are your custom nylon bushings doing, Legacy777? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 How are your custom nylon bushings doing, Legacy777? They are working pretty good. I'm still happy with the feel. I've got essentially the same bushing setup between the Legacy & Impreza, minus the custom joint on the Impreza, and I can tell a difference between the two transmissions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvlooper Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Yeah guys...all I want is better feel with positive feedback. Really don't need a shorter throw or knob height (although both would be cool). All this bushing talk now has me a bit confused. If I get the front/rear bushings from Kartboy, the front is the bushing for the pivot of the shifter itself (5 inches below the shifter knob) and the rear is for the larger bushing underneath the car that stabilizes the rod/basket holding the ball at the end of the shifter. Is this correct? Geez...I knew the answer to this yesterday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 This is from memory so someone please correct me if I'm wrong--there are basically 3 "sets" of bushings in the shifter "system": 1) Front and rear bushings for the stabilizer bar--round one in front that attaches to the tranny, rectangular one in rear that attaches to the car body (hidden under the storage box in the center console). These are what Kartboys replace. 2) The linkage bushings in the "universal joint" that connects your shifter mechanism to the rod protruding from the tranny. Pretty much stuck with Subaru OEM here since no one makes upgraded ones (except Legacy777 who made his own out of nylon!) 3) The pivot bushing--what you refered to above as 5" below the shift knob. This is where I recommended the TiC product. There . . . clear as mud now?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvlooper Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks Olnick. I would have been surprised when I got a rectangular bushing for the shifter pivot where I thought it was to go! I found a write-up on a legacy forum that included pics and you are absolutely correct. I was wondering why the photo on Kartboy didn't show a smaller diameter circular bushing for the shifter pivot. Probably because they don't offer one! Funny because I took apart my center console today to see how easy/hard it would be to access the "front bushing". Thank goodness it was simple cause I'd be kinda pissed at myself otherwise. So I assume that if I were to get the Kartboy shifter I'm supposed to reuse the OEM shifter pivot bushing? Seems strange that he wouldn't offer a bushing for this as well. Maybe he doesn't think this makes much of a difference. Thanks for the help everyone. Looking like getting the STI sts at 20% off from my dealer is not the way to go. Never owned a Subie before (all older bimmers) and have never had to deal with a wishy washy feeling transmission. Though they are tough to work on at home, BMW does pretty much everything right on the production line. I am excited however about the prospect of modding my '09 WRX a couple years down the road. Should be fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Never owned a Subie before (all older bimmers) and have never had to deal with a wishy washy feeling transmission. Try the Kartboys and the TiC bushings--I think you'll get a more pleasant feel from your shifter. Since your car is so new your linkage bushings should still be okay. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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