[kts262]

Kartboy Shifter Bushings



I installed these last weekend and WOW what a difference! The shifter feels so much more precise and confident. I wish I had done this mod sooner.

Peaty's installation instructions on Scoobymods are what I used and they are what you should use too, here are just a few helpful hints I found during the install that may help you out.

Front Bushing - http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3790
Rear Bushing - http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5049

I did both bushings, Most people say the front one makes most of the difference, but they are cheap enough so I did both.

As Peaty's instructions state, you need to undo the front bushing to install the rear bushing so it makes sense to do both at the same time. Basically 1) loosen the front bushing and remove it, 2) remove + install the rear bushing, and then 3) install the front bushing.

- It may look like you can do this install without removing the rear crossmember but you'll make life a lot easier on yourself by removing it. It's not that hard to remove and it makes working on the bushings a lot easier. Definately use a bottle jack or small jack to support the tranny while you do this for safety and to make the install easier. I jacked up the tranny via the front to back crossmember and it made removing and reinstalling the rear crossmember very easy.

- Peaty's instructions didn't say anything about it but I found I needed to shift the car into Neutral to get more slack to install these. While that may be common sense I didn't see it anywhere and found when I had it in first I was having a hard time dropping the shifter stay rod.

Front bushing

- I didn't have any luck removing the stock front bushing with Peaty's "brace the bolt against the side of the car and push" method. I found it was easier to just push the bushing out with my thumbs. It helped that I was pissed off at the bushing a lot.

- To install the new bushing I found it was easiest to install both sides of the new Kartboy bushing into the shifter rod and then install the metal cylinder. When I tried the way Peaty recommended I couldn't quite get the bushings in all the way. With my way they went in all the way perfectly.

When you're done it will look like this:


Rear bushing

- When removing the stock rear bushing I found you had to have it still screwed into the car and then pull the shifter rod off the bushing. I tried to pull the bushing off the shifter rod after I had removed the 12mm bolts that hold it down but it just wasn't happening. Leave it screwed in and it will make life easier. You'll still need to pull pretty hard on the shifter rod to remove it and you'll think it won't come out but it will.

- The 12mm bolts holding the rear shifter bushing in are tough to get to. The driver's side one isn't too bad but the passenger side one is hard to reach since the drive shaft is in the way. A small 1/4" socket wrench and an extension will be your friend.

- The new bolts that come with the Kartboy rear bushing are 13mm. For the install I greased up the center hole in the bushing where the rod goes and put it on the rod. Then I screwed down the driver's side bolt a bit and then worked to get the passenger side bolt in. It took a few times but I got it in.

When you're done it will look like this:


Once you're all done take the car out for a spin and marvel and how much crisper the shifts are. Yay!

TRM 23-AUG-2006: added to the How-To catalog sticky

[alphakry]

nice! Would these provide any type of improvement with the OEM short shifter or are the brushings included in the short shift kit a step up already?

[kts262]

Originally Posted by alphakry

nice! Would these provide any type of improvement with the OEM short shifter or are the brushings included in the short shift kit a step up already?

I'm not sure about the factory short shifter but I believe the front bushing is the same as what's in the stock shifter assembly. Even if they use an upgraded bushing in the factory short shifter is most likely is still rubber and you'll notice a big improvement moving to the Kartboy polyurethane bushing.

Judging from this picture I found of the stock shifter and factory short shifter the bushing appears to be the same:



(Top = stock, Bottom = factory short shifter)

The factory short shifter re-uses the stock rear bushing so you'll definately feel the different with the Kartboy rear bushing.

For $62 to get the front and rear bushing I don't think you can go wrong. I say go for it!

[spazegun2213]

at LEAST do the SS-bushings. Its really worth it!!

I have not done any others but i can say the SS bushings are GREAT!

[Doctor Subie]

I installed a KB SS along with f/r bushings on my 06 STI with the factory shortshift option. The KB SS reduces the throw even more dramatically (factory SS = 10% reduction from stock, KB = ~40% reduction). The factory bushings were soft rubber, so the KB bushings are an upgrade/firmer. Didn't install the TiC bushings at the shift linkage, but I heard those are a worthwhile upgrade as well (but also more of a pain to install). FWIW, I have got almost all of the KB upgraded bushings, which are all polyurethane, and they seem to noticeably tighten up the feel of the car (I have the crossmember bushings, rear-diff bushings, f/r endlinks)...

[wjc04wrx]

After the install of the KB SS, did any of you have the problem of the the pull rod for the lockout cable hitting against the shifter during shifts and making an annoying click sound? I have that sound and it's because the KB SS doesn't have the plastic piece that is on the stock shifter, to prevent such contact of the lever against metal. I'm about to remove the shifter and replace it with the stock one.

[kts262]

Get some zip ties and tie the lockout cable down. I'd also go under the car and make sure the drive shaft isn't hitting the lockout cable which is a common problem unless you zip tie the cable down.

(I haven't installed my Cobb SS yet, but I plan on using a bunch of zip ties on the reverse lockout cable when I do.)

[SUBIRU]

these are great tips! too bad these weren't around when i was doing my ss + bushings or else i would have done the rear as well. oh well.

[wjc04wrx]

I'm not talking about the lockout cable, although that was an issue as well. Be careful on zipp tying the **** out of the cable, if you leave it with not so much slap, some of your gears might not go into. For example, in the scoobymods instructions I do believe that they state to zip tie the cable, but they don't state where and they don't provide any pics. I zipped tied mine, but at the wrong place. I double checked it a few days later and the cable had been hitting the drive shaft. I moved the zip ties closer and placed two, but when I was driving the car, it would not go into 5th/6th gear. The cable was so tight that the gears could not be reached. So, I undeed the ties and tried again until it worked.

No, what I was really referring to is the pull latch on the actual shifter. The one you pull in order to put the car in reverse. Since the KB SS does not have the plastice piece on the rod, this lever will slap onto metal rod creating an annoying click sound every time you shift. It gets really annoying and it sometimes rattles when shifter due to the lever having play nad hitting straight onto metal. This is the reason why I'm removing the KB SS.

[Allen504tke]

Mine coems in on wednesday so Hopefully I can put these tips to good use

[kts262]

Originally Posted by wjc04wrx

I'm not talking about the lockout cable, although that was an issue as well. Be careful on zipp tying the **** out of the cable, if you leave it with not so much slap, some of your gears might not go into. For example, in the scoobymods instructions I do believe that they state to zip tie the cable, but they don't state where and they don't provide any pics. I zipped tied mine, but at the wrong place. I double checked it a few days later and the cable had been hitting the drive shaft. I moved the zip ties closer and placed two, but when I was driving the car, it would not go into 5th/6th gear. The cable was so tight that the gears could not be reached. So, I undeed the ties and tried again until it worked.

No, what I was really referring to is the pull latch on the actual shifter. The one you pull in order to put the car in reverse. Since the KB SS does not have the plastice piece on the rod, this lever will slap onto metal rod creating an annoying click sound every time you shift. It gets really annoying and it sometimes rattles when shifter due to the lever having play nad hitting straight onto metal. This is the reason why I'm removing the KB SS.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to be be careful with the zip ties when I install my Cobb SS next week.

Sorry the KB SS is rattling and not working out for you. I hope the Cobb SS doesn't do that either since that would drive me nuts too!

[wjc04wrx]

If it doesn't come with the plastic piece that the stock one has, it will most likely do it as well unless the shifter shafter is thicker than stock.

I don't know why no one has brought this issue up, I guess that they just deal with it. I'm too of a perfectionist to just deal with it or ignore it.

[kts262]

Hmmm from what I remember on the install everything from the stock shifter transfers over to the Cobb and the only thing that comes with the Cobb shifter is the shifter, some zip tires, and instructions IIRC. I'll try the install in a few days and see what happens.

[wjc04wrx]

The plastic piece located on the stock shifter cannot be removed. It's on it and the only way to remove it would be to rip it apart into pieces.

[Muffnbluff]

I'm going to be installing the front/rear shifter stay bushings and the tic shifter bushings tomorrow. My question is do you guys recommend tapping out the roll pin or using the alternate technique described on tics website?