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YOUR RESEARCHshort shift upgrade
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Install ben's kit
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I installed Ben's kit with the expectation of reducing some slop and vagueness in the shifting rather than shortening the throw.
Leading evidence: 'Install ben's kit' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust wear over time -aluminum bushings may be o.k' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I installed a shifter I got from a reenlisted tonight, it's a B&M unit inside of a 997 bracket.
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However, aluminum -on-aluminum promotes galling; this is why brass or delrin is typically used for bushings on a billet aluminum part.
Adjust wear over time -aluminum bushings may be o.k
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Suggestion
With enough grease and the ability to micro adjust for wear over time -aluminum bushings may be O.K.
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They can generally be had much cheaper than buying new - I sold mine for $75 I think... I found a B&M for $150 already installed in a 997 base... If you must have it right away, then I guess "New" is the way to go though... It's definitely a worthwhile upgrade/mod, the only question is cost... Good Luck
Any plans for track use? If so, the Numeric shifter is well worth the money. Otherwise, it's all just preference. You can get the 997 shift kit for the same price and I know it makes a pretty big difference. GT3RS version mentioned above sounds really cool as well.
I'm taking my DD back to stock prepping it to sell and just went from a Numeric to the original 996 shift kit. It's humorous how much longer the throws are but for some reason it doesn't feel near as bad as I remembered. I guess I just like change.
I have been thinking about doing this as well. Not that the current one is awful, but a short throw would cut down on sandwich making time between shifts
Ben006 is an interesting guy. Useful combo for Rennlist of Porsche Tech/fabricator/computer modeler/3d printer.
He seems to have a good rep with the 986 guys. Some of his projects have well over 20,000 views ! So there must be something to see there!
I bought my 997 shifter for like $125, so you can definitely get it cheaper than from Suncoast. I also got the shift-right kit from Function First, which I haven't installed yet, but everything I've read makes it sound like money better spent than on the GT3 shifter.
I have met Ben in person (very nice guy), and drove his car with the short shifter. Exelant product.
I'm on his list over the 986 forum.
I currently have the 997 setup, but Ben's solution is defenetly nicer.
The 997 shifter or oem short shifter is worth it. It's very tight in that there's no sloppy movement like the regular 996 aftermarket short shifters that sell for 150 and under. I finally got a good deal on a numeric ss. I've been curious as to how this one will feel. I've wanted the cae shifter more than anything.
I installed a shifter I got from a reenlisted tonight, it's a B&M unit inside of a 997 bracket. Install was pretty painless, and the difference is amazing, really liking it so far.
But it still has neoprene bushings. They will never come close to the smooth, rifle bolt precise action of Bens ball bearing short shifter ($125-ish).
If you tried it, you'd never go back to a shifter that uses "plastic" bushings.
"Neoprene" bushings? I don't think so... The stock bushings are plastic (Neoprene is a type of foam rubber that wet suits are made of). The B&M shifter uses Aluminum bushings, not plastic...
Pardon me...slip of the mind. Polyurethane bushings.
Aluminum bushings? No, I don't think so. Aluminum would make a terrible bushing, lol!
B&M, just like most SS kits, uses an aluminum cup with a polyurethane "plastic" bushing. Bens SS replaces these bushing with ball bearings.
It would seem you have to register at the 986forum website, then you can send a message to him
That was the approach I took, now I wait to see if there is a response.
David,
Please let us know how you like it ?
It is the only 996 shifter upgrade I have found that uses steel ball bearings instead of plastic bushings. And it is made in the USA by a Porsche Tech ! And he actually gives Customer Service too.
I actually don't have many complaints about the factory shifter. Coming from earlier air cooled 911s, the 996 shifter is dramatically improved. However, it sounds like Ben's unit is even better. I will definitely offer my impressions once I have it and have put in enough miles to get an accurate sense of it.
The SSK is just a shorter stock shifter. Problems getting into 1st on the downshift ?
The Numeric is a redesign/upgrade.Uses ball bearings,not plastic bushes. But get their cables also ? Great reviews.This combo is $1K !
Ben's shifter is as good in design/materials imho.
Function First have a deal on their old design ball bearing shifter for $400+/-
"Aluminum bushings? No, I don't think so. Aluminum would make a terrible bushing, lol!"
Yes Aluminum (billet) like the GT3 shifter... must suck
https://phenixengineering.com/shop/p...t-bushing-kit/
Yep! Aluminum generally is too soft for a bushing and will not spring back like plastic.
I'm sure these are hardened, but it's still a bushing.
A metal bushing is best used in an application where it will see primarily rotational forces and little to no lateral forces (as in a brass bushing on a small electric motor). Shifting is primarily lateral forces with very little rotational force.
Metal bushings are generally used to cut costs where they can get away with it as ball bearing are many times more expensive. Nothing to be proud of and certainly not a selling point.
You'd have to be a moron to think that's a better idea than a BB.
The loads on a shifter bushing are very light. With enough grease and the ability to micro adjust for wear over time -aluminum bushings may be O.K. But when the alternative - 4 steel ball bearings cost less than $5 -why mot use BB ? Difference in weight between 4 bushngs vs 4 BB would be less than the weight of my wallet !
Aluminum - unless it's an alloy - is nominally harder than brass. However, aluminum -on-aluminum promotes galling; this is why brass or delrin is typically used for bushings on a billet aluminum part.
So just to shed some light on this, as I've done quite a bit of R&D on the design, a majority of the forces the shifter will undergo is in the axial direction (front and back), rather than in the radial direction (up and down), which was noted in a post above. And it can be a decently high and repetitive shock force, given that you're using a lever arm to multiply your effort, especially if you're slamming gears over and over.
Plain sleeve bearings (aka bushings) are great at sustaining high loads, but they require tolerance (ie. play) to function without binding, and their inner surfaces will wear out in all directions with repetitive cycles (ie. shifting gears). The aluminum bushings have the added benefit of less flex vs the OEM plastic/rubber bushings, but there is free play exhibited with both of these. Using ball bearings at the pivots is a better solution, as they can be fully pre-loaded to eliminate any play while still delivering smooth operation. However, the right bearing type for the application must be chosen. For starters, because the shifter sees a majority of forces axially, thrust bearings are the appropriate choice since they can sustain the repeated static shock loads that comes with these axial forces. The bearings in the shifter application also need to support some radial forces, so a thrust ball bearing that's rated for forces in both directions is required. That's exactly what we use and what we designed our
SHIFT-RIGHT Solution
around. (Further to those 2 pivot points, we also address the side-side play with the tightly toleranced upgraded shifter yoke that itself mounts on ball bearings to deliver smooth and precise operation.)
Other ball-bearing shifters offered on the market utilize radial ball bearings that are unable to sustain repeated axial forces from shifting, and they risk wearing out and/or failing prematurely. The lifetime of the radial bearings is even further reduced under spirited and track driving conditions where shifts are generally more repetitive and aggressive.
So to sum it all up, not all ball bearing shifters are created equal!
Kudos to Function First for offering some technical information ! Since they are too modest to mention it, I'll say ,they have a deal at the moment on their shifter.
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...n-upgrade.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...the-997-a.html
I received my ball bearing modified shifter kit from Ben, and had it installed. Drove about 175 miles today in both rush hour stop and go and some 90 mph freeway driving. So I have a pretty good idea of how it feels. First, let me clarify, my car already had a short shifter kit in it, but with the plastic bushings. I'm not aware of what brand it was. I installed Ben's kit with the expectation of reducing some slop and vagueness in the shifting rather than shortening the throw.
SO…. yes, Ben's shifter is a pretty dramatic improvement over the short shifter I had installed. No vagueness, no slop, just direct, crisp, precise movement only in the direction it is supposed to go. My previous lever probably wobbled side to side 1/2" when in various positions. The new shifter from Ben wobbles less than 1/16". Additionally my previous shifter was often quite balky going in to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3-2 downshift. The new shifter has been smooth into all gears in both upshift and downshifts. Some people may find it not enough difference from other SS kits, but I'm very happy with the improvement over the one I had and the price/value. Two thumbs up.
I'll be at the Pelican Cars and Coffee in SoCal tomorrow if anyone wants to feel the shift movement.
I got mine installed tonight, and i can say it is lightyears ahead of my stock shifter. Shifts are tight and precise. It will take some getting used to for sure
