Was considering spending $80 on the JHM linkage upgrade. Anyone have this on their car? Is it worth it?

http://www.jhmotorsports.com/shop/ca...products_id=30

 

i didnt know you could just do the linkage like that, but i have the jhm short shift package and it is worlds better than stock... much more rugged feeling, no slop.

BUT if you are really picky you will get annoyed with the littttle rubbing niose that it makes when you are in gear, not too noticable unless you are listening for it, and definately not noticable if you have music on

 

Interesting I just bought the jhm solid short throw shifter as well. I was wondering the same thing. What rubbing are u speaking of? Is it harmful to the trans or just a vibration noise what exactly is rubbing? Does jhm shifter also help with not being able to get the car in gear easily when colder. Also thinking about changing trans oil to red line mt90 any reviews on that?

 

I have the JHM short shifter and think it is a great improvement over the stock feel - no noise on my car. Was wondering if the linkage would also be better and worth the money. The stock rubber pieces dampen vibration but have a mushy feel, the metal upgrades are more crisp but I dont want to lose the daily driverness.

 

yeah i have both, if you are in mn/wi you can come try it out for yourself! ha, but i can make a video of it today, and will post it up, but there is a very slight rubbing sound, if you research jhm on the forums there are a few posts about it, and someone from jhm usually chimes in and explains about it, something to the fact that the stock part was rubber and they replaced it with a solid design (metal) version so there is a slight vibration/ rubbing

 

Just curious, with regards to the linkage upgrade, just how easy is it to pop out that bar from under the car? I was looking at the installation instructions given on the site and they left out a few details, most likely assuming prior knowledge to how to pull a transmission shift rod. According to those instructions, you just open up the shifter box (as if installing the short shifter) and undo the bolt from the linkage, and then go under the car and undo another bolt and it just slides out, but from what I can recall from the last time I was under my car, that shifter rod isn't exactly in plain view, so my question is if the tranny has to be dropped, the exhaust dropped, some combination of something else like that, or is it really more in plain sight than I can remember and is as straightforward as the site's instructions make it out to be?

 

The shifter rod is in plain view from under the car. It is held to the transmission with a 10mm bolt which only needs to be backed out part way for the shift rod to come off the linkage rod that goes into the transmission.


The JHM shift linkage makes a huge difference, I went with one after already having the JHM shifter in my car. The Delrin bushing upgrade also makes a huge differnce since it keeps the shifter box from moving around which means the base of the shifter does not move like it does stock. The other great thing about the JHM bushing upgrade is the fact that it comes with a standard bolt that replaces that stupid stock allen head bolt that is a PITA when having to remove it everytime the transmission needs to be pulled out.



If anyone is interested in a linkage/bushing package let me know, I offer that package for the B5/B6 A4 5 speed for $107 + shipping. I also list it for a little less when ordered with the JHM shifter.

 

On the JHM site they have a warning about the Delrin bushings only being for "serious enthusiasts" and state that there will be increased vibration and noise. I dont know if this is what I want.

flynnr - Do you have the upgraded linkage and Delrin bushings or just the linkage? Im in Baltimore for the near future, could you post that vid, please

 

yeah ill make a vid today. it snowed last night so i was reluctant to go clean off the car... but i probably should anyway... give me a min

 

@Mike: Thanks for that info, glad to know it really is quite as simple as it sounds, I may just get that upgrade in the future.

On the note of bushings, do you, or anyone else reading this know where I can get the famed 'brass shifter bushings' that go on the rails of the shifter, there's two as I recall, and the stock ones are rubber. When I installed my short shifter (eBay kit, too cheap for a JHM on a car I likely wont have for more than another year and am not tracking, the eBay kit has been plenty of pleasure for a DD) it came with nylon replacement bushings for those rails but they were sized incorrectly and I couldn't get them in so I kept the stock rubber ones in there but ImTheDevil recommended replacing those with brass ones and that those would likely help with the sloppiness of the shifter but I've had no luck finding anything along those lines, do they exist?

After re-reading your post, I've logic'd that the Delrin bushings you mention are the same bushings I'm asking about, what are they made of and do they really increase vibration as much as the JHM site says?