shifter bushings

[jackedrabbit]

Who makes the best shifter bushings and linkages for an 84 GTI? I can only find stock style ones. My shifter is very sloppy and nds a rebuild. Thanks for the help. Been lurking around,looks like a great board so far.

[Eric Parham]

AFAIK, the ITCS has no allowance for the aftermarket spherical bearing types (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Therefore, one should use the stock types (plastic and rubber). Don't bother buying that aftermarket either, since they wear out or crack faster and many just melt from the engine or exhaust heat (even "German" stuff). The best deal in town (quality-wise) is the VW dealer, and I think the basic OEM bushing kit is still around $10, with another $10 each for replacement rods, if needed.

Edit: If you're not building an IT car, someone does make a spherical bearing kit. Try doing a search on the VW Vortex forums.

[Greg Amy]

Who makes the best shifter bushings and linkages for an 84 GTI? I can only find stock style ones.[/b]

Oh! You mean the only ones that are legal to install in an Improved Touring car...?



Only stock bushings are allowed, unless the aftermarket ones are direct copies of the originals. Nothing in the rules allows better bushings.

Yes, it may seem silly, but dem's da rules...

Despite that, welcome aboard!

[jackedrabbit]

Ya,I was looking for better ITB bushings,but stock looks like the way to go. It dosen't appear that fabricating a short shifter is legal either. I'm going to be building my car for the 09 season out here in New England,so I'm on a quest for knowledge. I have a friend that drives a Baby Grand at NHIS and Limerock,and I'm going to help him in '08 and learn as much as I can while there. I know that buying a car set for racing is the eazy and less expensive way to go,but for me building the car and knowing every weld and bolt is just as exiting as racing it.

[JamesB]

Stock bushings is all you can legally use and no short shifter builds. Which is fine, cuz all a short shifter in a mk1 does is bend shift forks. I would love to not shorten my shift but replace it with a kid the rally guys are selling cuz those plastic pieces break. But one of the eventual spares package I am getting together is a rebuild kit for the time when I do break something.

[RSTPerformance]

What is the performance advantage of replacing the plastic/rubber shifting linkage parts with Spherical bushing material??? I know it is illigal, but I have had my share of DNF's in the 6 years of our Audi's simply because this part melted and fell apart... certainly fustrating. If others have similar problems, Maybe it is time for a request to get put in!!!

Raymond

[zracre]

The trick in the shifter is to get the adjustment right...figure out the 15mm trick and it will shift like its a sequential box! (as long as all the other links are in working order)

[Knestis]

What is the performance advantage of replacing the plastic/rubber shifting linkage parts with Spherical bushing material??? I know it is illigal, but I have had my share of DNF's in the 6 years of our Audi's simply because this part melted and fell apart... [/b]

You answered your own question - the "performance advantage" is that they don't melt.

Please don't do your little bit to help creep.

We all have our mechanical crosses to bear. We just replace the bushings before they crap out but a warning - we got one that didn't have the proper plastic retaining ring for the urethane-looking bushing, and it kept popping out. Took a while to figure out that a new OE part was dorked up.

K

[RSTPerformance]

Please don't do your little bit to help creep.
[/b]

Thats the reason I have never put in a request... well that and I bet the answer would be "Does not meet the class philosiphy" or whatever the answer is people get a lot.

I would however be selfish and support the idea of this rules creep. Only because unlike a VW, you can not buy the Audi linkage or bushings from an "aftermarket supplier" from what we have found. The new linkages IMO are crazy money ($40 I think)... Last year we found the only 2 in the country, replaced one that was "fatiuged" and have the other on the shelf. We also save every used one we come across. I am sure that this is one part that will become unobtainable in the future for Audi drivers. Thankfully thier are not many of us!!! lol But I bet that a few other cars could or may have this issue, discontinued linkages, with no aftermarket support.

Short shift kits are popular among "aftermarket tuner gurues" especially the young chaps, so maybe it would be an ok thing to creep.

Raymond "just being open to creep... crap I am going to get beat up for this one" Blethen

[Joe Camilleri]

http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/ForSale/Shi...html#RaceTested

[Eric Parham]

http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/ForSale/Shi...html#RaceTested
[/b]

Interesting link. He says "PolyEthylene . . . stiffer and more durable than the soft urethane stock." I believe that the temporarily harder polyethylene is actually the main problem with most of the "stock" aftermarket rebuild kits. Although the OEM polyurethane is softer, it doesn't melt anywhere near as easily as the polyethylene when subjected to racing exhaust temperatures. The polyethylene is probably cheaper. In my own defence, all I can say is that I didn't even realize it was different until I tried to figure out why the aftermarket German bushings kept melting, but the OEM VW-Audi kit did not.

[Knestis]

Never mind. Saw the light this evening. Knock yourself out on this idea, too.

Whee!

K

[RSTPerformance]

Never mind. Saw the light this evening. Knock yourself out on this idea, too.

Whee!

K
[/b]

Kirk-

Stay away from the light, we all need to be kept in check once in a while... some more than others

Raymond

[JamesB]

I just wish this was legal?

[67ITB]

Do yourself the favor and replace all the bushings (and rods, levers, grommets, etc etc..) at the same time. And use the silicone lube, it will feel great,(comparatively) and then you can just replace the ones that get burnt as needed. They all contribute to the sloppy feel, and unless you start with fresh ones you will just chase your tail.

Some of my bushings get changed after every weekend, others just once a year. Also be sure that you have the correct parts installed, and I am not talking about legally. I had some linkage parts from a different model tranny and they looked the same, but the car would not shift well .
These trannys have been in so many cars that parts have been mixed and matched. Check part numbers. And again I am not talking about a legality issue as much as a function issue… . This is what I get for having too many spares around to choose from. I think I have a lever from an A2 Golf in the Scirocco and could not find a gear or 2.