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STi Short Throw Shifter or Aftermarket

40K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  Boomba Racing 
#1 ·
I am about to make the order on my 2016 Limited WRX and was considering if the short throw shifter would be worth while. The main thing I am concerned about is if it would be cheaper just to opt out for a aftermarket one and getting it installed or for myself. Thanks in advance for any advise!
 
#4 ·
Suppose it may depend on personal preference. Cost wise, the STi sts is around $400+ USD. Anyone with an aftermarket that could throw in their 2 cents and how much it cost for the part (w/name) and install?

Thank you two for your inputs too. I appreciate it.
 
#5 ·
I've had both. I had kartboy on my '11... honestly there wasn't a ton of difference between the dealer installed one, and the kartboy one. The bushings made the biggest difference. Install is easy, do it on your own.
 
#6 ·
Great info, thanks man. Looks like the Kartboy is going for 200 with the bushings. I'm all about saving a penny (or 20,000 of them) for a aftermarket one.
 
#7 ·
Seriously do this. And don't look back ever. You won't regret it! Go Kartboy with bushing.. Or the Cobb STS. It's adjustable height which is cool, but still 40% shorter shifts. I did kartboy shifters a couple weeks ago, took about 40 minutes and put a write up on my build thread.

I regret not getting the STS with it, but what can you do. I will be going with the Cobb STS because of the adjustable height. I have a longer torso, so I can add a little height to the shifter.

I'd drive the car around for a day, then change them out so you can feel the difference. It's night and day, and I will forever now recommend this as a first mod to anyone, as it's not hard and worth every penny for that 200.
 
#9 ·
if you are getting a wrx (and not an sti) then kartboy and cobb shifters won't work, they only work for the sti because the design is a carry over from teh previous gen. the only aftermarket one for the wrxi know of is boomba.

i almost got the sts for my 15 base wrx (and still might) but i went with the perrin adapter instead. less than $100 and i did it myself (the roll pins are a pain but other than that it's easy, just don't try and use a tapered punch). that with bushings and shift stop it is awesome IMO.
 
#10 ·
I guess I should have specified that. When building the WRX they gave me the option to buy the STi sts so I assumed the parts would be interchangeble. That is a bummer but I have not read that anywhere. I did see the Boomba one online but didn't find any good reviews on it so I would like to speak to someone who has it.
 
#11 ·
yeah, i am sure companies are working on it but the boomba is the only one I know of. the wrx has an entirely differrent linkage/cable design but the Sti was a carryover.

a good tool is to create an account on a place like rally sport direct and save your vehicle, more often than not it will accurately tell you if something fits or not.

I was considering buying the boomba but then a guy at a meet had one and i asked about it so he let me row a few and it was positioned weird for me, sits too low but has shorter throws. i will be interested if cobb comes out with an adjustable one, i'd love ludicrously short shifts but also like the oem position/height of the shifter just not its sloppiness without the mods. that's why i like the perrin adapter, but it does require more force due to the shorter moment arm.
my buddy got a limited last week with the sti sts and i think the throw length is the same or a little longer than stock with teh perrin adapter (but i did't measure it so don't take my word as gospel).
 
#12 ·
Right, right, I appreciate your input. So you are able to get the limited with the STI sts then? To be honest, I have not even ever tried a short throw shifter before. I am thinking that while living in areas where I get on the freeway often and hit a few city lights with traffic, it would be a little more comfortable and less irritating having a stick. I enjoy stick shift too much to get a automatic again. I like the feeling of being fully intuned with the car.
 
#13 ·
My 2012 WRX limited came with the STI STS and it was simply ok. It was stiff and sometimes a little difficult to put into gear. The best word for it to me would be "notchy". The first thing I did was put a Flossy Redhead Heavyweight shift knob on it, which helped tremendously. Recently, I bought the Kartboy STS, and changed to that, as well as doing the shifter bushings. World of difference. The height of the knob is noticeably lower and the shifts are smooth, almost effortless. I think the actual shift lever is not near as important as the bushings, so if your on a budget, the bushings are the biggest bang for your buck.

I would definitely go aftermarket if you want a STS. For the price you'll save by not getting Subaru to put their mediocre stuff on, you can get an aftermarket STS with bushings, and still have enough to get a nice dinner for 2, a case of expensive beer, a semi-clean hooker, or about a months worth of gas.
 
#14 ·
Did you install the Perrin shifter bushing when you installed the adapter? I'm planning on installing both this weekend and wanted to get an opinion from someone who has both already installed. I've been driving my '15 WRX with stock shifter, aside from the perrin shift stop, (which is freaking awesome) for about 12k and I'm hoping the shift adapter and bushing clean up some of the notchy, sloppyness of the throw.
 
#15 ·
At least in the subarus with mechanical linkages, you could actually use both the factory and aftermarket lever.

The factory sts was just a slightly different linkage, and made a nice complement to an aftermarket shorter lever.

I'd doubt the same option still applies to the cable shifters, however. =(
 
#17 ·
I ended up ordering it with the STi STS for now. I will make the little modifications when possible but it will all depend on how it feels. I'm a pretty decent sized guy (6'2 240) so I may just end up smashing it easily. For those city times though, it may be a little annoying. I'll put all this in with my build thread when I get it started. Thanks for the help all. Still taking recommendations :)
 
#19 ·
If anyone has any particular questions about our short throw shifter or short shift plate, feel free to let us know! We are more than happy to help.
 
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