SSK's

[cakM3]

Alright - got the BMW Performance SSK installed. I enlisted the help of a friend in the BMW body shop to help after he got out (Body shop gets out 3:30, I get out @ 4:30)

Took about an hour and a half. The clip was easy to come off, but hard to get back on. Lived up to the name "bitch clip." The cup bushing was hard to get out, and easy to get back in. So those were the big hold ups. I also ended up putting the car in the air (lifts FTW) to help out.

Initial thoughts had me thinking not much had changed.. Then I drove it and realized that the bottom gears (2,4,6) are A LOT shorter. My dummy estimates are like ~30% or so. They're just the perfect distance from the neutral area. The top gears (1,3,5) didn't really change much in throw distance. I'd say ~10%.

IMO, the OE ZHP shifter was pretty perfect.. but if you're looking for a good amount shorter then this is it. It's not too short like the Z3M (IMO) where it's just moving 3 inches from gear to gear.. this shifter still provides that good 'SSK' feel without being overbearing.

Very nice Dalton

After reading this post I decided to get the BMW Performance shift lever for 330i over the 330d shift lever. Went to the dealership to exchange the part at no cost Great job doing the research!

[Crestwood1001]

No pictures during the install!? Not cool man

[terraphantm]

Hmm, it doesn't seem right that the shifter would have different throws for 1,3, and 5 compared to 2,4, and 6. You sure you didn't accidentally install the shifter backwards?

[BimmerWill]

I don't has zhp but I want to do something as far as a shifter replacement as my throws are rather long and beginning to be sloppy due to wear on the ball from being driven 190+k miles. Id like to get the z3m shifter but some people on this thread say they don't like it. Any suggestions? Id love to have shorter throws but don't want to reduce driveability and would love for it to feel more gated versus "best guess" shifting due to my shifter not staying in the middle like it should.

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[BADCLOWN]

Bumping this up: is this worth the purchase?


http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1093599

[ELCID86]

I do like an SSK.


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"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46f member

[rkneeshaw]

Yep, I'd do it. The OEM SSK was much better than the B&M I had. The B&M would grind going into 2nd gear on super fast shifts. Not an issue with the OEM SSK. Bundled with the DSSR seems like the perfect combo

[Vas]

I have the bmw performance ssk in the wife's car. Really like it but it's not a huge change but still a nice improvement.

You will need a new shifter cup though.

Look up the euro shifter on ecs tuning. Same thing

[ZHPizza]

Hell yeah I'm bringing this 5 year old thread back from the grave. You know why? Cuz I got data, bitches.

Edit: grabbed a better pic from Derbo's build thread - OE ZHP on the top, BMWP on the bottom

The big difference is obviously the wild shape of the BMWP lever, but all that aside you can see that the length below the ball is like 0.25in longer on the BMWP


MEASUREMENTS were taken from a seemingly arbitrary point. I took these first pics 4 months ago so I have no idea what I was thinking. Anyway...
OE ZHP, 3rd gear = 6.0in


OE ZHP, 4th gear = 2.75in


That gives us a throw of 3.25in for the OE ZHP lever

BMWP, 3rd gear = 6.75in


BMWP, 4th gear = 4.0in


Here's your numbers:
OE ZHP throw = 3.25in
BMWP throw = 2.75in

So a pretty sizeable reduction in throw!

BUT did you notice how much further forward the BMWP shifter starts and finishes? Yeah, everything is happening a little further away from the driver. I'm not yet sure how I feel about this as I was already annoyed with the throw to 5th on the stock shifter. I could definitely see this solving the elbow-into-the-armrest issue that a lot of us have when going to 2nd/4th/6th, though.

[Will]

Nice thread revival and addition! Pretty dramatic repositioning of the shift lever, as well as a nice reduction in throw. Strange as the BMW short shift for the m3 didn't have the curvy underside.