Are these REALLY the same? I keep reading comments in this forum that say they are, but CustomMaxima says theirs is aluminum. Pacesetter is steel.

I also keep reading things like "Pacesetter is crap" but why would it be ANY different from the stock shifter, other than the throw? Isn't the ball exactly the same diameter and made out of the exact same material as the stock shifter? Isn't the Pacesetter just as heavy and stiff as the stock shifter, or not?

Does the Pacesetter have the same bend(s) as the stock shifter? The stock shifter bends back and then there is a dogleg to the right. Does the Pacesetter have both bends? Does it bend back by the same amount?

David

 

What I am looking for is a slightly shorter shifter with a slightly shorter throw, with the same (or better) "feel" as the factory shifter.

The B&M is of high quality, but the throw is too short for my taste, and it has less bend than the stock shifter, resulting in more of a reach to the shift ****. I think maybe the Pacesetter, set to it's lowest setting, or close to it, might be what I am looking for, but I am unwilling to sacrifice anything in the way of ergonomics or "feel" vs. the stock shifter.

Comments abound about the Pacesetter or CustomMaxima being "notchy" or "rubbery", but nobody has indicated WHY this would be so. What is it about the design of either of these products that would make them different from the stock shifter in these areas?

 

the stock and pacesetter have different bends I believe the pacesetter is made out of alumminium my friend has it in his max and that is what I want to go with I have not really noticed any difference in nochyness as many people here say there is considering maxiam shifter and gates them selfs are notchy from the factory with the exception of the 04.

 

steel is magnetic correct? i can check my pacesetter. I bought the car with it so i cant compare it with the stock one......well i could always check out my friends stock 5spd for the difference. also mine is all the way short (i think) and it seems to be a longer throw than my cousins altima with the B&M. It could just be 2 different cars that make the dif. My PS is chrome and looks identical to the SMC shifter.

 

i have the custom max one. feels notchy, but i kinda like it. ultra short throw as well.

 

i ahve the pacestter/CM one as well. it is notchy as all hell for the first week. Then it dies down alittle once it is worn in. BUt it is still very notchy. i am use to it so it does not matter to me anymore.

The acually height of the stock is shorter. so inside the car it will look alot better than the other ones cause you **** will be much lower. THe abilityt o adjust the height is awsome, and you can get the feel for what you like unlike many of the other shifters.

the pace stter does have much different bends. for one it does not bend sideways like our stock does. ther eis one small bend that makes it easier to cut if you are going to. Anpother good thing about ordering form CM is they give you a replacent "c" bearing that is a nissan OEM part, and they include grease and everything you need.

 

From a few different sites:WHY would the Pacesetter be "notchy". If the ball is set all the way to the top, well OF COARSE it's going to be notchy. Duh. But how about if the ball is set toward the bottom? If it is more notchy than the stock shifter, there HAS to be a reason. What is it?

Just exactly what is it that gets "broken in"? Must either be the ball or the connection with the shift linkage. Are you guys not getting things lubed properly, or overtorquing something?

Now, is the CustomMaxima steel or is it aluminum? Could make a BIG difference. Aluminum will tend to transmit more vibration than steel. Something to do with stiffness. I know that an aluminum bicycle frame is "stiffer" than a steel bicycle frame, and this extra stiffness can be felt, so I assume it's the same with a shift lever. And the lighter weight of alumunum would NOT be an advantage when it comes to a shift lever.

If the Pacesetter does not have the second bend of the stock shifter, then it must sit a little more to the left than the stocker. Just about 1/2" per my measurements of the stock shifter. This doesn't seem like it would be an issue, but I wonder why the stock shifter has that second bend?

What irritates me is the lack of ANALYSIS, too many people saying things like "Pacesetter sucks" without giving a thred of thought as to WHY. There may be good reasons. Let's hear them.

 

From the Customenterprises web site:Who has actually seen (and held in their hands) BOTH the CustomMaxima AND the Pacesetter shifters? ARE they truly the same product, or are they NOT?

 

basically what i think that is getting broken in is the rubber that touches the shifter it is basically getting set in place as you drive.

 

The "c bushing" at the very bottom?

 

I have a Pacesetter #01-0422 STS in my 97. It came with the car and I hate it with every ounce of my being. It is extremely notchy and constanly causes me to miss shifts or, on a few horrible occasions, miss 4th and instead cram it into 2nd. Before anyone questions - I've owned 6 different manual cars, two of which were 4th gens and I know how to drive a manual very well.

The throw in my first Maxima was stock and fine with me but seeing Requin6's STS impressed me. When I bought my new car and it already had a STS I thought I'd be in heaven. I am now trying to determine whether it is my shifter causing the problems or if my tranny is toast. I've tried adjusting the throw, changed the fluid to Series 2000, all to no avail. My next cheapest alternative is to install a junkyard stock shifter and see if that improves it. If it does, I may then try a B&M STS since it has the dog-legged bend in it and I think that's what Requin6 has.

Speaking about the missing bend on the Pacesetter, it always feels like the H pattern is kinda angled and not straight on. No anaylisis here other than I'm not happy w/ my PoS PS and I've been giving it alot of threads of thought.

 

How do you know it's a Pacesetter brand STS? Is the shaft black, or chrome? The Pacesetter is chrome. The CustomMaxima is black. Another reason I don't believe they are the same product.

The B&M just has a single rearward bend in it. It does not have the "dogleg right" bend of the stock shifter. If it DID have that bend in it, I think the "H" would feel too far to the right because of the reduced throw. I don't see how this missing bend could account for the H pattern being angled as you report with the Pacesetter. Perhaps it's the lower bend that is different from the stock shifter?

You say you have adjusted the throw. You have adjusted the ball all the way to the BOTTOM, to MAXIMIZE the throw? This SHOULD minimize the notchiness also.

Has the ball on yours been shaved down? I have read where people had to shave the ball. #1, I can't BELIEVE this is really necessary. Is the product THAT out of spec? #2, this would undoubtedly result in this joint not being smooth, and quite possibly being sloppy, which would result in a poor feel.

In short, this "anecdotal evidence" with no analysis to back it up, just adds to the confusion and is therefore not helpful.

David

 

haysdb, I know it's a Pacesetter because the previous owner, a friend of mine, told me it was, I have the installation instructions, and it looks like every picture I've seen of a PS STS. It is chrome and magnets stick to it. It is definitely a Pacesetter and looks like the one here http://www.pacesetterexhaust.com/quikshift.htm

I've never shaved the Delrin ball, it doesn't look as if it ever was shaved prior to me. I've adjusted the ball to every point possible. All the way up, all the way down and every point in between to get a good feeling shift. I cannot find the "magic" spot.

I stated that I was impressed w/ Requin6's sts - turns out, his is a Pacesetter too. I don't know if PS may have redesigned the shifter, maybe I got a bad one (it was installed in 97), there could be a lot of variables involved here - not ruling out my transmission either. In any event, I'm not happy w/ MY PS STS. Take that for what it's worth w/o analytical data to back it up.

 

i have a pacesetter, but not installed. its made of steel. also i've witness'ed aluminum short shifters break at the welds. but that can also depend on how rough you shift. thats all i can give that the topic.

-rafal

 

I have a pacesetter and IMO it is a piece of crap. I had to shave the ball to even make it fit.

I would not tell anyone to buy it. I would suggest the B&M - it is much higher quality.

 

The B&M is indeed of very high quality, but ergonomically flawed.

The issue with the ball has me mystified. I am in awe that such a critical piece could be so far out of "spec" as to require shaving it down. I wish someone who did this had measured the diameter of the ball and compared it to the stock ball. What's odd is, many or most have not had to shave the ball to get it to fit. Either Pacesetter has some quality control issues or, well, it just doesn't add up.

I am still looking for why the Pacesetter would shift more poorly than the stock shifter. I still suspect something related to how these units were installed, although I admit I can't imagine what that would be.

 

It may just be that the adjustability PS and a few others give is too much for our transmissions syncros to handle? Obviously the shorter the throw, the less time for syncing to occur and the more wear and tear on the transmission.

I'm certain mine is installed properly, it's not a hard install at all and am leaning more towards the fact that my tranny is probably on the way out. I'd recommend you get ahold of Requin6 - and do whatever he did. His shifter is smooth and effortless and is shorter and quicker than mine.

 

first off the pacesetter is steel, and if CM claims their's is aluminum that would be a pretty clear indication that they aren't the same. I got the PS because it was adjustable and cheap, its worked great for me and I haven't had a problem with notchyness, for those with problems with it I would suggest changing your tranny oil.