sigh..... no love, besides i just got the bushing, gonna go in today and ill report my findings

 

I suggest you NOT allow banned users to use your sn anymore.

 

I will buy one.

 

Here is a thread with pics of the stock bushing and how to get it somewhat stiffer. Granted this method is a lot cheaper but I can't see how rubber with zip ties and duct tape will be nearly as stiff as polyurethane.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=331517

 

I was looking for that thread...

I actually tried that as a experiment when we were doing r&d on the urethane version. What I found was that for older bushings, all the zip ties do is somewhat fix the problem by firming up the rubber.

In the urethane bushing case, we found that it does two things: add density and volume and also urethane to make it more stiff to reduce flex

 

alright its in and my first impressions are that when ur going from gear to gear it goes right into place no B.S. about it, feels alot stiffer and does in fact feel like a 350 shift. so far i like it, ill have to see after a week or two.


also, Larrio where do you want me to send you the old bushing?

one last thing pix of the two will be up shortly.

 

here they are....



and...

 

We got a P.O. box setup, i'll find the address and PM it to you.

Glad to know that you like it, it should feel better as you get more used to it. Drive it for a few days and then drive a maxima with stock bushing and you'll know what I mean

 

Count me in for one,
Brent

 

Do you take the some of the rubber out or do you just fill the polyurethane around the stock rubber piece?

 

The rubber is virtually all gone, otherwise it would be completely a waste of time to half-a$$ the work and just fill it with urethane

please excuse the language for a lack of a better term

 

Yeah I figured you would try to take as much rubber off as possible while still being able to keep the fitment the same. I just wanted to make sure. I was thinking this would be a good idea and someone should try this. Let us know when you start producing.

 

will do

I will update this thread with a link a new FS one. Depending on how these sell we can go to improve with some custom made larger ones that have more urethane and thicker metal for hardcore racing applications. It would be interesting to see how much it would add to the overall feeling already.

 

ok guys.... heres the approx 1 week update....... so far so goo, shifts still feel stiff as hell, one thing i notice is a bit more feel when going over bumps, nothing major, due to the whole tranny moving from the bump, still when going into gear, you know exactly where it is and that its in.... so final impression..... worth the money and the 30-40 min install time. grade A product and im lovin it!!!!!

 

ok, ready to order already

 

This sounds very cool. I wonder how well it will work with the pacesetter

 

it should work better with all applications. This is because the shifter bushing acts as the pivot point of pressure for the shifter. It pushes against the bushing and side to side when shifting, so when you replace the rubber with urethane it makes such a considerable difference

 

i have a pacesetter and it feels good to me.

 

I really wonder if i will notice any difference in feel. Hell while i am at it i could make my throw even shorter with the pacesetter. I also wonder about dificulty of installation and if I will be able to install it even though i installed my STS.

 

I didn't think I would notice a huge diff in feel since I do have Place Racing solid engine mounts that makes the shifter already much better feeling than stock, but it did ! Its a really nice mod that makes the car feel much tighter. I am thinking of doing something bout the rear Panhard Rod that our 4th and 5th gens have to keep the car more controlled over bumps in the rear. Anyone whos driven a bone stock 100K plus mile Maxima will know what I mean about the back end wandering all over the road while changing lanes or cornering.

 

I honestly feel it would be impossible for you NOT to feel a difference. Kind of like saying if you'll feel a difference going from rubber to urethane motor mounts.

If you can install a STS, then you can do this. Its only three nuts and one bolt extra from a normal STS install

 

installing the bushing is very simple, especially if ur cat comes off very easily, its a total of 14 bolts that need to be removed, thats including the cat's heat shield, 2 from the cat itself, 5 from the shield above the cat and 3 form the shifter assembly.

 

I'm interested, but only if it's under $40 shipped. Good mod.

Question for those who have been driving with it: has it gotten any softer? I just installed Energy Suspension front/rear polyurethane motor mounts and it was super stiff the first time I drove with them (car vibrating at idle, shifter felt beautifully tight) but after a few days of driving it's really loosened up, way more than I was expecting. I don't fully understand why the polyurethane would loosen up light that. But I guess the shifter bushing doesn't have nearly as much constant vibration or force on it as the motor mounts do.

 

Mine after almost a month now feels the same way it felt the nite I installed it- I got almost 3K miles on mine now. As for the mounts, my Place Racing feel really tight, just like the day I installed them, I am used to them by now so whenever I get into a OEM motor mount Maxima throttle response sucks and wheel hop is nasty vs Place Racings. I've had my PR mounts for over a year now, I love em.

 

i highly doubt it'll loosen up, due to the fact its not exposed to "hazardous" weather conditions, i.e heat and lots of pressure and weight on it. it feels the same as the day that i installed mine but i have way fewer time and miles on it.

 

I have the ES motor mounts and it could just feel more "loose" because you are more used to the vibrations

I've tested this bushing on my own car for about 1 month now and it doesn't feel any different than the day I installed it. You notice it the most going into 1st and 2nd

Unfortunately and unlikely will this be offered for less than $40 dollars shipped. If one was to consider just the initial costs of this, there is not much to be made in the first place. The bushing is also adding more material volume to the shifter bushing, almost a 20-30% increase

The altimas and sentra guys are already expressing great interests and theirs may even cost more because their shifter bushings are most expensive. However, for those that feel it is too expensive, there are other alternatives available such as Dave B's method of zip ties and duct tape
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=331517

EDIT: may I add that these pieces are carefully made under the proper urethane preparation and curing conditions. Yes there are ways to cut costs such as making and welding metal to duplicate the shape of the stock bushing, but then there is a sacrifice to durability and other liabilities in case the item does not fit, or breaks, etc

 

i still say its worth the price hes asking, shifter feel is worth it, youll be appreciative of the money when u go to down shift on some fool trying to run you.

 

yeah like me when u see my tail lights all day at moroso. BTW Larrio i havent installed it yet im waiting to see if im gonna purchase a y pipe to do it 1 time so ill send u the stock shifter bushing when i do.

 

Can I, Please? (I needed more characters)

 

Panda_1, you claim it is stiff as hell? I got the pacesetter sts and it is notchy but I am happy with the feel and would never go back to stock. Not sure if the mount would help. I don't want it to get stiffer. The sts got rid of the rubbery feel I hated so much.

 

its hard to describe. Basically it feels more defined and more firm going into the gears but not stiff shifting between gears. I'm not sure if that made any sense

 

subscribbed! I need 3 tho'.

 

let me clarify a bit more, when i say stiff, i mean when going from first to second for instance, the shifter goes into gear and thats it theres no more play (room to move around while in gear).

 

Originally Posted by Larrio

polyurethane 5spd maxima shifter bushings are made by Top Element Tuning. Questions can be answered by PM or email to sales@***uning.com

we have just poured urethane into the new molds and will be releasing them for sale once we finish up the install instruction sheet and final pricing. It will be less than $50 shipped and will require your stock one back, no core charge but we do appreciate honesty


.... so these are the guys I need to e-mail to place an order, or do I have to talk to someone else? What's the deal?

 

Thats what I was thinking.

 

this sounds great...im interested *subscribed*

 

we haven't received back any bushings from the customers that we have sold them to so far and also nissan is backordered on new bushings for a few weeks, hence the delay.

I will make a new thread when the time comes for the availability of the bushings on a first come, first serve basis. This is less complicated than taking orders and customer's money only to have them wait in anticipation (or nervousness)

 

i haveto admit, i have not gotten around to sending my old one back.. Sorry Larry!

 

Please check PM Larrio. Thank you.

steve...

 

heh, no worries Panda_1. As soon as possible is good enough

omegasrk: PM returned