ANOTHER short throw shifter thread: ECS, JHM, Eurocode

[rwilner]

I'm considering a shifter in my 2016 B8. Love the car, but the shifter is a huge let down...rubbery, long throws, and generally not engaging.

Cost and installation are not concerns of mine, only concern is (1) ability to reverse the install, and (2) performance / longevity.

The eurocode seems like the winner in terms of being proven, but the annual maintenance is really a turn off for me. I don't feel good about having to remove an interior trim piece over and over again.

The ECS seems like a great piece but I just haven't seen many reviews.

The JHM is very proven but doesn't offer much adjustability (only two throws, and no knob height adjustment)...plus it looks very difficult to reverse the install since you have to reuse the stock housing.

I think I'm trying to decide between the eurocode and the ECS.

So, my questions:
- how often do you really have to grease the eurocode? This is not like wheel bearing grease...it's not under pressure, doesn't get hot, and it's in a pretty clean area within a sealed bearing...seems like you'd never have to replace it to me....
- anyone have some miles on the ECS and can report back?
- has anyone caught flak from the dealership about having a shifter installed?

thanks!
Rich

[Info@EuroCode]

Our 2009 R&D B8 A4 (sold to a neighbor shop) has never been serviced and has no issues with 60K on the clock. We speak to the owner regularly as they are one of our dealers. The bearing we use is sealed and hardly looses any of the greases injected, others uses dry bearings which will wear more quickly and will need to be replaced over time, however all bearings have a shelf life.

[Jake@JHM]

I'm considering a shifter in my 2016 B8. Love the car, but the shifter is a huge let down...rubbery, long throws, and generally not engaging.

Cost and installation are not concerns of mine, only concern is (1) ability to reverse the install, and (2) performance / longevity.

The eurocode seems like the winner in terms of being proven, but the annual maintenance is really a turn off for me. I don't feel good about having to remove an interior trim piece over and over again.

The ECS seems like a great piece but I just haven't seen many reviews.

The JHM is very proven but doesn't offer much adjustability (only two throws, and no knob height adjustment)...plus it looks very difficult to reverse the install since you have to reuse the stock housing.

I think I'm trying to decide between the eurocode and the ECS.

So, my questions:
- how often do you really have to grease the eurocode? This is not like wheel bearing grease...it's not under pressure, doesn't get hot, and it's in a pretty clean area within a sealed bearing...seems like you'd never have to replace it to me....
- anyone have some miles on the ECS and can report back?
- has anyone caught flak from the dealership about having a shifter installed?

thanks!
Rich

Our shifters have a lifetime warranty, and if anything, the most proven shifter as we have been developing the JHM Solid Short Shifter since 2006 starting with the B5 S4.

What do you mean by reverse the install? If you want to go back to stock you just reinstall the stock shifter like you normally would.

Not to mention, with the holiday sale this shifter is a steal: https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catal...-on-p-612.html

[rwilner]

Our 2009 R&D B8 A4 (sold to a neighbor shop) has never been serviced and has no issues with 60K on the clock. We speak to the owner regularly as they are one of our dealers. The bearing we use is sealed and hardly looses any of the greases injected, others uses dry bearings which will wear more quickly and will need to be replaced over time, however all bearings have a shelf life.

So, you're saying your shifter has been installed in this car for 60k miles with no issues?

[Info@EuroCode]

So, you're saying your shifter has been installed in this car for 60k miles with no issues?

That is exactly what we are saying!

[nomis88]

Eurocode hands down

[Info@EuroCode]

$287.00 and free shipping for the most proven B8/B8.5 shifter with a sealed bearing!!!


Click right here

[treejs4]

$287.00 and free shipping for the most proven B8/B8.5 shifter with a sealed bearing!!!


Click right here

At that price I would hands down buy eurocode. I bought mine full price a year ago and no complaints at all. One of my favorite mods!

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Our shifter is currently priced at $254.96 with free shipping.

Not to mention it has a spherical 440c Stainless steel, self-lubricating, precision ground, heat treated, PTFE lined shifter bearing. Meaning it never needs service.

It also features Nylatron NSM shifter plates for superior wear and noise resistance over Delrin blends and even brass - throws are effortless and butter smooth.

Our shifter allows for up to 43% reduction in throw while also allowing you 75mm of height adjustment.

Click HERE to order or for more information


Let me know if you have any questions.

Jason

[SteveYem]

@ ECS - when you say that the throws are effortless, are you implying that the effort to get into gear (i.e. the force to move the shift knob) is the same or less than stock?

[SportVier]

@ ECS - when you say that the throws are effortless...

"That is exactly what we are saying!"

There is zero effort required to change gears. Similar to shifting in a gravity-less vacuum where all laws of physics have been suspended.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

@ ECS - when you say that the throws are effortless, are you implying that the effort to get into gear (i.e. the force to move the shift knob) is the same or less than stock?

Yes. The shifter plates secured at the base are produced of nylatron, a material that offers a friction level 2.7 times lower in comparison to brass, while also offering superior wear and noise resistance which makes it an ideal material for slide plate applications.

Jason

[SacAudi]

Yes. The shifter plates secured at the base are produced of nylatron, a material that offers a friction level 2.7 times lower in comparison to brass, while also offering superior wear and noise resistance which makes it an ideal material for slide plate applications.

Jason

this was my concern. I had been under the impression that it was more precise however a bit more effort "notchy"... Sound like this is not the case?

Aside from the adjustability (or even longevity). Feel to Feel can someone describe the difference?

Thank you so much! I know this has been beaten like a dead horse.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Any time you shorten the throw of the shifter you're going to get a bit of notchy-ness. It's just the nature of a shorter throw. But it glides into gear very smooth in any of the 4 positions. The best way to describe it is it feels very connected. If there is any slop in your factory shifter this gets rid of that.

It's hard to describe it exactly, but it's something you just have to feel. And when you feel it, it gives you that "yeah that's nice" feeling. haha

Jason

[torinalth]

nice read. all three vendors representing the three big options. I've made my choice and will buy in January.

[rwilner]

I also made my choice :)

I don't think you can choose wrong. All 3 options seem good to me. And, they're all basically the same price right now.

Fun fact: I got my car serviced today and the dealer said its the first 3 pedal car they've seen this month, and they're a high volume shop!

[poweredbyaudi7]

I have JHM on my B8.5 and absolutely love it! Had one on my B6 for more than 50k miles in city driving that consistently required me to change gears. I chose JHM because they have been doing it the longest, and I have not seen or heard a negative thing about them. It was also cheaper than the others. It is not often that less is more, but this is a case that has people obviously screaming theirs is better...showing zero proof of anything.

[ballinb5]

Just installed Eurocode SS in about 2 hrs with a buddy. We had to use jack stands so that also slowed it down.

One thing I am noticing is its a little difficult to go from neutral into first gear but other than that it works great

[NHS4]

I have about 1500 miles on my ECS so far. In comparison with the JHM I had in my 2011 B8 I believe the ECS was a little stiffer initially in terms of operation than the JHM unit. I have driven the 2016 stock for 8k since I sold my 2011, so it is hard for me to provide a truly fair comparison. It seems to be getting better with more mileage, and I did bring it back the installer for some fine tuning. The height adjustment set screw came loose causing the shift nob to rotate. With a little loctite and a slight gate adjustment I was on my way. Overall it feels great now, nice improvement over stock.

[GeoJoe]

40k miles+ and over 20 track days on my ECS short shifter...no issues .. its one of the best upgrades for the S4.

[Guitarmageddon]

I had the JHM on my b7 and there has never been as good of a shifter before or since. I have a jetta now and its a boring FWD cable-operated shift mechanism. I do have a short throw kit on it to clean up the slop, but its not even in the same galaxy as JHM. Damn I miss it. Go JHM and you wont regret it.

[Info@EuroCode]

40k miles+ and over 20 track days on my ECS short shifter...no issues .. its one of the best upgrades for the S4.

We think you are talking about the EuroCode shifter and not the ECS, as that hasn't been on the market long enough for you to put 40K miles on it. ;)

Thank you for the kind words, we are glad you are enjoying the EuroCode shifter for over 40K miles and 20 track events!!

[torinalth]

glad this was bumped up. went with the ECS in the end after weighing my options. really enjoy the shifter. I'm running next to shortest throw length and about an inch from the shortest height and it's very comfortable. To be honest I'm debating about raising the height up another 1/2". The install is easy enough, but I will say you should have a friend talking with you while adjusting the shifter location under the car. I thought it was right and was WAY off in the cabin. Even when I thought it was right up top it was off at the bottom and was hitting the plastic "surround" underneath. having a partner to see it up top while you can see it below is the fastest way to go. after roughly 2k miles now i'm a happy camper. going into reverse is a little bit weird with the new geometry now, but you get used to it. I really like the smoothness though of how it slides, that is better than stock.

[GeoJoe]

We think you are talking about the EuroCode shifter and not the ECS, as that hasn't been on the market long enough for you to put 40K miles on it. ;)

Thank you for the kind words, we are glad you are enjoying the EuroCode shifter for over 40K miles and 20 track events!!

Yes, I stand corrected! And it's still awesome.

[Info@EuroCode]

Yes, I stand corrected! And it's still awesome.

Thank you for the kind words!!

[nevets77]

I installed the JHM shifter yesterday and I'm a little dissapointed there isn't a bigger difference from stock. I can hardly notice the decrease in shift length. It did decrease the amount of play and length from the OEM slightly but I doubt anyone who drives the car for the first time would be aware of the change... It seems well made but I'm already regretting my choice.

[Jake@JHM]

I installed the JHM shifter yesterday and I'm a little dissapointed there isn't a bigger difference from stock. I can hardly notice the decrease in shift length. It did decrease the amount of play and length from the OEM slightly but I doubt anyone who drives the car for the first time would be aware of the change... It seems well made but I'm already regretting my choice.

Which setting do you have it in?

[nevets77]

I used the shorter of the two options and the preinstalled spring which I believe is slightly firmer than OEM. My stock shifter only had 18k miles and wasn't showing signs of wear just yet, but I was hoping for a tighter shorter throw. I knew the height would be the same, though I do wish it were also lower. I'm not sure if its possible to cut it down. I am still waiting for a BFI weighted shift know to arrive which will hopefully improve the feel some. The complete linkage would undoubtably make a more noticable difference, but that was out of my price range and mechanical ability ( tack on install cost ... ). All in all it's well made and easy to install but not what I was expecting.

[ModItNow]

The shift knob will make a good difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[Jake@JHM]

I used the shorter of the two options and the preinstalled spring which I believe is slightly firmer than OEM. My stock shifter only had 18k miles and wasn't showing signs of wear just yet, but I was hoping for a tighter shorter throw. I knew the height would be the same, though I do wish it were also lower. I'm not sure if its possible to cut it down. I am still waiting for a BFI weighted shift know to arrive which will hopefully improve the feel some. The complete linkage would undoubtably make a more noticable difference, but that was out of my price range and mechanical ability ( tack on install cost ... ). All in all it's well made and easy to install but not what I was expecting.

Top hole or bottom hole? (sorry, some people still get them confused so I just want to verify)

There is only so much you can do with only a short shifter, and that holds true for any manufacturer of shifters. The Linkage + Shifter combo is the key to the ultimate shifting experience.

Weighted knobs will also improve the shifting experience

[Boris]

I installed the JHM shifter yesterday and I'm a little dissapointed there isn't a bigger difference from stock. I can hardly notice the decrease in shift length. It did decrease the amount of play and length from the OEM slightly but I doubt anyone who drives the car for the first time would be aware of the change... It seems well made but I'm already regretting my choice.

Hmmm, interesting because I actually enjoy the stock throw length, but need an upgrade because my shift gates and the feel is all worn....

Are the euro code and ecs also adjustable throw lengths like jhm's ?

I find Really short shifts less satisfying anyways, but a little shorter would be nice.

This is the best thread ever, all three vendors chiming in, I love it!!!

To be fair though, only Jhm has the solid linkage thing also right? Is the solid link compatible with the other two short shift kits?

[Boris]

$287.00 and free shipping for the most proven B8/B8.5 shifter with a sealed bearing!!!


Click right here

Can u post new link? This one says I don't have access?

[nevets77]

I lined up the two holes and put the screw thru the bottom hole.

Top hole or bottom hole? (sorry, some people still get them confused so I just want to verify)

There is only so much you can do with only a short shifter, and that holds true for any manufacturer of shifters. The Linkage + Shifter combo is the key to the ultimate shifting experience.

Weighted knobs will also improve the shifting experience

[Info@EuroCode]

Can u post new link? This one says I don't have access?

At the moment we do not have any in production, but we may produce more in the future if the demand is high enough.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

ECS also adjustable throw lengths like jhm's ?

Yes, our shifter allows for 4 different settings up to 43% throw reduction. As well as 75mm of height adjustment.

Jason

[nevets77]

I ordered a JHM shifter ( from JHM ) and BFI weighted shift knob ( from ECS ) on the same day. Ten days later, the shifter is already installed and I'm still waiting for ECS to ship the knob..

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

I ordered a JHM shifter ( from JHM ) and BFI weighted shift knob ( from ECS ) on the same day. Ten days later, the shifter is already installed and I'm still waiting for ECS to ship the knob..

Our shift knobs are direct ship from BFI. So if they are behind on orders there's not much we can do about it, unfortunately.

Feel free to PM me your order number and we can look into it.

Jason

[nevets77]

Installed a BFI weighted shift knob today onto the JHM shifter. Definitely an improvement. The additional weight improves the feel more than I would have expected. The JHM was buttery smooth but lacked the engagement I was hoping for. The BFI also sits noticeably lower which I personally like. This also reduces some of the leverage making the throws shorter . Much improved as a combo, and now highly recommended. I still hope to add the rest of the JHM linkage in the future for a truly gated feel

[Game]

Yes, our shifter allows for 4 different settings up to 43% throw reduction. As well as 75mm of height adjustment.

Jason

Almost 3 inches of height adjustment?? That's alot of adjustment.

Any discount codes for Audizine members? Or promotions coming up?