Aftermarket Floor shifter Suggestions

[CRUZE 418]

I have to be the stupidest damn member here. I just went up there and tried to follow Joey's instructions, the screens and instructions do not look the same. Hats off to all of you people that can negotiate all of the obstacles and be successful at the task. I would rather be back in my old semi on a cross country in the Midwest in an ice storm or out west in the Sierra's in a windblown snow storm. Really frustrating.

 

[Demonx2]

B&M rachet, yes, reverse lockout, reverse valve body 727.

View attachment 1716496750

Well done - a good-looking clean installation for sure!

Anybody that can mount that B&M or any forward exit cable up around the front of the trans and avoid the headers and get the angle right to come in around the 727/904 bell, hook up the shift lever, etc, etc is 1000% better of a wrench than me!! I've got the simple Cheetah shifter as coming in from the back is SO much simpler!

 

[Michael Harrington]

If someone has never had an aftermarket automatic shifter I have to ask if you ever had a factory Slap Stick shifter. If you like the Slap Stick you will like the ratchet shifters. I have a Hurst Pistol Grip Quarter Stick on the shelf but all I have ever had is ratcheting shifters. The Hurst is solidly built and looks amazing but I simply cannot warm up to the gated mechanism. Thats just me.

 

[CRUZE 418]

#52, I was not able to get the cable up over the bell to the cable holder on the driver's side of the trans with the 5' cable, or go to a 6' foot around the front of the bellhousing. Embarrassing to say I went to 8' around the front of the oil pan and back. Not sure if it will live, have DEI heat shield around the cable by headers (Hemi) with safety wire for hold back.
Will start another thread about this.

 

[mopower440]

What works better on A-bodies with 727, shifters with the cable coming out the rear of the shifter or shifters with cables coming out the front?

 

[Demonx2]

To me, which way the cable exits the shifter does not matter NEARLY as much as where it enters the transmission. Both can work fairly easily so long as they enter the transmission from the rear.

 

[mopower440]

To me, which way the cable exits the shifter does not matter NEARLY as much as where it enters the transmission. Both can work fairly easily so long as they enter the transmission from the rear.

so if you use a shifter that has the cable coming out of the front, you would run that cable around the trans and come up to it from the rear?

 

[Demonx2]

so if you use a shifter that has the cable coming out of the front, you would run that cable around the trans and come up to it from the rear?

It depends on how the shifter is made. The brand/type of shifter determines whether it enters the trans from the front or rear. The Cheetah shifter cable exits the front but comes in from the rear of the trans. The cable loops around on the upper RH side of the trans then loops in front of the trans cross member, attaches to the large hole on the LH rear of the trans for a straight shot at the shift lever. The cable stays well away of the headers as it makes its loops. It also has bend radii that are well within the capabilities of the cable. Mine is going on 5 years old now with no issues whatsoever.

The Winters shifter was my next choice as it's a rear-exit cable and enters the trans from the rear. The cable would route and loop in front of the trans crossmember very similarly to the Cheetah. I would think the cable would need to be shorter than the standard 5 footer it comes with. But maybe someone on here that has one can chime in since they've "been there, done that."

 

[scatpakman]

It depends on how the shifter is made. The brand/type of shifter determines whether it enters the trans from the front or rear. The Cheetah shifter cable exits the front but comes in from the rear of the trans. The cable loops around on the upper RH side of the trans then loops in front of the trans cross member, attaches to the large hole on the LH rear of the trans for a straight shot at the shift lever. The cable stays well away of the headers as it makes its loops. It also has bend radii that are well within the capabilities of the cable. Mine is going on 5 years old now with no issues whatsoever.

The Winters shifter was my next choice as it's a rear-exit cable and enters the trans from the rear. The cable would route and loop in front of the trans crossmember very similarly to the Cheetah. I would think the cable would need to be shorter that the standard 5 footer it comes with. But maybe someone on here that has one can chime in since they've "been there, done that."

Thanks for the info. My winter project is replacing my stock shifter with a Cheetah. Any other advice I should know?

 

[Demonx2]

Thanks for the info. My winter project is replacing my stock shifter with a Cheetah. Any other advice I should know?

I'd say to set the shifter in the car before you drill any holes. See where the cable exits it and where you want the hole in the floor to be (probably a bit to the right of centerline/right of the shifter). Drill the hole and route the cable. I put a grommet on the floor hole to help protect the cable. Your trans needs that cast loop/hole on the left rear as the cable uses that for attachment so it has a straight shot to the shift lever. The instructions cover it all very well.

I have the shifter with the line-loc button on it so you have to also decide where/how to route the wires for it.

Here's a couple pics back when I installed mine. These pics were still a bit of work in progress as I see there were still openings in the dash.

As far as usage, just keep your hand off it when you launch the car. Then just slap/whack it when you want to shift. Pretty bulletproof if you do it that way. Good luck to you!

 

[33IMP]

Thanks for the info. My winter project is replacing my stock shifter with a Cheetah. Any other advice I should know?

The Winters sidewinder functions just like a Cheetah ( rear entry cable, solid as a rock, Mopar specific part numbers, forward or reverse pattern) and comes with a housing, which a Cheetah doesn't.
And it's a couple hundred dollars cheaper.
Winters has been making the same basic shifter for 50 years
If your looking for a RACING shifter, there are better choices in my opinion. (As a really stupid driver,I missed more gear changes than I should have with my Cheetah. I replaced it with a pro ratchet.)

 

[66fs]

B&M Quicksilver

I had trouble with the cables getting melted near the last bend (near the shift linkage). Looks like this guy had the best idea...

Is that the standard Quicksilver shifter and stick? What a clean install! What did you have to do to get it in the console? Thanks!

 

[skep419]

Is that the standard Quicksilver shifter and stick? What a clean install! What did you have to do to get it in the console? Thanks!

aftermarket shifter in factory console