Installing a Short Shifter Is Definitely Worth It, VW Golf R Owner Finds

Well, for starters, even if hot hatches do have shift linkages with a shorter throw, someone would eventually want to make it shorter anyway, and vehicle manufacturers have been focusing on making their products suitable for as many people as possible, at the lowest possible cost. The latter part is essential in understanding why some affordable parts that make the difference are not standard fitment in many vehicles.

Moreover, if every automaker would decide to start offering aftermarket parts for their vehicles, they would not have time or resources to develop new ones, or they would bring an entirely new level of competition to the aftermarket game. The latter is a multi-billion dollar industry these days, but it has not been so for many years.

An even bigger issue with aftermarket parts is related to warranty, which might be voided after installing some components, and automakers do not want to develop elements that would void the warranty of their cars once installed.

That is the most likely explanation as to why most automakers never offer things like a short shifter for the vehicles they manufactured years ago. In rare cases, they change their minds, but only for some models.

In the case of the Volkswagen Golf, the platform is popular among enthusiasts, and has strong aftermarket support. As Charles, known on the internet as Humble Mechanic, noted, the gearshift mechanism has not changed in over 20 years.

That may mean that the first design was good enough for two decades, but it also means that what was impressively short and smooth two decades ago may not be so today.

Thanks to Charles, we can now see what it is like to properly install a short shift system in a Mk 8 Golf GTI or Golf R. It is important to note that installing this yourself might not be the best thing to start your wrenching adventure.

Another point that we should make is the fact that installing such a device will require a bit more force to be applied to the gear shifter when you want to change gear, but this varies from one vehicle to another.

If you daily drive the car you want to install a short shifter on, and you have many situations with stop-and-go traffic, it might not be the best for you.