SteedaGus

1st to reverse? Are you referring to having to put the shifter in a forward gear before going into reverse? Reverse is not a synchronized gear in any 5-speed 2004-earlier vehicle. I've owned 3 04-earlier Mustangs and every single one of them, regardless of what shifter was on them you needed to go into a forward gear, then into reverse in order to have an easy time getting reverse to engage. You can get into reverse without doing this, but it is much harder.

I used to do 1st to reverse, then I started doing 5th into reverse and found that much easier, 5th to reverse is what I still do to this day when I get into any 04-earlier car that I have to take from our front office into the shop after I check them in. Works like a charm every time.

jthorn9

I mean that on Sn95 models the Steeda shifter sometimes wants to put up a fight getting the car to go into 1rst or 5th gear. A lot of people have mentioned this problem too. But that's really the only problem I see if you choose to call it such. Great shifter IMO.

JonnyW

Hey guys! so I bought both shifters and have tested em both out. Best way to explain them both to you if you're curious:

Steeda TriAx - short, solid, and stiff shifts. Not as comfortable, but the shifting is a bit quicker. The shifter itself feels more sturdy because its pivoting on a shorter handle.

Hurst Billet Plus - smooth, with a bit of a "looser" feeling because the handle is longer. The throw is in between the distance of stock and Steeda TriAx, but I'd definately say not as long as the stock. Its much easier to slam through gears due to the longer handle and possibly the design. I think another pro is that the **** is a bit smaller and fits in the hand better, and the shifter handle itself is positioned closer to the driver which gives less "lean" when you're going into 3rd

Overall I like the Hurst the best. Its still a short throw, but its quicker to actually lock into gears and better for daily driving as well. The fact that I can use my cup holders with it is also nice, and its at a higher position for more comfort and its still good for those quick shifts. The shape of the handle also makes shifting into 3rd closer to me than the Steeda as well. There's also the bonus of the appearance, with the chrome handle and shiney white **** that shows off "Hurst."

The Steeda TriAx was good, don't get me wrong, and its easier to shift into 3rd than the Hurst, but you don't miss with the Hurst after some practice and getting used to. Actually, they both have the same stiffness in spring-loads, but its the handle lengths that make all the difference. I will also say that the extra rubber boot that comes with the Hurst will probably make it last longer if that's what you're looking for as well. It seals over the shifter unlike the stock boot that you need to reuse with the Steeda.

Quick tip for those of you who get the Hurst, I took my stock robber boot and mount and cut the first inner ring of rubber to fit over the Hurst boot and shifter. It'll block out more of the noise from the road and will prevent more vibration issues.

Thanks everyone for all the help!

SteedaGus

What handle position did you use for the Tri-Ax? Just curious.

JonnyW

I tried both handle positions on the Steeda TriAx. Honestly, there's not much of a difference and if you purchased it in means of shorter shifts anyways, it makes more sense to use the lower handle position (which is what I mainly used, not gonna lie)

Also, if you guys are wondering about the quality of the Hurst **** that comes with the shifter, today was a pretty hot day, as was yesterday, and the **** didn't get hot. Maybe warm, but not hot. I think its plastic instead of AmericanMuscle's resin, but I still like it better. Its more shiney and is smaller/more of a fit for the interior.

SteedaGus

I asked because the upper position does make a difference, especially after the shifter breaks in. Long before I became a Steeda employee 13 years ago I learned the difference and always used the upper position which gave me more leverage for smoother, easier shifts.