AudiWorld Forums - UUC short shifter install

Just got done installing a UUC short shifter. Overall a pretty easy mod if you have the right tools and you know how to adjust the linkages.
The UUC shifter shortens the throws, but does not change the height of the knob.
Once I opened the boot I noticed a lot of plastic shavings inside. Most of them seem to come from the bottom joint of the shifter, which is plastic and has developed quite a bit of play. The UUC shifter is fully metal.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29132/p9270214.jpg">
The plastic ball is reused in the install. Since it also felt loose I have packed it with some heavy duty black grease. That reduced the play and smoothed out the motion quite a bit.
There are 2 torx adjustment screws. One adjusts the front-back position of the ball assembly, the other adjusts the length of the shifter linkage underneath. By adjusting both it is possible to move the whole shifter back and forth about an inch. It is also possible to change the angle of the shifts. I have decided to move the shifts a little back from the stock position so that the 5th gear reach would not be so long.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29132/gears.jpg">
Here is a comparison pic of each gear. The top is before and bottom is after. As you can see the front gears (1,3,5) have been moved back quite a bit but the rear gears (2,4,R) remain at about the same position.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29132/p9270215.jpg">
I took a test drive and I'm very happy with the results. The shifts are much closer together and the shifter feels much less sloppy and smoother. Together with the aluminum pedals I installed before the driving experience is a lot better now. I'm enjoying driving my car again :)
Tomasz