Does anyone have experience with these short throw shifters? I'm trying to decide which to purchase and would appreciate some input.

 

I installed the Tri-Ax on my 03 Mustang, and found it so much better than the stock piece. Installing the Tri-Ax is very easy and takes maybe a half an hour. It created a lot more gear noise than the stock one until I isolated the shifter handle mounting to the shifter base with the rubber mounting of the stock shifter. It takes a bit of cutting of the rubber and deleting the round standoffs that go thru the bolt holes, but it' s worth it.

I traded the 03 for my 06 GT, but I later bought a 98 V6 as a beater. I got another Tri-ax off of eBay (used) and did the same mods, and it's qiuet as can be, and much more positive acting than the stock one.

 

You really can't go wrong with either one. I have used the tri-ax and it felt great but i have heard of people switching their triax for the MGW because it is even better.

I would say, if price is the same go MGW, based off of what i heard, but sorry i have not used one personaly.

 

I've heard the same sort of comments about the MGW

I plan on getting a Tri-ax though, so I can attach a Hurst Stick to it eventually, but thats just vanity.

 

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'll do some digging on ebay to see if I can find a used Tri-Ax and if not, I'll go with the MGW. My plan is to continue to make some minor mods on my '99 as I'm able to do so myself to keep it running strong. Since this was my first Stang, I'm hoping to still have it 20 years from now. Of course, it may not be the only one in my garage.

ShadowGray, I might be interested in learning more about the mod you did to the quiet the Tri-Ax, but maybe I'll ask more once I actually have one in hand.

 

I have the Pro5.0 and my friend has the MGW. I like the Pro5.0 better. JMO

Order the new Billet Hurst Comp shifter. Nobody has tried it yet that I know of.

 

Simple response: I had both in my 2000 V6, and I would get the MGW over the Tri-ax any day of the week.

Very detailed answer: I first had the Tri-ax, and after about maybe 15,000 miles (almost all highway), it wouldn't spring back to the center. Well, Steeda stated that their (supposedly) lifetime warranty wouldn't cover this, as it's just worn springs that need replacing. Instead, they wanted me to pay for shipping to them, be without a shifter for whatever time it took to fix, and then ship it back to me.

Although not happy, I figured ok- I still had my factory shifter if needed, but I wasn't happy that it wasn't a warranted item. So, I asked if I could have the springs sent to me, and I would just dis-assemble the shifter and replace the springs. They stated NO-IT WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY. Pretty much, they MAKE you pay to send it back and be without a shifter while they fix it. I thought

So, I called up MGW, because I had heard good things about their product. I told George my situation, and he immediately told me that he doesn't warrant the springs either. However, he did it is a VERY graceful matter and said that it is a common problem, as they do weaken over time. However, he also told me that the spring is only a $3 part and that it's user replaceable. In fact, he told me some things to look for to try fixing my the Tri-ax myself. I was so impressed with MGW and so disappointed in Steeda that I actually bought his shifter and sold my Tri-ax.

Now, some important differences between the Tri-ax and the MGW:
1) The MGW DOES NOT GALL like the Steeda does, which is a very important feature. In fact, I believe that was the reason that the Tri-ax wouldn't go back to center, because there was so much gunk in there.

2) The MGW is ALOT more comfortable to shift. It has throws maybe slightly longer than the Tri-ax, but it's much more smooth and effortless. It has the perfect combination of feel and comfort.

3) The MGW LOOKS like a million bucks compared to the Tri-ax....honestly. If you see the two next to each other, you'll be amazed at the difference in manufacturing.

4) The MGW is quieter than the Tri-ax

In the end, all my Tri-ax needed was a cleaning of the gunk. But, MGW was so helpful,that I decided to purchase their shifter. And, as stated before, I would pick MGW over Tri-ax any day of the week, especially when the prices are equal. There's a reason that there's a ton of used triax on ebay, but almost no MGW shifters. And, you should be able to get more for your MGW if you resell it at a later time.

sorry for the long post.

 

Thank you for the long post. God I want an MGW.

 

After re-reading my post, I thought I should clarify some things, and please note that this is NOT sarcasm.

The tri-ax is in fact MUCH better than the factory shifter. While I had it, I was extremely happy with it, and I was at no point thinking about getting rid of the Tri-ax. In fact, I recommended the Tri-ax to all of my fellow mustangers. However, my thoughts changed once I had the problem with it, mainly because of the circumstances of how Steeda wanted me to get it fixed, and their (for lack of better words) attitude about it.

That, combined with George's description of his shifter, helped me decide to just go ahead and try the MGW one, and just sell the one that I disliked more. I figured that I would have had to send off the tri-ax anyway had it not been for George's help, so I kind of "owed" it to him in a way, and I knew that the cost between upgrading to the MGW or just sending the Tri-ax to Steeda was going to be about the same.

It all goes back to the saying: you have to pay to play.

 

Wow....mikes rx, great write up and definitely appreciate the input from someone who's used both and on the same transmission as mine.

Now I just need to find a good link to a write-up on the install, so that I'm confident this is something I could pull off on my own. I'm a newbie when it comes to doing work on my Stang, so I get a little nervous about removing the shifter (since if I mess up, I can't drive it). However, I also want to learn to do more on my Stang...so, here goes.

 

Here's the link for Steeda' shifter install. The removal for the shifter is obviously the same for the MGW, and IIRC there are only a few differences in the install between the steeda and MGW (ie- bolt size, completely different handle setup, a little different dust boot installation).

http://www.steeda.com/directions/ (scroll down to the appropriate shifter)


I would recommend calling MGW tomorrow. George can answer any and all questions that you may have, and he could probably send you the installation instructions via email or something.

Also, one more reason to go with MGW: they include the good RTV sealant that you need for the install, whereas Steeda doesn't give you any. You can find the stuff at any parts/hardware store, but it's nice having it all together in the package

 

Perfect.....thanks a ton!

 

No problem.

BTW, I would say that the hardest part of the install is actually taking the factory shifter off, as it's on there quite tightly.

 

To prevent bodily harm; I suggest leaving the shift **** on when you take off the old shifter. I have seen one instance where a guy had to get stitches because he was yanking on the shifter so hard that when it finally broke free it hit him in the forehead giving him a pretty gnarly cut.