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A Short Throw to Quick Shifts
URD's Bolt-In Shifter for the New Tacoma
By Calin Head
Photography: Calin Head
Before
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So far, one of the only complaints we have with our loaner X-Runner is the shift throw on the six-speed manual transmission. Every thing about the truck has that firm performance feel. The steering, suspension, and rolling stock allow you to confidently rip this sucker around the corner with maybe just a little bit of oversteer, and we all know that's the best part. However, when you wrap your hand around the shift knob and it moves a mile, some of that confidence is lost. We know Toyota built it this way to cater to the masses and not just enthusiasts like us.
After
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We wanted to complete the continuity of the truck by giving the shifter a nice short throw, so we dusted off our account at Customtacos.com, one of the premier Toyota Tacoma sites and a great resource for these trucks. We were browsing the message boards, when there it was, just what we needed, a link to Underdog Racing Development (URD).
We were familiar with URD, after seeing trucks it hopped up at the shows. These folks really know their Toyotas, and the new X is no exception. Little did we know, the company already had one in the garage and, like us, were unhappy about the shifter. Instead of building a whole new shift handle, like other companies out there, URD wanted to retain the stock handle. The stock shifter is two parts bonded together with a rubber-like material to deaden sound as well as vibration. It should be clear why the company wanted to hold onto—excuse the pun—this very important feature.
Instead of over-thinking the whole process, URD found a simple yet almost ingenious way to keep the handle and still shorten the throw, by simply engineering an extension. URD whittled out an extension that slips over the end of the stock shifter and a spacer plate that moves the shifter assembly up, in turn moving the pivot point and cutting the throw nearly in half, at 44 percent less.
The whole installation process can be completed in about 15 to 20 minutes, with some simple handtools. This is the serious improvement that we have wanted since the first time we plopped our butts in the X-Runner.
There is a better way to shorten the throw on your shifter, so keep the Sawzall or cut-off wheel away from the stock handle.
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Before you get started on the tear-down, examine the parts you received from URD and make sure you have everything you need. You should have four Allen bolts, four 8mm washers, two set screws, two clam-shell wedges, an extension piece, and a spacer plate.
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Also, check your toolbox for these tools and sundries. You will need a ratchet, extension, 10mm and 12mm sockets, 6mm and 1/8 Allen wrenches, a razor blade, red Loctite, and some RTV gasket maker. You will also need a hammer and a punch (not pictured) to stake the set screws, but we will go over that when we get there.
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OK, to get going on the installation, first, the console has to be removed to gain access to all the shifter hardware. Grab ahold of the cupholder and lift straight up to disengage the holding clips. Then, remove the four screws that are hiding underneath it.
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Open the console and remove the carpeted bottom, which exposes the two bolts you'll need to take out with a 10mm socket.
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With the bolts out, lift up on the back of the console piece slightly and then pull back. This will free the hold on the two small clips that retain the front of this section.
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