I installed Torque Solutions shifter base bushings into my 9 MR. The bushings are made of aluminum.

The 5-speed and 6-speed shifter assemblies use the same base bushings. The installation procedure is also the same.


The bushings on the right are the base bushings I installed.

To access the shifter assembly the center console needs to be removed. The first step is to remove the center arm rest. Begin by removing the two screws at the bottom of the storage compartment beneath the center arm rest.



Once the screws are out the arm rest can be removed entirely. There are two clips that connect it to the shifter surround that pop out easily.



Now to move onto the shifter surround.



The ash tray is clipped into the shifter surround. Pull on the ash tray and it comes right out.



There is one screw hidden beneath the ash tray that needs to be removed.



There are two screws at the base of the shifter surround that need to be removed.



There is one clip on the driver's side of the shifter surround hidden in the footwell that needs to be removed. This is actually a separate piece from the shifter surround but I found that removing it alongside the shifter surround was easier.



There is a button on the shift boot that needs to be undone.



Now the shifter surround is ready to be removed. There are clips in each footwell that help hold the surround in place. Pop them out by pulling each side of the surround outwards. Once they are popped out the surround will feel loose and can be slipped out.



The wire that delivers power to the cigarette lighter port needs to be unplugged before the shifter surround can be fully removed.


The separate trim piece in the driver's side footwell that is clipped into the shifter surround.

With the shifter surround removed the shifter assembly is now exposed.



The four shifter bushings that are being replaced are now accessible.





Each shifter bushing is secured by a bolt. Access to the far left bolt is partially blocked by one of the shifter cables. To get around this, remove the other three bolts first, which allows the shifter base to move around. The shifter base can then be shifted so that a socket can clear the shifter cable to remove the bolt.



Removing the bolts reveals that the stock shifter bushings are made of soft rubber with a metal sleeve running through the center. To remove the bushings I used a large screwdriver to push out the metal sleeves. This allowed me to squeeze the bushings out through their holes in the shifter base.





The stock rubber bushings are soft and malleable. The stock bushings are a one-piece design while the Torque Solutions bushings are made of two pieces. One piece sits beneath the shifter base while the other sits on top.



The Torque Solutions bushings have a lip that ensures they remain centered and hold the shifter base in the correct position.



I first positioned all four of the lower bushing halves and then dropped in the top halves. I secured the bushing covered by the shift cable first before tightening down the rest.





After that the trim pieces are ready to be reinstalled. Reinstall everything in the reverse order from how it was removed and you're done.



I was expecting these bushings to be a waste of money. Before removing the stock bushings I tried to move the base around while the bushings were still bolted in place and wasn't able to move it at all. I didn't understand what their purpose was. Fortunately, these bushings do result in a noticeable change in shift feel. When slotting the shift lever into gear, the stock rubber base bushings dampen the impact of the shift lever reaching the end of its travel. With these solid base bushings, there is no dampening. When I slot the shifter into gear, the shifter feels like it hits a wall. The shift lever now has more positive engagement.

These bushings did not affect the feel of the shifter throw.

 

probably same effect if you trim the metal bushing