Now, you can imagine that whether you are driving in traffic or ripping down the ¼ mile track at 200mph, the very last thing you would ever want to do would be to shift from a forward gear to reverse. And this is precisely what virtually all COTS shifters are designed to prevent – a sudden or undesired shift from forward gear to reverse. In fact, most sanctioning bodies, such as NHRA/IHRA have explicit requirements that require shifters to have a “reverse lockout feature”, a feature designed into the shifter specifically to make shifting to reverse something of a complicated affair. Hardly ideal for us when you’re about to turn turtle.

Since the street and strip crowd are so much larger and more established than we are, manufacturer’s have understandably chosen to design and manufacture shifters with their needs in mind. This leaves we hardcore ‘wheelers in a familiar predicament – it’s up to us to re-design / adapt / modify  available products to suit our needs.

This article illustrates how I chose to do just this in order to turn an ordinary B&M drag racing competition Magnum Grip Pro Stick shifter into the ultimate hardcore off-road shifter.

I expect the same ideas could easily be adapted to modify other models or brands of shifters, but before we get to the specifics, a few words about choosing the best “base” shifter for your needs is in order. The following discussion is based around a 3-speed automatic, but the principles remain the same when applied to one with more or fewer gears.

Shifter Options

Which brand and model you choose as the “best” shifter for your driving needs will depend on the following factors:

Valve Body (automatic, manual, or manual/automatic)

An automatic valve body (as found in many stock transmissions) shifts automatically. In many cases, this is true regardless of shifter position (i.e. even with the shifter in 1, at a certain RPM the tranny will shift to 2). For obvious reasons this type of valve body is less desirable for a hardcore off-road rig. Choice of shifter with this type of valve body is less important than with others, as it will likely spend much of its life in D.

A manual valve body (MVB) is the complete opposite – it will never shift unless the shifter is moved. It’s a bit like a clutch-less manual transmission in this respect. Developed for drag racing, these are also popular in off-road rigs.  Choice of shifter with an MVB is very important as this type will be shifted the most. Particularly important will be how it shifts up and down between the forward gears.

A manual/automatic valve body (A/M VB) is something of a compromise between the two. Available in some stock transmissions, many aftermarket transmissions, and also in kit form to convert a stock transmission; these units offer some of the advantages of both an automatic and a manual valve body. Typically, in a transmission with an A/M VB, when the shifter is in the 1 or 2 position, the transmission will hold that gear regardless of RPM or other conditions. However, when the shifter is placed in D, it will shift automatically up and down through the gears. This type of VB is a good choice for many rigs, particularly those that see multi-use. Choice of shifter with an A/M VB is almost as important as it is with an MVB. In both cases, that choice is heavily dependent on the shift pattern used in the valve body.

Valve Body Shift Pattern (forward or reverse)

A forward shift pattern (FSP) is found in all stock transmissions. With an FSP, gear selection is, in order:

P R N D 2 1.

A reverse shift pattern (RSP) is frequently found in MVB equipped transmissions but, depending on the particular transmission, either pattern can be used with any valve body. Developed for drag racing use, the RSP is, in order:

P R N 1 2 D.

A moment’s reflection should make the reason clear.  Starting out on the line in 1, the drag racer can slam through the gears as he blazes down the track with no fear of over-shifting into N or R at 200mph. If a forward pattern were used, it might be possible to over-shift from 2nd to N or R which would end your race at the very least! Drag use is the reason MVB’s with Reverse Patterns are so common, the combination often referred to as a “Reverse Manual Valve Body” or RMVB. The same combination is also popular with many off-road rigs.

Anticipated Launch Gear

The anticipated launch gear is that gear which you most often find yourself using when launching up an obstacle where you might possibly have to avoid the dreaded back-flip roll by quickly hitting reverse.  It is a defining factor of which shift pattern is best for you. Obviously, that gear depends on the performance characteristics of your rig - including power-to-weight ratio, traction, overall gearing, torque converter stall, and many others. It also depends on the type of VB you are using. In terms of how it affects shifter pattern, the choice essentially boils down to “are you most often going to launch a climb assault in 1st gear or D?”  If the answer is 1st gear, a reverse pattern might be your best choice as it places 1st, your launch gear, closest to R.  If the answer is D, as it might be with an A/M VB, then a forward shift pattern might be best.  Ideally, the ultimate off-road shifter should allow quick easy shifts to R from ANY forward gear as circumstances could always dictate that you are launching in 1 or 2 or D.

Personal Preference – look & feel.

Don’t kid yourself that it’s not important. Even if you don’t care how it looks, the particular feel of any given shifter is going to have a huge effect on the driveability of your rig. Put bluntly – sucky shifters suck. Personal preference plays a large role here. There is a very popular brand of shifter that I simply can’t stand the feel of (as I don’t like horizontal gates) nor the look of, with its goofy hexagonal shaft and video-game joystick style knob. To each his own, as they say!

Rig Interior Layout

Apart from ergonomic factors, the concern here is whether your layout allows or demands a cable shifter or solid shift linkage, and whether your chosen shifter can accommodate that.

Switch Requirements

Some rigs will have a need for shifter-mounted switches. They may be internal: such as a backup switch (to illuminate reverse lights) or neutral safety switch (to prevent starting unless the transmission is in P or N). Or they may be external, such as a shifter-handle mounted actuator button for something like nitrous or a locker.  Again, consider your needs and make sure your chosen shifter can accommodate them.

Against each of these factors you must evaluate the specs of any shifter you consider – whether or not you intend to modify it to better suit your needs.

Shifting Style

There are a huge variety of shifters available on the market with virtually any combination of features possible (except the quick reverse action we need – but we’ll get to that).  As just about any combination of minor features is available with any style shifter (such as handle style, switches, material, etc); the most important feature of any shifter is the shifting style.

There are four basic styles of shifting. Most shifter will use one of them. They are:

• gateless
• ratchet
• horizontal gate
• vertical gate

The gateless shifter is the simplest and cheapest design. As the name implies, it has no “gates” for the shift lever to navigate nor detents for the lever to rest in once a gear is selected. It relies entirely on the transmissions internal shift detent lever and spring to hold the lever in the selected gear. It has the advantage that it is cheap, will work with any transmission, VB, or shift pattern, and will obviously allow that important shift from any fwd gear to Reverse. The disadvantage include a lack of any switches as well as being much easier to miss shifts or over-shift with. The look and feel is also not as nice as many of the more feature-rich shifters either.

The ratchet shifter is one in which you can shift “normally” by moving the stick, or you can place the lever in a position, normally D, and “ratchet shift” up and down through the gears by bumping the shifter and having it return to centre via a spring-loaded action. At first glance it seems like a great idea and the best of both worlds. In practice, especially for off-road use, it usually isn’t.  Say you’re in ratchet mode 1st gear, to get to R in a panic you would have to shift the lever 4 times!!  Add to that the fact that with most, the procedure to get out of  ratchet mode is convoluted and complex and you end up with a shifter you don’t want to be in ratchet mode with. And if you don’t want to be in ratchet mode, why would you want a ratcheting shifter?

Horizontal gate shifters have, as the name implies, a horizontal plate into which the shift gate pattern is carved. Lateral spring pressure is normally used to keep the shift lever in place in the gates.  This pressure must be overcome by the operator who shifts by pulling the stick to the side and then “rowing” through the gates to the desired shifter position.  Gates can normally be modified or replaced, though sometimes not easily.  The choice between this style and the vertical gate style described below comes down to a largely personal preference decision based on look and feel. Personally, I don’t like horizontal gate shifters at all.

The vertical gate shifter has a spring-loaded, lever actuated “stopper” mechanism that is used to disengage and engage the various shift gates cut into a vertical plate mounted on the side of the shifter.  Like the horizontal gate shifter, spring tension is used to keep the shifter “locked” into a position until the operator wants to shift. The difference is, instead of moving the stick side-to-side to enable shifting, some sort of trigger or lever mechanism is used.  Sometimes slightly oddball implementations are used, such as sticks that must be pulled up. My personal preference is for a trigger-grip lever, as seen below.

Reverse Lockout Levers

One last word on shifter characteristics before we move on – reverse lockout levers. Almost all unmodified COTS shifters have some sort of “reverse lockout” function built-in as a sort of “safety device”. The intent being to prevent accidental shifts into R. The problem is – this same mechanism also serves to inhibit our all-important panic-shift into R.  You’re unlikely to find a quality shifter without one, so if your goal is the ultimate off-road shifter - you’re going to have to modify or disable it. Make sure you can do so without destroying the shifter before buying!

The Ultimate Shifter

So, speaking of the ultimate shifter, after all that theory,  what would the ultimate off-road shifter look like, if it were available?

The ultimate shifter for an off-road rig, in my opinion, would have the following characteristics:

• No reverse lockout.
• Able to shift quickly from any forward gear to neutral.
• Able to shift quickly from any forward gear to reverse.
• No possibility of shifting to neutral when reverse was desired, or reverse when neutral was desired, even in a panic situation.
• Good looking.
• Smooth shifting.
• Rugged enough to survive in an abusive off-road environment.
• Can be used with 3 or 4 speed transmissions, forward or reverse pattern, in case needs change.
• Cheap, readily available, easily modified gate plates to accommodate different needs – especially in a multi-use rig (i.e. the ability to run an off-road gate plate or quickly and easily switch to a street or racing plate).

Since no such animal exists – I had to modify a stock shifter to achieve my goals. Before I illustrate the modifications, here’s a quick look at the “base” shifter I chose.

I have been asked why it is that the ability to quickly and easily visually verify which gear the shifter is in, is not on my list. My answer is this: I used to be the king of labels...labels and pointers and arrows on everything. But, I have learned that, in order to drive well, you need to be one with the machine and have everything positioned and functioning so that you don't have to look. Hands on the controls, eyes on the obstacle is my new motto. My current Operator-Machine Interface (OMI) philosophy is that "if you have to look, you've buggered up the design"

Stock B&M Magnum Grip Pro Stick Shifter

It’s a B&M Racing, Magnum Grip Pro Stick, with the following advertised features:

* Reverse lockout feature meets NHRA/IHRA requirements.
* The lightweight brushed aluminum cover can be removed quickly and easily.
* Modular quick change gate plate design for use with 2, 3 or 4 speed transmissions (forward or reverse patterns).
* Shifter may be mounted directly to floor, chassis, or with quick release kit.
* Precise gate action ensures consistency.
* Comes with 5' Super Duty race cable.
* Magnum grip handle CNC machined from billet aluminum.
* Compact, strong and functional.

Like any commercial shifter, it fails the first three criteria for the ultimate off-road shifter, but it does meet the next six.  I will simply need to modify so that it passes numbers one to three, without cocking up any of the others, especially number four.

Let’s take a look at how the unmodified stock unit works and then I’ll show you how I did just that.