TWM Bushing disappointment

[speed858]

So I have been driving around with my new bushings and to tell you the truth I really don't feel that much of difference like everyone was talking about. My shifter is still notchy and it's not as direct as I expected. I felt a difference when I installed my cs inserts in driveability but not these. Is it just me or is this common?

[GhostMercury]

this is the post i would have prolly posted if i got them. I dont see how they can make a world of a difference like everyone says

[MS3077]

I ordered mine with the TMW SS and I noticed a huge improvement over stock.

[chacon101]

It's a small mod so I guess you can't expect it to be a different car. When I did mine, I felt an improvement but it still wasn't perfect. I then installed the CS MMs and it feels like a much better improvement than just the bushings. Together, these mods work well to firm up the shift feel.

It seems as though hype on forums can get out of hand sometimes. Just gotta take everything with a grain of salt. Cobb AP anyone???

[aaronc7]

now just remove the counterweight and it'll be really good...my opinion anyways.

[hilmar2k]

I don;t have the TWM bushings, but modified mine to get a similar result, and the result was very noticeable. If you didn't see an improvement....well, I have no idea how you wouldn't. Shifting is crisp and direct, no more mushiness.

[speed858]

It was never mushy in the first place from what I can tell. Just notchy

[builthatch]

i agree with MS3077; i installed mine w/ their shifter and i thought it was wonderful vs. stock. the shifter, meh, i could probably do without it, since it's too short in terms of height IMO, and the throw reduction is very minimal, but...the bushings did exactly what they should have done- took away the mushiness. it's like a rubbery feeling that disappears.

the inserts are ideal, they help...as far as notchiness, i dunno. i mean, mine is perfect now. i love the way it shifts. you might want to try some MT-90 to see if that helps a hair. it definitely gives impresses a "silky" factor and can take an edge off of the notchiness you might be seeing.

[dread]

Its funny you say that because I had the bushings first and thought they made a huge improvement but didn't notice much of a difference with the cs inserts when I got them later. I guess you only need one.

[Betelgeuse]

They're really a complimentary mod but even when I just had them in only, there was no doubt they took some of the mushiness away. I really noticed it after a few days driving though. The wow factor wasn't immediate so no one should really expect that.

[hectik1]

The point of the bushings is to make the shifting more smooth, especially when shifting quickly, by stiffing the shift tower. As far as the notchiness, it is the trans. The more miles you put on, it will become less noticable.

Even at 63k miles, my former Evo shifter with the underhood/shifter bushings and stainless steel braided clutch line, the trans felt notchy.

Seriously, what did you expect? The MS3 is a sports car and if the shifting was smooth but vague, you would want it more "connected."

[sunny4201]

Get the twm short shifter. It is amazing!!(burnout) (compared to the regular shifter'

[mazpro]

I noticed a big improvement with the bushings, the shifter felt much more precise. this together with the CS inserts got rid of the 2-3 gear mis-shift that a lot of people experience.

[MS3077]

I noticed a big improvement with the bushings, the shifter felt much more precise. this together with the CS inserts got rid of the 2-3 gear mis-shift that a lot of people experience.

People are still experiencing the 2-3 miss shift at times (mostly WOT) regardless of those upgrades.

[SPEED305]

im waiting for my twm SS with bushings. ill post some remarks. i knew the bushings werent going to make the much a diffrence as some were claiming here.

[speed858]

I think most of the credit went to the CS inserts since I put them in first. And the bushings really were just a compliment to them. I like them together though so I would say it was a worthy investment.

[SharkDiver]

I thought it was one of the greatest mods for the money..Im very happy with the bushings.

[MicaSp33d]

i dunno how people can even complain about the bushings you get what you pay for... well in my opinion their worth every cent.

[mazpro]

People are still experiencing the 2-3 miss shift at times (mostly WOT) regardless of those upgrades.

then the driver mod has come into place, I have not mis-shifted once since both things were installed.

[MS3077]

then the driver mod has come into place, I have not mis-shifted once since both things were installed.

I disagree.

[mazdaspeedster3]

Bushing just make it a little more rigid. You need the Short Shifter in order to tell a big dif.
I installed my TWM w/bushings two weeks ago and it is amazing. 3rd gear is so straight forward now, no chance of missing it!

[MS3077]

I have SU MM // TWM SS & Bushings // Amsoil full synthetic transmission fluid to aid with the 2-3 gear issue.

There is hardly ever an issue shifting during normal driving it only happens on occasion during spirited / fast burst of acceleration when aiming for that rapid upper rpm 2-3 gear shift (WOT) does a miss - shift and or grind ever occur. There seems to be a very small margin of error that can take place during this process, otherwise a miss-shift / grind does and can happen regardless of modifications. My theory is that there is still to much front end lift during WOT causing something to go wrong with the transmission cables, etc.

[thunder]

People are still experiencing the 2-3 miss shift at times (mostly WOT) regardless of those upgrades.

+1
I installed the bushings mainly to get rid of that annoyance but, besides being a little stiffer, it hasn't changed a bit. Overall I don't like the shifting of my 3 (compared to my previous MSP + SS and bushings + synchromesh, that was sweet!)

[builthatch]

i had this problem initially, in the first month or so of ownership, even after getting inserts/SS/bushings. i come from linkage actuated transmissions (old honda) and also new style cable actuated, but one afflicted with a poor design (NEW honda Si which just came out with their TSB for their issues), so really i figured i should not have an issue with the ms3.

it then hit me that i was simply not paying attention to the clutch engagement vs. the gear change from 2nd to 3rd. it's weird on this car, trust me. it takes some realization and adjustment, but, since the middle of february, i've had no issues whatsoever, and i shift pretty quickly from 2 to 3. there wasn't any slowing down or care re: rev level, it was simply making sure the clutch was depressed before i changed gears. pretty basic idea, i know, but like i said- this car has a weird cooperation between the two. while i think the bits i bought, esp the inserts, help things, really it's just a matter of timing adjustment IMO.

now it's PERFECT, i have not one complaint!

if i had to suggest how to practice, just practice shifting, meaning taking it out of 2nd enroute to the next gear, RIGHT after full depression of the pedal. do it slowly, but briskly (if that makes sense) and then eventually speed up that syncronization. i know this seems dumb, and it's hard to explain, but it worked for me- it really was a timing issue for my car.

cont'd-

yep. i know exactly what you mean. that is when it'd happen to me a few months back when i got the car, when i was engaged in "spirited" driving. it would happen even in lower revs when i would test quick shifting out....

to me its the physics of the actual shift from 2nd to third. there is some sort of actuation difference within the cable system or the trans that makes it in essense what i think you could call a 'shorter' shift than the other gears ('cept maybe 4 to 5, but that rarely is a rushed exchange). the throw is the same, but the actual actuation is very rushed. so, what i'm trying to say is, it's alot more sensitive to the clutch engagement because of how quickly the cable system takes itself out of second and how quickly it goes into third. it's my opinion that yes, mazda could have possibly played with some leverage options in the cable system OR in the actual exchange area of the trans to make this timing more uniform across all gears, but they didn't and i can't even be sure it's possible since all of this is hypothesis.

my body adjusted to it; maybe it's because i'm a drummer!

[MS3077]

builthatch - Me thinks it's because you are a drummer.

[808MP5]

the bushings make a difference. C'mon you seen the stock rubber POS

[Dozed]

I changed mine out after 1000 miles and noticed a huge difference. The shifts are always going to be notchy, but the more positive shift engagement is what made the bushings worth it.

[Chris Barnett]

I noticed a big difference in shifting.

I would venture to guess that the slower you shift, the less difference you are going to notice. For those of you who drive aggressively, this is a must have mod. For those who don't? save your money

[Je5ter]

It definetly makes a difference for agrressive driving. However one thing I noticed big time was how much easier it is to get it into 6th gear now.

[speed858]

It definetly makes a difference for agrressive driving. However one thing I noticed big time was how much easier it is to get it into 6th gear now.

I agree that it does make a difference in aggressive driving. I did a bunch of driving this weekend and really started to notice the difference.