Floor Shifter Conversion Regrets?

[Froggy77]

Have any of you guys who have put in floor shifters with your stock 3 speed regretted it? I am wanting to upgrade my Bronco but not go crazy on the mods. I think moving the shifter to the floor will make driving a bit easier/fun but how tight is the shifter to your right leg? How long a throw is the Duffy shifter? I drove a Bronc with a Hurst shifter once and still have sore knuckles from smashing them into the dash. I know the Duffy is supposed to have shorter throws and I'm tall (6'4") so I am more concerned with the shifter banging against my knee and not my thigh than a long reach to 2nd. How big a hole will I need to cut in the floor?

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

I've had a Duffs shifter for five years now and really enjoy it. No problems with leg room, but I'm short. & it doesn't come close to hitting the dash either.
The hole needed is 12" long.
Installation took a couple hours.

I do sometimes miss the column shift because it added character to the Bronco, & I considered it to be a bit of theft deterent.

 

[mtkawboy]

If you real tall the shifter is real close to your leg becasue the seat doesnt go back much but Im not. Thats why the fomer owner sold it. I would have heated it and bent it over to the right myself but I wasnt going to mention that to him. Broncos arent really made for tall people anyway, no room for the seats to go back before they hit the step in the floor.

 

[wildbill]

My 2 cents the floor is the only way to go with a stick. And you can get offset handles to fit your need's. If you run a hurst I suggest you cut a pie pc. on the handle under the boot that way it wont go as close to the dash good luck. %) %) %) Bill %)

 

[trailpsycho]

I think you will be fine with the Duff unit. Definitely no knuckle banging and there is plenty of room. Nice shifts. While swinging on the tree was fun, you cant beat the quick shifts to/from 2nd.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I used a Duff floor shift several years ago.

Biggest regret was actually keeping the 3 speed. If you like the 3 speed, the Duff shifter is great. If you don't like the gear spacing now, the floor shift won't fix that.

If the truck is very original, I would look into rebuilding the column shift. I really like them when they are working good.

 

[jefe]

I'm 6' and have busted my knee more than once. At your height I would be careful. still anything beats a column shifter.

 

[68beast]

I had a hurst shifter before i put in my NP435 and It never came close to the dash and as far as driveabilty it was a hoot of a lot better than the NP 435, as far as shifting goes.

 

[RKM]

I have the Duff floor shifter. I just installed it last spring. I love it. FYI the Duffy is the same as the Hurst. The shifter rods are better in the Duffy one. The Duffy also comes with a tunnel cover. But the actual shifter is a Hurst. It is stamped on it. I am 6'2" and I have no problems with the shifter. It is a little tight on the side. I haven't had a problem banging my nuckles. All that is adjustable in the shifter. I didn't mind my stock shifter. It worked great. I did it mostly because I wanted the look of 3 sticks coming out of the floor ;D I also did the twin stick conversion for the t-case. If you want to do that. Their will be some bending of rods needed. It was a P.I.T.A.

 

[mtkawboy]

Mine is an antique one that say Duffys on it but it works good. The handle is welded on so I dont know if the new ones have changable handles or not. I can live with it and dont want to ruin ther chrome bending it

 

[RKM]

They must have changed it. Mine is not welded. It has a knob on the end thaty you tighten down

 

[dakota-trav]

My shifter is a prehistoric James Duff one also.
Here are a couple shots of my shifter. The first pics it with the shifter in reverse. "Was taken right after I purchased the Bronco" and the second picture is in first gear. Should give you an idea of how far the shifter moves forwards and backwards.
I have also learned to carry a drill bit in the glove box when I'm wheeling so I'm able to adjust the linkage if it gets tweaked.

Travis

 

[feitctaj]

I have driven at least 10 different converted shifters and that is why I still have my tree shifter, thanks but no thanks

 

[Flash69]

I have the duff shifter.My son is 6"2 he drives it and has no problem,He likes it.It dont come close to the dash.

 

[4x4x289]

i've got the hurst. my throw is long but it doesn't hit the dash. I gotta keep it well oiled or it jams up. its beefy so it works well when the adrenaline level is up. i'd rather have a four or five speed, but for now i like the 3 sp floor shifter. my only complaint is that the handle constantly rubs on my knee, but then again, the constant bone-to-drive vibration is a great checkback to confirm your engine and drivetrain are running at par.

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

I feel obligated to mention that Hurst does make a shifter specificly for the Bronco that is different from their standard 3spd shifter, and costs 3x as much. Duffs makes no effort to hide the fact that they sell a modified hurst product. They even sell a kit to make the standard Hurst shift like their own, in case you bought the wrong one. I'm under the impression that Hurst copied Duffs mods to come up with their Bronco specific shifter.

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

I'll add that I think Duffs is better than Hursts due to the rods from Duffs have adjustment on both ends while the Hurst rods only adjust at the shifter end, which is a royal pain.

 

[roundhouse]

The Duffs is the only one to buy.

I did however cut about 3 inches off the fiberglass tunnel cover and movde it rearward, and used a leftover chunk of the floor metal for some reason there was a lot of empty space in front of the shift rods.

I cut the fiberglass on the horiziontal part off even with the end of the shifter hole was, slid it back 3 inches and cut a new hole in the fiberglass., and then used some metal to blend it in at the same algle as the trans tunnel where it tilts down between the seats. since I didnt like the rounded hump thing on the fiberglass cover, I thought it looked really out of place.

confusing??

 

[JimmyWashinton]

I dont mean to jack this thread.. but i am planning on buying the duff 3 speed next week and was wondering if any further mods need to be made to install it other than unhooking the column linkage and pulling it out of the hole? I didn't see a tech article for this thats why i ask...

 

[RKM]

push the shifter lever pin out and the lever falls off. Then pop the hood. You will see the shifter levers that come off of the column. They hook to the shifter levers on the trans. Take a pair of chanel locks and pop off the levers on the steering colum. The take a little work, but come out. Other than that it is your choice if you want to go get a early mustang smooth steering colum cover to replace the shifter one. That takes a little more work to do. If you want to do that part. Let us know you got to it and we will help....