Evo shift forks really necessary?

flubyux2 · May 3, 2002

after reading on TRE about the steel evo shift forks, and hearing my friend tell me about his bent aluminum shift forks, i felt that the steelies were the way to go.

but, after talking w/ my DSM shop, they said that even john shepard still uses aluminum forks. actually, john came to toledo to drop off a few double-synchro kits so that they could build up a few trannies. so, maybe all we need are double synchros.

i figure if the aluminum forks are good enough for a guy running 700 whp and 9 second time slips, shifting at 8500 or whatever...then im sure they will be good for me, right?

anyone else feel different, for good reason?

chris

Keaka26 · May 3, 2002

i feel different. I broke my shift fork like 5 days ago. I had the Steelies ready to go in too....Anyways, ive heard many horror stories describing the same thing that happened. Just because one person can run one way doesnt mean other people can. Shepherd also runs a stock center differential, how many people have broken that particular part on their DSMs? A whole bunch, why? because not everyone launches the way Shpeherd does, most likely. Supposedly he has a specific way on being gentle with his car off the line to make sure those stock parts dont go boom.

flubyux2 · May 3, 2002

i think people break or bend their Al shift forks cuz they are particularly hard on them. once their 1-2 synchros start giong bad, they think that cramming the shifter even HARDER will fix the problem. but the real problem is, the synchros arent doing their job, and something is going to give...and its not the gears.

and true, John doesnt launch his car hard. he slips the clutch off the line cuz he doesnt want to break shit. but thats pretty wise to me.

anywho, the idea is, if your synchros are doing their job like they are SUPPOSED to, you dont need to jam the gears so hard, and put undue stress on the aluminum forks. theres no need to shift like a gorilla if your tranny is doing its job. and if its NOT...double up on the synchros, and swap to a GVR4 1st gear, so that the jump from 1-2 isnt so bad.

besides, if i can learn to shift better and save the money instead of buying Steelies, then its for the better.

chris

Tranman · May 3, 2002

I'm not too familiar with the inner workings of the tranny so I'm wondering if the EVO steel shift forks will work with a 2G tranny? The only people that I've heard using these are 1G's.

I'm about to get a Speed Design 4gear Spider center diff installed in about two weeks.....so why not replace the shift forks as well, right? Just wondering if they'll fit in my tranny. Might be a stupid question...but better a stupid question than a broken tranny in the future, right??

ouSeven · May 3, 2002

ill admit, i beat the f**k out of my car. well i used to. now i just semi-beat it......but anyway. my 2nd gear syncro got soooo bad that it totally killed 2nd gear. then the 3/4th gear shift fork broke.

i got the buschur racing tranny rebuild......

steel shift forks
double syncro 2nd
whatever else they put in
new gears, syncros, etc.
welded center diff.

i love it

-dave

edit:
and i believe the shift forks are only for 1g

mealan · May 3, 2002

EVO steel shift forks-
1st/2nd fork fits 90-99 AWD only.

3rd/4th fork fits 90-92.5 AWD or FWD only.

you can still use the evo shift forks for 1-2 AWD and the 3-4 for what it says, (got to love TREs website, not there service) but on anther note, there is more stress on the shift forks then usaul if you shift like the way i do (pretty quick, but not all the time) which is more then likely the way awhole bunch of us shift

then i would do it more for a peice of mind factor then anything else. i didnt feel like haveing a shift for brake apart and ruining a 1.6K dsm tranny my friend felt the same way, except he just spend around 3.4K on his

GSX, built really really up with quaife etc..etc.., sorry now im just posting useless information. But here is what i think, nescessary, yes, but worth it just is case, yes so there ya go, two yes's

scotthidley · May 3, 2002

A big HELL NO, I paid extra for the "better" steel shift forks in my TRE tranny. I had to have the 1-2 fork replaced in just 3 months. They are worse because they have plastic guides instead of machined guides like the aluminum forks. These plastic guides wore out on mine (shifter probably was over extending causing this to be an early wear). If you can find EVO III forks, then yes go for it (they are the only ones that are steel with machined guides on them).

Also my tranny shifts great with all of the other TRE mods including the gvr4 1st gear. It doesn't take much effort to shift to 2nd, so I don't see the need for a stronger more expensive fork (and even went back to the aluminum fork). I didn't go to the aluminum because I was cheap either, I've paid up the butt for what I've put in my tranny and don't regret any of it.

If your getting just a center diff put in, only the 5th gear shift fork will be removed. All of this could be done with the tranny on the car. If you want to do the other forks, it will cost more in labor to tear apart the rest of the tranny. Stock the 5th gear fork is already steel in case you were wondering.

Lee's GSX · May 3, 2002

Steel shift forks are not an nessitty, but if you really have to bag gears really hard then yes get them. That way you will just bend shift rails! See something has to give somewhere when forceing shifts . A lot of the breakeage problems are from the sincros and cable linkages aren't adjusted correctly, which over extends the fork past the the shifting point which causes them to brake. A lot of road racing guys never have problems with forks, but the average drag racer with that over sized right arm tends to brake a few. :^) Jus4cyls

Lee's GSX · May 3, 2002

Sheperd runs a stock center diff?? really?

Geovannie · May 3, 2002

scotthidley said:
They are worse because they have plastic guides instead of machined guides like the aluminum forks. These plastic guides wore out on mine (shifter probably was over extending causing this to be an early wear).

This happened to a couple locals and for that reason I did not put those on my tranny.

RippinGSX · May 4, 2002

I have EVO steel forks in my car and it's a 93 that was built in October 92 which is older than a 92.5 and they still fit. I was told they wouldn't by some people and they would by others. They do

I broke my aluminum forks 3 months after a rebuild so I decided to get the steel forks. No problems so far.

flubyux2 · May 5, 2002

maybe it is a waste of money, but maybe NOT if you are a gorilla shifting like its a 65 GTO w/ a muncie M22 "Rock Crusher".

i figure, just double up on the synchros and get the GVR4 1st gear. that should make the transition to 2nd WAAAAY easier.

and i totally agree w/ the "over extending". if the cables arent adjusted right, you could be well onr your way to a Busted tranny. over extending is just as bad as resting your hand on the shifter when driving; it puts excess load on the shift forks and gears and makes it wear really fast.

chris
GVR4 1st gear for me, double synchros, welded diff, and top speed 5th gear.

Tranman · May 6, 2002

Well, I don't shift hard...nor does my tranny shift bad. My shifting is smooth as butter and I don't slam the car into gear...even while racing. With about 65k on my tranny (replaced tranny @ 15k...defective)...my tranny is well taken care off....the only thing I'm worried about is breaking my center diff on launches....so that's why the 4gear is going in.

Anyways, doesn't matter. Too much extra labor to get the 1/2 shift fork in.....besides, I doubt that I'll need it.

Evo shift forks really necessary?

flubyux2

Keaka26

flubyux2

Tranman

ouSeven

mealan

scotthidley

Lee's GSX

Lee's GSX

Geovannie

RippinGSX

flubyux2

Tranman

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