To Short Shift Or Not???

[NineNails]

I've got a fair amount of play in the plastic ball and socket of the gear lever mechanism, so I'm wondering about my options. Can I just buy a replacement gear stick and socket, do they have their own part no's or would I have to buy the whole unit?
Would a short shifter be a good upgrade? I've seen the short shift stuff on ebay ranging from the twenty odd quid ones up to the Nuspeed ones for hundred odd quid. None of these come with a new socket part (which I'm sure is worn on mine)
Any suggestions? Anyone got a good kit fitted? Or maybe a hand with original part no's and an idea of price for OEM?
Cheers chaps ;

 

[Jason.s]

I bought one of the autobahn88 kits for like 30quid or something. It came with a metal ball but use the standard socket. The only one that comes with a new socket is the JHM kit which is pretty expensive but its one of the best. The socket part is sealed into the shifter unit but if you cut it out i`ve seen a guide video where they cable tie the middle and it pulls it all in reducing movement and then you`d have to seal it back but obviously that takes a lot of time to go off.

 

[NineNails]

Good call on the JHM kit Jason, looks spot on but it seems over £200!! and no uk supplier.
I notice you are a parts guy. Would you be able to tell me if I could just buy a new Audi socket part?? I don't think the socket is bonded into the shifter unit, I think it's held in with a big circlip. If I could just replace this then it would make one of the cheaper short shift kits a bit more of a viable option.
Cheers

 

[aragorn]

on prefacelifts you could buy a new socket, but for facelifts it just lists the whole thing.