04-07 CTS-V Short Shifter

Removing the OEM Shifter

1. Pry up the rear of the trim ring around the shifter boot toward the center; the rear clips pop out, then pull backward to release the front clips. Lift the shifter knob (put it in 2nd gear and twist slightly while pulling — keep your face back).
2. Remove the sound-deadening foam to expose the shifter and brackets. Don't unbolt them yet.
3. Under the car, remove the linkage bolt from the shifter (keep this bolt). Then drill the heads off the rivets — only enough so the rivets can be pushed out. Don't drill out the holes.
4. Back in the driver's seat, remove the four nuts (loosen and spin off by hand so you don't drop them) and the two screws. The shifter will drop and the top plate will come out.
5. Remove the OEM shifter from the linkage base plate. Save the rubber boot for use on the Creative Steel shifter.

Installing the Creative Steel Shifter

1. If installing the support-rod bushings, slide them in now. Use a non-petroleum grease and ensure the flange (fat end) faces the rear of the vehicle.
2. Place the CS shifter onto the linkage base plate (a second person helps). Tighten with a 13mm wrench/socket — torque spec is only 15-20 ft-lbs. Reinstall the rubber boot with the wide sections over the bolt heads.
3. Reinstall the top plate inside the console. Lift the shifter to align the two screws into the support-rod plate. Tighten — torque spec is only 7 ft-lbs (6mm screws).
4. Connect the linkage to the shifter. Inspect the linkage clevis for burrs and clean as needed. Use blue Loctite on the OEM bolt, or substitute a 5/16" × 2.5" bolt with two jam-nuts to allow tightness adjustment.

Adjusting the Shifter

Two crow's-foot adapters are supplied. The half-hex notch fits the jam nuts; the rounded notch fits the ball. The square hole accepts a 3/8" extension. We typically set the shifter for ~15% shorter than stock throw length.

Throw length = distance between the pivot ball and the linkage to the transmission. Height = distance between the pivot ball and the knob. Thread on the stick at a comfortable height; turn the pivot ball counter-clockwise for a shorter throw or clockwise for a longer one. Re-check height after each adjustment.

Once dialed in, jam the bottom nut and ball using the crow's feet, then jam the top nut to the stick. The machined flat at the top of the stick faces forward. Reinstall the foam, trim ring, and knob.