MGW Shifter Install - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Tomd27858 · 03-14-2025, 04:38 PM

I contacted a couple of shops to get a price to install a MGW shifter on my 2011 SS. None of the shops seem very excited to do it.

I am pondering doing the install myself. I do my own oil changes and parts swithouts. Just handy. What has me concerned is how to lift the vehicle to get enough room under there to change it out. It is tight on ramps just to do an oil change. Are y'll driving on ramps, jacking the rear of the car, and putting it on jack stands? Just trying to figure out the means and methods of getting enough clearance under there.

Any thoughts from someone that didn't have a lift? That would make it just a simple grind to get the clips off. That seems to be the only real challenge of the install.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

*SSE 4 2SS* · 03-15-2025, 01:04 AM

At the time I did mine, I didn't have ramps or jackstands, so I pulled up on a curb and while it was tight, I was able to get enough room to swap out the shifter. I'm 6'1, 240 at the time... I blocked the wheels, set the parking brake and got after it... It's tight, but doable.... oh, and I put the back wheels up on the curb...

Wizard1183 · 03-15-2025, 03:19 AM

I forgot what I did. Maybe backed the car in ramps and put front end on jack stands or vice versa? I forget.

11/SS/RS · 03-15-2025, 07:25 AM

Just get yourself 4 6 Ton jack stands... They raise the vehicle to a very comfortable working height and youll know its safe. Ive been buying tools as I need them for years.... You might use them only once in a while, but its very nice to have whats needed in the tool arsenal!

rockrau · 03-15-2025, 09:57 AM

Watch the MGW videos and DIY

Tomd27858 · 03-15-2025, 01:09 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys. Great forum. I guess I will order another set of jackstands and try it myself.

chef-beavis · 03-15-2025, 11:30 PM

Did mine with ramps and a pair of jackstands on the back.

CamaroDreams76 · 03-16-2025, 01:22 PM

I did mine on jackstands. Wasn't hard. Worse part is the passenger side retaining clip.

Tomd27858 · 03-16-2025, 07:08 PM

I have been looking at the various videos of people doing the install. It looks like a pain, but not impossible.

What is everyone's thoughts on backing the car onto ramps? The thought was that the emergency brake would hold the car on the ramps. I am a bit nervous about driving the front on ramps and jacking the back since it may roll back.

To get the clearance, I was going to then lift the front by the front crossmember with a 2x4 to spread the load. I looks like that is a jacking point and the 2x4 makes sure that the load is distributed through this forum search. I would then put the front on jackstands.

Does this sound safe? The lifting all 4 corners has me the most worried.

Thanks!

MSgt O · 03-16-2025, 08:42 PM

I drive the front on ramps, rear tires on 2x8s and then jack the back end. just chock the front tires, the car is heavier than you think and wont roll that easy

chef-beavis · 03-16-2025, 11:43 PM

The front is too low to get a jack into once the back is on ramps.

Wizard1183 · 03-18-2025, 08:42 PM

My low profile floor jack, may have driven on ramps and jacked back in? But if backing up on ramps yea. You have jack up behind the tire and put jack stand on the cradle up front

TheBrightSide · 03-25-2025, 10:36 PM

I was wondering the same thing, but I think I can get it done on just my 3 ton jacks stands. I normally jack my car up individually from the side rails, usually towards the ends of the side rails, by the wheel wells.

It’s kinda sketchy, but I can’t really lift my car any other way. I started using hockey pucks on my 3 ton low profile jack, because I was gouging up and bending the sheet metal on the side rails.

Time to get rid of my Hurst Billet Plus 2 short shifter. It’s been okay, but I think it’s mostly a lot due to the “custom” dust boot I set up underneath, at the shift linkage assembly. The dust boot is super tight and physically kept the shifter feeling tight, especially when the shifter itself clearly wasn’t.

I’ve checked the “nylon”(?) bushings that came with my Hurst billet short shifter, and they seem to be fine. I feel like the only play, comes with the shifter assembly itself, or inside of the stock, plastic shifter cup assembly.

Either way, the dust boot for my Hurst short shifter is acting like my DIY clutch return spring… It provides a lot of artificial physical/mechanical feedback, as well as dampening a ton of the NVH. The heat though, is still pretty gnarly up to the flat stick.

03-14-2025, 04:38 PM	#1
Tomd27858 Drives: 2011 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2021 Location: Greenville NC Posts: 32	MGW Shifter Install I contacted a couple of shops to get a price to install a MGW shifter on my 2011 SS. None of the shops seem very excited to do it. I am pondering doing the install myself. I do my own oil changes and parts swithouts. Just handy. What has me concerned is how to lift the vehicle to get enough room under there to change it out. It is tight on ramps just to do an oil change. Are y'll driving on ramps, jacking the rear of the car, and putting it on jack stands? Just trying to figure out the means and methods of getting enough clearance under there. Any thoughts from someone that didn't have a lift? That would make it just a simple grind to get the clips off. That seems to be the only real challenge of the install. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

03-15-2025, 01:04 AM	#2
SSE 4 2SS Boosted Moderator Drives: Bone Stock LS3 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Marion Tx Posts: 15,796	At the time I did mine, I didn't have ramps or jackstands, so I pulled up on a curb and while it was tight, I was able to get enough room to swap out the shifter. I'm 6'1, 240 at the time... I blocked the wheels, set the parking brake and got after it... It's tight, but doable.... oh, and I put the back wheels up on the curb... __________________ If the car feels like it is on rails, you are probably driving too slow. -Ross Bentley Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you. “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.” Mario Andretti If you can turn, you ain't going fast enough...

03-15-2025, 03:19 AM	#3
Wizard1183 Drives: ABM SS2/RS M6 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lafayette,LA Posts: 2,297	I forgot what I did. Maybe backed the car in ramps and put front end on jack stands or vice versa? I forget. __________________ Life is short, drive it like you stole it!

03-15-2025, 07:25 AM	#4
11/SS/RS Drives: 2011 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Southern Colorado Posts: 146	Just get yourself 4 6 Ton jack stands... They raise the vehicle to a very comfortable working height and youll know its safe. Ive been buying tools as I need them for years.... You might use them only once in a while, but its very nice to have whats needed in the tool arsenal! __________________ 2011 SS/RS K&N Cold Air Intake, Borla Atak Cat Back, Ferrada CM1 Wheels, ZL-1 front spoiler, JSD strut tower brace, Elite Engineering catch can, Baer Rotors & Pads, Stop Tech SS Brake Lines. More to come...

03-15-2025, 09:57 AM	#5
rockrau Drives: 2010 2ss red LS3 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: perkasie pa Posts: 540	Watch the MGW videos and DIY __________________ Pedders Pace Car Kit with ZL1 sway bar conversion & camber bolt kit.Lowered 1.5". 1LE tires & wheels. CAI air intake. Anvil CF rear spoiler.MGW shifter. 1 7/8" Kooks LT headers & HF cats.V-Max ported TB. Tuned.

03-15-2025, 01:09 PM	#6
Tomd27858 Drives: 2011 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2021 Location: Greenville NC Posts: 32	Thanks for the feedback guys. Great forum. I guess I will order another set of jackstands and try it myself.

03-15-2025, 11:30 PM	#7
chef-beavis Drives: IOM 2013 2SS/RS, Greenie, 06 FXSTBi Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Turd Town, WI Posts: 1,602	Did mine with ramps and a pair of jackstands on the back.

03-16-2025, 01:22 PM	#8
CamaroDreams76 Tri-County Camaro SWFL Drives: 2013 IOM 2SS/RS/1LE Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: South West FL Posts: 3,284 View My Garage	I did mine on jackstands. Wasn't hard. Worse part is the passenger side retaining clip. __________________ Just bolt ons........ https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343023

03-16-2025, 07:08 PM	#9
Tomd27858 Drives: 2011 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2021 Location: Greenville NC Posts: 32	I have been looking at the various videos of people doing the install. It looks like a pain, but not impossible. What is everyone's thoughts on backing the car onto ramps? The thought was that the emergency brake would hold the car on the ramps. I am a bit nervous about driving the front on ramps and jacking the back since it may roll back. To get the clearance, I was going to then lift the front by the front crossmember with a 2x4 to spread the load. I looks like that is a jacking point and the 2x4 makes sure that the load is distributed through this forum search. I would then put the front on jackstands. Does this sound safe? The lifting all 4 corners has me the most worried. Thanks!

03-16-2025, 08:42 PM	#10
MSgt O Drives: 2012 Camaro 2SS/RS Vert LS3/M6 Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Cheboygan, Michigan Posts: 899	I drive the front on ramps, rear tires on 2x8s and then jack the back end. just chock the front tires, the car is heavier than you think and wont roll that easy

03-16-2025, 11:43 PM	#11
chef-beavis Drives: IOM 2013 2SS/RS, Greenie, 06 FXSTBi Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Turd Town, WI Posts: 1,602	The front is too low to get a jack into once the back is on ramps.

03-18-2025, 08:42 PM	#12
Wizard1183 Drives: ABM SS2/RS M6 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lafayette,LA Posts: 2,297	My low profile floor jack, may have driven on ramps and jacked back in? But if backing up on ramps yea. You have jack up behind the tire and put jack stand on the cradle up front __________________ Life is short, drive it like you stole it!

03-25-2025, 10:36 PM	#13
TheBrightSide Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024 Location: Sacramento, CA - USA Posts: 270	I was wondering the same thing, but I think I can get it done on just my 3 ton jacks stands. I normally jack my car up individually from the side rails, usually towards the ends of the side rails, by the wheel wells. It’s kinda sketchy, but I can’t really lift my car any other way. I started using hockey pucks on my 3 ton low profile jack, because I was gouging up and bending the sheet metal on the side rails. Time to get rid of my Hurst Billet Plus 2 short shifter. It’s been okay, but I think it’s mostly a lot due to the “custom” dust boot I set up underneath, at the shift linkage assembly. The dust boot is super tight and physically kept the shifter feeling tight, especially when the shifter itself clearly wasn’t. I’ve checked the “nylon”(?) bushings that came with my Hurst billet short shifter, and they seem to be fine. I feel like the only play, comes with the shifter assembly itself, or inside of the stock, plastic shifter cup assembly. Either way, the dust boot for my Hurst short shifter is acting like my DIY clutch return spring… It provides a lot of artificial physical/mechanical feedback, as well as dampening a ton of the NVH. The heat though, is still pretty gnarly up to the flat stick.