"You can't just put it anywhere!"
Shift Lever Locations as they apply to C10 Trucks.
By Jesse Vaughn
Are you considering purchasing a manual shift transmission for your C10 truck, but don't know where the shift lever will land? Well, Spirit and Speed is here to show you the different lever placements for the more common transmissions.
Some of the more common aftermarket transmissions available are the Tremec T56 Magnum, Magnum F, and the TKX 5-Speed. The common salvage yard transmissions that we have dealt with are from the 4th Generation F-Body (T56), 5th and 6th Generation F-Body (TR6060), and the 05+ Nissan Truck VQ40DE 5-Speed. While all of them have different torque ratings, gear ratios, transmission mount locations, etc., we are only here to talk about the shift lever locational differences. Now keep in mind that your choice of engine mounts and engine placement will be the ultimate variable when considering shift lever placement. To help you visualize these options, we have put together a simple illustration to compare each transmission's shift lever location(s).
The most popular transmission is the T56 6-Speed transmission. While the aftermarket Tremec transmissions have multiple shifter location options for each transmission, the OEM transmissions have fixed locations. If you are looking at an older 4th gen F-Body T56, they have only one shifter location, and it is very far back. Its location is fixed, and the internal shifter rail does not have multiple lever lugs. So, if you have this transmission, your only option is to use a mid-shift location shifter. However, you will have to have a Tremec elite dealer disassemble the transmission and modify the rail. This transmission is also a very old transmission and Tremec no longer supports it. So, the aftermarket parts available for this transmission are all from overseas. This transmission also has a fairly low torque rating. So, in short, I would personally avoid this option. Its shifter location is set at 29.4" and is very far back, making it nearly impossible for use in all models of C10 truck. The Tremec Magnum F transmission is a Magnum transmission with this 4th gen F-body tail housing. It also has the 29.4" overall length and is not a useful option in a C10 truck.
The T56 Magnum transmission is the most versatile transmission, having 3 different shift lever locations. This makes it a great option for all generations of C10 trucks. These come out of the box with a shifter installed in the rear most position. However, you can either leave the shifter in the rear most position or simply unbolt it and flip it around, moving the lever forward 3.5". The third option would be to remove the rear location shifter, and purchase a mid-shift location shifter kit. This will block off the rear shifter, and add a new shifter forward a total of 7.8". The most common shift lever location for 1967-72 C10 trucks is this mid-shift location. This will put the shifter in a location to where you can either use a bench seat or bucket seats and console. Both the 1960-66 and the 1973-87 C10 trucks will use the standard location shifter, but flipped around to the forward position. We have found this to be the most common location for these generations of trucks. That being said, if you are using a bench seat in a 1973-87, you may be right on the edge of needing the mid-shift location shifter. We will typically use the Bowler Performance shifter lever to allow for final adjustment of the shift know placement. This lever is designed with 19 degrees of kick-back and has the lower hole machined to allow for the lever to be moved to dial in the position. We do suggest this lever with any manual shift transmission in a C10 truck.
The next most popular option is the TKX 5-Speed transmission. This is the newest version of the Tremec 5-speed and is a culmination of things learned over the years building the TKO and T56 transmission. Again, there is a lot to talk about with this transmission and why it is a great choice, but we are only here to show you its shifter locations as they compare to other transmissions. As with the T56 Magnum transmission, this unit offers 3 different shifter locations as well. This transmission will also come out of the box with the shifter installed in the rear most position, which will not be used by us C10 builders. That rear shifter flipped around is very similar to the T56 location, only 0.16" back from the T56. This transmission also has the ability to use a mid-shift location shifter, but will require the Tremec dealer to install. For instance, Bowler Performance charges $135 for the installation. Bowler also offers an offset shifter for this transmission, which can further dial in the lever location.
The next transmission that is very common for DIY builders is the 5th and 6th Gen Camaro TR6060. This would have come behind an LS3 and is very comparable to a T56 magnum in its torque rating. However, these had a remote shifter hung off the back of them, which is not even close to being able to be used in a C10. The aftermarket does support this transmission very well in that there are a ton of shifters available. You can purchase a bolt-on mid-shift location shifter or a rear offset shifter. Take a look at our illustration to see the differences in these shifters.
The final option that we have dealt with is the 6-Speed transmission that came in 2WD Nissan pickups equipped with the VQ40DE engine. I believe that these transmissions were in pickups from 2004 until 2015 and are a great option! With the adapter plate included, their shifter location is 26.5" from the back of the engine. So it is too far back for bench seats, but if you are wanting to do some autocrossing on a budget and have bucket seats, this would work for you.
Hopefully, this illustration and the measurements as they apply to our trucks can help you make a decision on which transmission will work for you. For any other information or parts pricing, please shoot us an email at: sales@spiritandspeed.com