The new Ford Bronco is an enthusiast favorite for lots of reasons. It has big tires, a removable roof, and even a manual transmission if you spec it that way. It’s a seven-speed standard with an extra-low crawler gear, which is some real truck stuff. Now, aftermarket icon B&M has given the rig an equally truck-y shifter to replace the stubby knob it sports from the factory.
B&M claims the shifter is nearly 3 inches taller than the stock unit, putting it directly in line with the center console. It’s more ergonomic as a result, not to mention more on-brand aesthetically. The look is reminiscent of the old-school, floor-mounted stick shifts we used to get in almost every truck.
It probably feels a lot different than those classics because it’s a short throw. B&M says the shifter travels nearly 40% less than stock, which goes against the long throw of pickups and 4×4 SUVs from yesteryear. Logic says it’s for performance reasons, but surely I’m not the only one who isn’t concerned about snappy shifts in an off-roader.
Regardless, the design looks pretty tight. The shift lever itself is constructed from 303 stainless steel, and this product demo even lets you hear the solid “click-click” sounds it makes. You can retain the factory leather-wrapped shift knob if you want, but then you’d be missing out on the eight-ball-finish B&M knob that I think is better, personally. The gear pattern is even embossed on top with an italicized “c” on the bottom left to denote the crawler gear. Nice.
B&M'S PRECISION SPORTSHIFTER WILL GIVE YOUR 2021-UP FORD BRONCO'S 7-SPEED A SOLID SHIFTING FEEL
It mounts up to the factory shift cable and shouldn’t be too difficult to install at home. It’ll set you back $349.95 through Holley, and since it’s the only real aftermarket solution, there’s nothing to compare it to price-wise. All in all, if you’re spending that much on a new Bronco already, it’s probably worth the extra to have it look and feel the way you want.
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