One of the things I never loved about the ST out of the box was the shifter. It was always a little too tall and a little too vague. Of course the aftermarket has a ton of options to fix this issue. Ford Racing even has a drop-in replacement for the whole shift assembly that reduces throw by 18%. Of course, the Ford Racing part costs almost $500.
It was discovered by others some time ago that the Focus RS shifter assembly is also a drop-in replacement in the ST. It features a shorter throw (10% reduction they claim), stiffer centering springs, beefier reverse lockout, and possibly some other improvements. The best part? You can get the part new for $77. That price includes the entire shifter base, mechanism, boot, and shift knob!
I installed the RS part over the weekend and confirm that in addition to a shorter throw, there is a lot less slop and everything feels much tighter than the stock shifter. For the price, it's pretty hard to beat. I also had previously installed a JBR shift arm on the transmission side that allows stock, 20%, and 40% reduction in shift throw. I have it on the 20% reduction with the RS shifter.
The Ford p/n you want is G1FZ-7210-E . I bought mine from Tasca Parts.
Protip: if you have a '15 or newer, you don't have to remove the center console to install. The Internet has instructions on how to replace your shifter base by removing the plastic trim panels only.
