Shifter mods

Howdy! It's my first post I'm getting a 2021 limited and, it's awesome, but I like tweaking things. The first thing that's kind of annoying is the main automatic shifter. It feels massive. I see there are a lot of options out there for custom knobs but it looks like the threaded bar itself is long, so every option keeps the shifter just as tall.

Has anyone modded it to be shorter? Would that require cutting and threading the rod?

Even better - I like the dial on the 4wd. A lot of the newer cars have this as the main shifter. Since it's all auto anyway, is there a mod to put one of those in? I was looking at parts and it seems like it might not be possible because there's still some kind of manual linkage connected to it.

Thanks!

 

Welcome. To answer the question, yes it would require cutting the shaft and rethreading. Don't know about the 4wd selector. Figure electronic could be changed to manual but replacement all the way outside to transmission. Maybe one of the 4wd guys will chime in on that one.

 

The height of the shifter is coherent with the height of the center console box. You rest your arm on it whilst operating the shifter knob.

 

If you have the time, money and patience, you will find a shop that would shorten the length of the shifter, re thread it.
I highly doubt though a rotary dial would work with this shifter unless you find a proper custom shop. The cost would not align with the outcome.
But honestly, trying it on a 15 year old truck like the 4runner, it would be a futile effort.
Remember, it says 2021 limited but essentially it's a 2010 truck.

 

I’m pretty sure that cars that have a round dial transmission shifter also have an electric servo on the transmission that actually shifts it at the transmission. The round dials are nothing more than electrical switch.

The 4runner transmission lever physically moves a bell crank at the actual transmission via levers and cables. One less electrical component to fail. Unfortunately, the transfer case is shifted via round dial and electric servo on all models except the Pro and Off Road trims. The servos can fail when they are not used frequently enough, requiring expensive repairs when they do.