For Audi R8 owners, the crisp, mechanical feel of the manual gearshift is a big part of the car’s appeal, it adds to the driving experience. But as these cars age, worn bearings in the shifter mechanism can rob you of that precision, making gear changes sloppy and frustrating. After noticing excessive play in my own R8’s shifter at 36,000 miles, I faced a choice: spend hundreds of pounds on a replacement from Audi or tackle the repair myself. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how I restored my shifter to like-new condition by replacing the bearings, saving money and bringing back that satisfying snick of a perfect gear change.
The shifter is easily removed from the car, remove the airbox, the gear cables and unbolt it from the top of the gearbox.
The pins that pass through the bearings are held in place with a small 8mm circlip. (This pic of with the new bearings, I forgot to take on of the old ones)
The bearing needs to be pressed out. I use a socket to sit around the pin and rest on the bracket, a deep 13mm is perfect.
This allows the pin to be pressed out whilst supporting the bracket.
One of the pins was VERY tight. It needed heat to break the seal so I could tap it out.
Once the pin is removed, the bearing needs to be pressed out of the cast arm
Initially I removed the small spherical bearing, the edges have been tapped with a hole punch previously to temporarily tighten the bearing. This is a bodge and ot something that will last.
A long M8 nut and bolt, 19mm socket, large washer can be used.
Tighten the nut and it pulls the bearing out.
Similar for the needle bearings, but this time a 19mm socket and a 13mm are used,
Small impact gun and spanner make short work of pulling them out.
The shifter with all the spherical and roller bearings removed. Note the small spacers on the pics that sit either side of the sphericals.
The bearings required are as follows. You can buy cheaper bearings, but I dont plan on doing this again so the extra expense for SKF and INA was worth it imo.
4 x SKF GE 8 C 8mm Bore Spherical Bearing, 16mm O.D RS Components part 217-6743
3 x INA HK1414-RS-L271 14mm I.D Drawn Cup Needle Roller Bearing, 20mm O.D . RS Components Part 191-3811
New circlips are cimple 8mm external circlips from Ebay or a local hardware supplier.
SKF GE 8 C 8mm Bore Spherical Bearing, 16mm O.D
INA HK1414-RS-L271 14mm I.D Drawn Cup Needle Roller Bearing, 20mm O.D
New circlips are simple 8mm external circlips from Ebay or a local hardware supplier.
Shifter in exploded form with the old bearings.
Sphericals are pressed in using a 10mm socket as a guide
The recess in the socket sits around the spherical centre so you dont put pressure on that when fitting
Ensure the socket used at the other side of the hole doesn’t foul the bearing as it is pulled through.
Similar method to removal, the 10mm socket presses the bearing into the hole as the threaded bar is tightened.
The roller bearings are similar, but they require a 14mm socket to press them in.
New Spherical and roller bearings fitted.
Reassembly may require the small arms to be prised outwards so the spacer washers can be fitted.
Circlip ensures everything stays in place.
Repeat for all the bearings and once completed you have a refreshed shift mechanism with everthing nice and tight, as it should be.
After reassembling the shifter and taking the R8 for a drive, I couldn’t stop smiling—every gear change was crisp, precise, and just as satisfying as when the car was new. This repair isn’t overly complex, and with some patience, it’s well within reach for any home mechanic. By replacing the bearings myself, I saved hundreds of pounds. If your R8’s shifter is feeling sloppy, grab those SKF and INA bearings, set aside a weekend, and restore that manual shift back to what it should be. You won’t regret it.