I was one of the first to respond to this same thread, and suggested you should set the shifter handle height to the LOW setting.
The shifts are more precise and the throws are shorter. I guarantee you 80% of the people who have the Tri Ax have the shifter handle on the LOW setting. As for the tranny noise, its normal with any aftermarket performance shifter(unless its REALLY bad, then it may have not been installed properly).Good Luck!