my shifter has a lot of side to side play, whether its in neutral or in gear. i've changed to prothane shifter bushings but this didn't help. i went under the car and checked the linkage, no loose screws. any suggestions?

 

Define "a lot".

Some play is normal.

 

I had similar play that you have. I put my car on a lift and noticed that the rear bushing on the end of the shifter rod was not touching the the bracket that was bolted up to it, causing it to feel loose. What I did is took off the rear bracket that holds the end bushing of the shifter rod (towards the rear of the car) and bent the bracket so it was up against the bushing. I got to tell ya all of the shifter play is gone. I have ES bushings on it but.... this mod did a crap load. Because there is less play now it does NOT vibrate like hell or even shake. I also noticed that it shifts smoother than before....possible that it hung lower and was misaligned. Try that and good luck!!