[ITZKEV]

A reputable manufacturer out there would like to gauge interest in an aftermarket shifter that let's us use the Autostick in a north-south mode vs. and east-west or left-right mode. It would fit inside the existing OEM console template and look almost stock, save for a separate gate for the north-south shift action. What do you think guys?

 

[Hardware]

I did the North / South Auto stick in my car when i first got it. (accidentally) Thats Embarrasing!
Im use to my autostick now so I wouldnt see a need for it personally...

 

[cbutler32]

itskev...

honestly I would rather have the autostick shift the opposite way than it does now...
left to upshift and right to down...
opposite of the current set-up...
It was tough to get used to...
and more than once I went the wrong way...
because your mind says "pull towards you" and you are upshifting and "push away" from you and it should be downshifting...
just my thoughts still on this autostick issue after 4 1/2 months and 7700 miles...
but as far as a north-south - nope...
don't bother...
it would force you to to get away from the center console for forearm support...
and would cause a tremendous amount of extra work and then it wouldn't be used...

 

[Lik2race]

Im use to my autostick now so I wouldnt see a need for it personally...

I agree...not needed..in my opinion of course..

 

[Meister]

A reputable manufacturer out there would like to gauge interest in an aftermarket shifter that let's us use the Autostick in a north-south mode vs. and east-west or left-right mode. It would fit inside the existing OEM console template and look almost stock, save for a separate gate for the north-south shift action. What do you think guys?

Much of what I love about this forum is the free exchange of ideas. I find this exchange extremely interesting, not to mention beneficial. Chris' (cbutler) comment for one, as I know that he's a very squared-away guy, yet his perception is 180 out from mine in terms of the existing left - down, right - up pattern. So it forces me to re-think my own thinking and go to back to where my own comfort with "right is higher" comes from.

Part of it, I suppose is that most conventional floor shifters do move to the right as you move up through the gears. Additionally, a major influence on all I do in any "cockpit" these days results from three decades of actively flying, much of it in scenarious requiring reaction, not cogitation. In aviation one of our many "mental crutches" is the old saw that "left is less...". So for both of the above reasons there was no learning curve required for me to "know" that nudging the stick to the right will upshift and tugging the stick to the left will give the next lower gear (when revs allow it). Yet "knowing" it isn't enough (see below).

In aviation push is usually Go or On (throttles & switches) and pull is the reverse of that. However, in drag racing, the most critical shift, IMO, is the 1-2 shift, always a sharp yank to the rear with all gearboxes I've used. As a result I've twice plumbered the 1-2 shift in the heat of battle with my autostick, as I've yanked "back" to shift to second, with a resultant left movement sufficient to cause the computer to believe I was commanding a down shift. As a result my Hemi hit the rev limiter both times by my forcing the tranny to re-try first just as it was in the process of shifting to second on its own. This has been, in both instances, motivation sufficient to cause me to invent new words in expressing my displeasure at what just happened. ; )

So, Yes, ITZKEV, I would be highly interested in examining this mod. Let me know if the mfr. is looking for a beta tester. And ask him which way he sees the 1-2 shift going. I can logically see it being set up in a "push to upshift" manner, but my viscera tells me I'd want it the other way. What we we do in the heat of battle, without thinking, is what we should pay attention to. That would be to pull our way up, and push our way down, through the gears. Just my thoughts...

 

[cbutler32]

hehehe...

and thus Meister comes back to the "reaction" side...

What we we do in the heat of battle, without thinking, is what we should pay attention to. That would be to pull our way up, and push our way down, through the gears. Just my thoughts...

nice!
when you can talk yourself into my thoughts with no nudging at all...
I couldn't agree with you more on your outset about the flying thing tie in...
left is less and right is more power...
But you noted the biggest problem with this scenerio -

However, in drag racing, the most critical shift, IMO, is the 1-2 shift, always a sharp yank to the rear with all gearboxes I've used. As a result I've twice plumbered the 1-2 shift in the heat of battle with my autostick, as I've yanked "back" to shift to second, with a resultant left movement sufficient to cause the computer to believe I was commanding a down shift. As a result my Hemi hit the rev limiter both times by my forcing the tranny to re-try first just as it was in the process of shifting to second on its own. This has been, in both instances, motivation sufficient to cause me to invent new words in expressing my displeasure at what just happened. ; )

and that was my thoughts on having the upshift going left and the downshift going right - opposite how it is currently...

180 degrees...
hehehe
at least you come back to where you start - :biggrin:

 

[RobertV]

How about shift paddles?

Is there anyway to have this company produce shift paddles for the steering wheel?
TIA

 

[Meister]

and thus Meister comes back to the "reaction" side: "What we we do in the heat of battle, without thinking, is what we should pay attention to. That would be to pull our way up, and push our way down, through the gears. Just my thoughts...

nice!
when you can talk yourself into my thoughts with no nudging at all...
I couldn't agree with you more on your outset about the flying thing tie in...
left is less and right is more power...
But you noted the biggest problem with this scenerio -

However, in drag racing, the most critical shift, IMO, is the 1-2 shift, always a sharp yank to the rear with all gearboxes I've used. As a result I've twice plumbered the 1-2 shift in the heat of battle with my autostick, as I've yanked "back" to shift to second, with a resultant left movement sufficient to cause the computer to believe I was commanding a down shift. As a result my Hemi hit the rev limiter both times by my forcing the tranny to re-try first just as it was in the process of shifting to second on its own. This has been, in both instances, motivation sufficient to cause me to invent new words in expressing my displeasure at what just happened. ; )

and that was my thoughts on having the upshift going left and the downshift going right - opposite how it is currently...

180 degrees...
hehehe
at least you come back to where you start - :biggrin:

lol

Like I said, Chris, you're a very squared-away guy.

 

[kevenj]

Is there anyway to have this company produce shift paddles for the steering wheel?
TIA

nah, the wires would get tangled up in the steering wheel... :nutkick: :banana: :sad6:

 

[cbutler32]

RobertV

YEAH BABY!!!

That is what I would love!
Not having to reach down and autostick...
It would be great to have shifter paddles in a car under $150,000...
let alone a $50K ride...
forget the whole north-south thing

Shifter paddles and I am in!
In fact - I'll be the demo "pilot"
would have worked great this afternoon on a certain road...
not having to use one hand through a certain turn at a reduced speed for control...
two hands - max control and speed!

I LIKE IT!!!


oh, and meister - I'm not that square...
like my neighbor's group of pilots that fly for him...
man can some of them flat out fly...
twin ruddered VMF guys...
but put them in a "civvie" setting...
heck, that's why there are only so many pilots good "enough" for the Angels...
fly the wings off a plane...
but couldn't hold a conversation unless it was about half cuban's at 500 knots... :biggrin:
TURN AND BURN BABY!!!
Think I'll wear that hat next time I make a spirited run and think about you in a twin ruddered "eagle" at mid G's... :wink1:
and thanks for the props... back at you...

 

[II kings 9:20]

Had North South on the X5, no better than East West, really no choice but to get use to what is in the car. Bmw changed thiers, it use to be North for a downshift now (as I hear) it is South for a downshift. I think there would be little to no interest in this but as meister said, it gives pause for thought.

 

[kevenj]

North/South, East/West, West/ East...... it don't matter to me - - I'd be ecstatic if the damn thing would shift when I tell it to, instead of 2 seconds later (seems like 2 minutes when you REALLY need to be in the next gear down coming into a corner) :wave: Mine is a 300C but my dad's C-SRT8 is the same way. That's about my only irritation with this car. Maybe when someone comes out with a programmer it will address the manual shifting as well?...

 

[Model 57]

because your mind says "pull towards you" and you are upshifting and "push away" from you and it should be downshifting...

I don't know when the last time was that you drove a stick, but I haven't seen one that shifts that way. Higher gears to the right on everything that I have driven, that was left hand drive.

 

[chasb]

TO hell with all of this

How about a good old six speed. That will cut right to the chase.

Or maybe we can resurrect this baby

http://www.autohobbydigest.com/a-4spd.html

 

[RobertV]

Audi S4 = paddles ~ $50K Some S6 & all RS6 had them

I agree Chris "It would be great to have shifter paddles in a car under $150,000...let alone a $50K ride..."

The S4 can be had for under $50, the S6 was ~ $60K and the RS6 was ~ $80 +

My 02 S6 had buttons on the wheel, many of the 03 S6 had the paddles. The buttons worked just fine, but paddles are better!

We want paddles.

Sorry ChasB, I have damage in my left leg that makes shifting a big pain.
I can remember when I would spit on an auto, not anymore
Thread HiJack:
BTW ChasB, hope you and yours have a great Turkey day, maybe we can get together after? Drop me an email: [email protected]

 

[II kings 9:20]

The RX8 has paddles too.

 

[Pete's3]

Didn't Pontiac have a model recently with Paddles on the column?? A Bonneville maybe?

 

[RobAGD]

I too would like the shifter to be backwards of what it is currently.

I cant see it being too hard unless they actually use differnt connectors for the wiring look

If I could get the shift mech out and look at the wires. I would HOPE that you could just flip 2 connectors or MAYBE swap some wires with in the connectors.

-R

 

[HEMEEE]

I too would like the shifter to be backwards of what it is currently.

I cant see it being too hard unless they actually use differnt connectors for the wiring look

If I could get the shift mech out and look at the wires. I would HOPE that you could just flip 2 connectors or MAYBE swap some wires with in the connectors.

-R

OFF topic... Hey Rob :birthday: !!
ON topic, I'm in the I-don't-care camp on this. I'm used to it by now and just think of it like the radio volume knob... turn down left/turn up right.

 

[II kings 9:20]

North/South, East/West, West/ East...... it don't matter to me - - I'd be ecstatic if the damn thing would shift when I tell it to, instead of 2 seconds later (seems like 2 minutes when you REALLY need to be in the next gear down coming into a corner) :wave: Mine is a 300C but my dad's C-SRT8 is the same way. That's about my only irritation with this car. Maybe when someone comes out with a programmer it will address the manual shifting as well?...

That delay, I posted this elsewhere, "Brings back great memories of my '87 300E with only 177hp and 188 ft-lb, dropping from D to 3 with the gated shifter was instant and put the car at its peak just where you need it passing on a 2 lane road. Given the specs, this car was incredibly responsive all because of the tranny. Even more thrilling was my '70 300SEL 6.3 Eurospec with 300hp and the same gated floor shifter, easily equal to the 300C in terms of thrust. Problem with today's electronics is that split second of decision. In the old MB, a quick flick of the wrist and I sling shot past you while your tranny is sipping on a cappuccino smoking a clove cigarette trying to decide what to do. The fastest production sedan in 1970 (300SEL 6.3)was even faster with the Euro motor generating an extra 50hp, exhilirating with instant, mechanical control of torque. This is something missed in all the 0-60 hype, responsiveness makes a huge difference in how I enjoy a car".I fully concur with the delay, I imagine it is there as to not damage the internals by jolting all that torque in there too fast. I notice the very fine Buick Lucerne has the wonderful gated shifter 36 years after my 6.3, it is still electronically controlled. I hope to drive it tomorrow with my dad (Thanksgiving week in Virginia).