Thanks for sharing, Phil

The only thing I'd add to, "read, read, read the instructions through, carefully as you go" is to read the whole thing before you start as some subsequent steps (and their descriptions) add clarity to previous steps.

also, by all means, keep a list of sticky or unclear parts of the install/instructions as I am always looking to improve the instuctions.

Thanks for your kind words Phil and your genorous offer to assist locals. You did a great job installing and are a great source of "pointers"

Chris

 

print out the instructions and mark them up as you go

 

well its time for my .02 let me say this was prolly the hardest mod i have ever done and it wasnt the kit at all. getting the wheel off took a month of brainstorming and adapting to the situation. in the end removing the seat the lower dash and laying on my back with my feet over the rollbars i was able to work the torx bits in at the proper angle and break them loose.
with the wheel removed i spent 2 days taping and retaping and measuring and talking with chris i made the irreversible cut in a 500$ wheel. went without a hitch thanks to chris's ideas and help. so finally i have paddle shifters installed and even if they didnt work at all they are cool enough to look at to make it worth all the effort!!! the fact they are fully funtional is iceing on the cake! thanx chris for all the help and your genius ideas keep them coming!
finally dont let my cautiousness dissuade you from getting this. chris was there at every fone call (his g/f hates when i call during dinner!!) and he always had an answer to my questions

 

Don't worry Steve, my girlfriend isn't mad. When I explained to her that it took you more than a month to install a kit that most Crossfire owners could get done in part of a weekend she knew what I meant when I told her you were special (as in special Olympics : )

All kidding aside, in your defense, the instructions were written for crossfire installations and did leave a couple of gray areas for you ... glad we were able to work through it together and complete your "original equipment looking" Paddle Shifter install.

Chris

 

Just for the record, what size is the Torx bit that actually fit?

 

on my wheel which is the slk32 wheel the 30 torx fit in the hole barely. not enough to get a tight bite and would slip easily. the 27 torx fit deeper in the hole and is what i used to break them loose.

 

I bought this kit a couple months ago, and STILL have not had time to get it installed....


...I really need to do this, I have been looking forward to it for so long, and haven't gotten the chance yet. Dag nabbit.

 

I think you will find that if the T-30 Torx bit fit at all then that is the correct size. The socket may have been damaged and that is why it did not fit to full depth.

Torx bits jam in the taper of the socket and can hold the weight of the screw, if it fits loosely you can tell the bit is too small. The proper bit size used with a reasonable end force will not damage the socket at all as the taper allows for no play, they do not fit loosely like hex sockets.

Proper matched Phillips bits and screws also jam into a taper, and can support the weight of the screw.

These types of fasteners and bits were designed to make assembly fast in production without the screws falling of the bits. The same principal applies to the external Torx.

There is a thread where the Torx nut on an idler was damaged because of the use of the wrong socket.

 

i dont disagree with you as when we removed johns wheel the t30 worked fine. for my application the t30 would not sit deep enough to ensure a bite and not strip the head. i had the entire bolt out of the wheel while repairing the captive cage and i can assure you the t30 was to big

 

Chris.... the paddles work fine when the wiring is plugged in right.... we are soaking in rain so I can't play around with them.... they are VERY solid and the install makes them look like factory equipment.... thanks again..


It is actually SUNNY today and the roads dried out so I did just a little playing on my way to the Post Office.... I LIKE IT!!! down shift into turns, power out and up shift..... can't wait till the passes clear up and I can take a run to the coast......

 

Finally got my paddles installed yesterday, and must admit it took me a while to drum up the courage to plunge the exacto knife into the wheel, but now it's done, I've just got to pluck up the courage to disassemble the shifter
A couple of points I will make, first the screws on the airbag on my wheel were definately T30, as I confirmed when I had the horn plate out. Second, when placing the template, it seems odd that it is across the 'knuckle' on the back of the wheel (where the spoke angle changes) which was a bit un-nerving, but once the paddles are fitted, they seem to lie flat.
So for now they just look nice, til I can get enough magnification to do the soldering.......

 

well i had time yesterday to play with the paddles. after many obstacles and time away to rethink the issues i had i have say this is the coolest mod yet! love the way they feel operate and look. went to grip's house and had to wipe down the seat, he wqas drooling all over it! jhm2k wont stay away from my car either!! so finally someone might just walk past all these xfires around me at the car shows to look at my paddles!!

magredvet i have crappy eyesight and didnt need a magnifyer. just slip the wire thru the hole and solder it gently. chris has tinned the ends for you already and its a very tight fit. you pass it thru and bend the wire on the board and it stays put were you need it. the disassembly instructions are exact and fotos help tons. i had my laptop sitting next to the shifter and had zero issues. aslo chris suggestion about testing after its done ensures you did it right .
let me add theres a tiny spring in the top of the shifter that holds the door closed for the shifter disengage. mine popped out and i had no idea were it was supposed to go. chris figured it out from 2000 miles away over the fone on a sat!! he has the best kit ever built!!

10080 i bow to your vast knowledge. after ripping my wheel completely apart i had the bolts out from 2 different slk32 wheels and the t30 IS the proper size!

 

There are three of us up here Southern Ontario that are planning on this mod, bluecoupe Beaner and myself. Slicing into the steering wheel will be a hard thing to do. SparkieSRT6 had a hard job doing it, his is done so we are relying on him to help us if we need help. The instructions are clear enough, I will hone the X-ACTO knives and get ready.

This is a great mod and looks great when done, not in the least an obvious add on at all.

This forum is a great place to learn and I have learned a lot here, sorting the wheat from the chaff is sometimes the most difficult thing to do. Having a mechanical background I look at things from that perspective, the electronic side of things is not my strong point at all.

I learn something every day on this forum and that is because there are a lot of smart people here, remembering it is the hard thing.

 

i taped the entire backside of the wheel and used a sharp pencil to outline the template chris supplies. with the template held by one thumb and finger on the wheel i gently scored the outline. then each time pluging deeper into the rubber. once the outline is cut i made cross cuts inside the outer score and then just started peeling it out with a small screwdriver. as the hole gets bigger its easier to see what needs to be removed. the corners were the hardest to cut as i was scared the knife would slip as i was applying pressure to cut and slice the wheel. slo and steady is the key. remember the inside part of the arm is all rubber and thats were the slot needs to be cut to allow the wiriharness to pass thru. the outside of the arm has the metal at the bottom so you slice to the bone there and work to the inside. i spent prolly 1 to 1 1/2 hr on each side fitting the paddle and trimming fitting and trimming. maybe 2 hrs marking the tape and looking at it remove and try again to get the best distance angle and fit. add a dozen calls to chris for support and i did it!!

 

Exactly the procedure I did as well. The exacto I used was one of the small "crafters pen style" knives. I made sure to stay on my cutting marks but ended up making it slightly larger on the outside steering wheel edge so that the paddle could be mounted slightly more outside to give me a bit more finger space. Best to just take your time.

 

i would add that the wider style blades work better than the sharp razor style blades. the sharp pointed blades tend to bend as they are being slid into the rubber. the wider blades are more stable

 

That looks really nice George!
great pics!

despite what 32krazy! might say (remember, he is krazy), it is a VERY good idea to have some magnification handy while doing your soldering. True, I have prepped and tinned the wires to make the install into the shifter pcb as easy and solid as possible, however, if you bugger-up the prepared ends by inserting them carelessly you immediately lose the benefit of the prepped ends.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me,
Chris

 

Confirmed

George, the wheel w/ paddles looks fantastic!

 

Chris, here's some installed pictures, in the 4th pic they don't look even, but they actually are, it's just hard to get dead center when taking pics.......honest......

 

Thanks for adding those pics!

It is interesting how the camera's perspective can mislead. In your first set of pics, the first pic (shot straight from behind) makes the paddles appear to extend to the edge of the wheel rim while the 4th pic (front shot) in your new pics makes the paddles appear to be closer to the center then they actually are.

It looks like you have them located perfectly.

It is a job/mod you can show off with pride (or not mention and let others believe it is a factory option).

Not to take anything away from your top-knotch installation, but I am sure you will agree that it was much easier to mount the paddles (with a professional appearance) then you suspected it would be (as everyone discovers once they get them it).

Thanks again George for sharing your pics!

Chris