Will Be Curious about the Wheel Shifter

Panther Dash said:

What don't you like about the wheel shifter? It seems like a pretty simple and easy concept. Do you just prefer the lever more?

I'm pretty sure that there are other more 'luxurious' vehicles that are using a similar shifting device too.

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because I think its foolish. Personally my favorite is the column shift, but console shift is alright as well. My problem with it is I'll usually pop it into neutral when coasting up to a light or even sitting at the light and the wheel just seems to be harder to get the selection right...

I have a work van (Ford) that has a column shifter that drives me buggy. There is an unbelievable amount of play in it. I'm up for a change of pace.

Can you shift gears with this set up? Is there a paddle shifter on the steering wheel? Or do you just have P R N D?

really? is this how people change gears now?

I think it should of been more like this with the option of up shift and down shift.
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j424/Restoration4us/1999 Tiffin Allegro Bay Pusher/IMG_1361.jpg

Accused, I will tell you the rotary shifter is very hard to get used too. I'm so used to a column or center shifter that I keep grabbing for them. I think it will just take time to train your brain with the rotary.

thats definitely going to take some time to get used to, going to be reaching for a shift column many times to find out it's not their LOL

Indeed, I think what I'm going to miss most is reverse to drive, I'll reverse, drop into neutral for a sec than roll into D, just old MT habits from years that seem to of stuck around...

the wheel just doesn't seem as intuitive to me. To be honest it was a bit confusing on the test drive. I went to grab for the column on our test rig (HEMI unfortunately) and had a real WTF moment...

I think that it will just take some getting used to . All the comments here just talk about how you are used to other forms of shifters. Drive the Ram 1500 for a month and I'm sure that it won't really be an issue any longer.

Accused said:

I'll usually pop it into neutral when coasting up to a light or even sitting at the light

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Why?

Raven257 said:

Can you shift gears with this set up? Is there a paddle shifter on the steering wheel? Or do you just have P R N D?

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Yes. There are buttons on the steering wheel.

L.O.A. said:

thats definitely going to take some time to get used to, going to be reaching for a shift column many times to find out it's not their LOL

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From all reports I've read, it's an easy transition. A week tops and it's second nature.

RAM MAN said:

I think it should of been more like this with the option of up shift and down shift.
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j424/Restoration4us/1999 Tiffin Allegro Bay Pusher/IMG_1361.jpg

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Ram Man, that looks like a dash from a diesel pusher.

We use those style shifters in some of our Army trucks and they are so easy to get use to. I picture this style but more of a stylish design for a ram would be great. Not so much for the bench seats but for a center console design because it would be placed where your hand would naturally rest. I don't know just a thought. I'm good with the rotary switch though. I GET MY TRUCK TOMORROW!

I can't wait to see it ram man.

RAM MAN said:

We use those style shifters in some of our Army trucks and they are so easy to get use to. I picture this style but more of a stylish design for a ram would be great. Not so much for the bench seats but for a center console design because it would be placed where your hand would naturally rest. I don't know just a thought. I'm good with the rotary switch though. I GET MY TRUCK TOMORROW!

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Don't get to excited. You have duties to attend to, like a first drive review and pictures to post.

i dont fully see the benefit to switching to a shifter like this

scatpack_69 said:

From all reports I've read, it's an easy transition. A week tops and it's second nature.

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oh interesting, do you have a link to at least one of the reports?
at least they reported it to be just around a week, not bad.

scatpack_69 said:

Why?

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Why not?

Since this rotary gear selector knob is in fact an electric switch, it would be quite easy to come up with an aftermarket center console shifter that would simply plug into the existing rotary knob harness. I think the benefit of some extra space in the center doesn't outweigh a traditional shifter where most of us rest our hand while driving. In case this idea sells in the future I should hurry up and patent this