I've been messing around with the idea of adding some sort of button or paddle shift to the truck since the HGM controller has the ability to do so. I've been fiddling with the shift logic and haven't got it quite where I want it. Some of it has easy adjustments that I still need to fine tune and the other is a bit more complicated. Its mainly how to get the downshift when I want and the truck upshifting too early.
Anyway, I searched around on eBay one day looking for some cheap paddle shifters. I ran across these decent looking, simple Lexus paddle shifters. They were 3 wire just like the trans controller was setup for. 1 signal wire for each shifter and a common ground between the 2.
I then had to come up with a bracket. I found a piece of scrap 1/8" aluminum to bend up. Not having a band saw or anything nice to cut it with I had to use a recip saw and it was ugly. I cut a couple pieces and had a friend glue them together for me with his tig. Im not 100% happy with it but functions, just isn't pretty.
I fed the trans harness up through the column and drilled a small hole in the column to run it through.
I took the stock harness for the shifters and modified it and used a connector from work to connect everything. Its not completely hidden but you can't see it unless you look under the steering wheel.
Finished everything this morning. Pretty stoked about how it turned out. I have like $35 invested in this modification.
I got to drive it tonight. Now I read from HGM that these transmissions can't engine brake electronically. I wasn't sure exactly how that would work. So I took it out and manually shifted it up through the gears. I love how the trans works when your manually upshifting. Now the downside is like I said when you click it down it wont jump the RPM's up like it would if you pull it down with the column shifter. It feels sorta like its in neutral when you shift it down and get back on the gas. I'm not exactly sure whats happening. I only put a few miles on it. So that stinks but Ill take what I can get with a junkyard trans and a $35 shifter mod. If I figure out more with it, Ill update.
