mechanical paddle shifting

[18racing]

My team wants to use the following concept for the paddle shifting:
- uses a butterfly style (pivots in the center) paddle
- butterfly should rotate with the steering wheel
- butterfly should also detach with steering wheel
- steering wheel quick release should detach everything in one motion so it is easy for driver to exit
- butterfly actuates a push pull cable that attaches to transmission

What are your opinions on this concept?

[BMEP]

Some shifter karts use mechanical flappy paddle shifters, take a look at some of those designs as they are close to what you are describing

[Mazur]

Reason why that aren't used widely is because the amount of gripping a driver must do during driving. This can quickly tire out the driver's forearms making him significantly slower.

Obviously this isn't a problem with electronic/pneumatic systems.

[Adambomb]

We've looked into doing this probably a half dozen times. The result was always someone spends a pretty decent amount of time getting an 80% design, at which point they conclude that:

1. System is complicated
2. Packaging is a nightmare, worse with a system that rotates/is removed with the wheel; fixed system is much simpler, but as you've mentioned makes egress/templates harder, also less user friendly
3. Force requirements potentially too high, especially for the clutch

So, basically the same challenges you've listed. I've never driven a car with the system myself, but I'm pretty sure you would have the same problem Mazur listed as well. Even with a standard steering wheel, gripping it is one of the more grueling things with driving, now imagine trying to pull your fingers back to hit a shifter, which may also require a decent amount of force to actuate.

[Mehul Botadra]

Agreed! Butterfly on the wheel is a bad idea! You either have it on a manual hand shifter or dont have it at all!

Go for GCIC!

[RollingCamel]

Check this.

W W W dot youtube dot com /watch?v=VVSLAhb3xkU

Vehicle is MNR Vortx, though being front engined makes things simpler.

[Jon Oneill]

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that RMIT & Edith Cowan University used a system like this a few years ago. Both seemed to have a fairly dialed system that worked on the track, but without talking to the drivers themselves, you wouldn't know if it was hard.

Both of the systems did not rotate with the wheel though. Rigid mounted.

[CarterMcStud]

Take a peak at ours? It for an electronic and pneumatic shifting and Brake adjustments. Dual butterfly? This is from 2010. The manual section is only for neutral.

[NickFavazzo]

UWA also had the system on our 2008 car, Though I don't think it rotates with the wheel, when I get a chance I'll edit this post with some pictures.

[cvargas]

What is your reasoning for doing a steering wheel mounted shifter verses a traditional butterfly shifter?