Paddleshift for R500

[crafty]

Hi guys,

A mate of mine has an R500 with the sequential box, he's looking for a paddleshift system.

So far we've only seen references to the geartronics system being used with a Caterham.

Does anyone have experience with other systems?

[timrw81]

Might be worth asking on the kit car forum as there's lots of bike engined car owners and thus sequential gearbox knowledge. I know Duncan Cowper has flappy paddles in his turbocharged Hayabusa Dax Rush. Try www.locostbuilders.co.uk too.

Tim

[DaveK-S1]

Crafty

I wouldn't bother looking any further than the geartronics system. Its the best option on the market that runs closed loop changes, and has been designed to work with the quaife box.

I've tried the system on both CEC and BEC (hayabusa) and it works brilliantly

Dave

[crafty]

Thanks Tim,

Ive just bought a bike engined car myself and have bought a Flatshifter system which is soleniod operated tailored for bikes and bike engined cars, but has also been fitted to CEC's

What I'm looking for are people's opinions of systems used specifically on the Caterham R500 type sequential box.

Edited by crafty on Thursday 28th April 08:58

[crafty]

Thanks Dave.... I was kinda figuring that would be the answer.

[8pot]

What about the proshift kit? They have been around for a couple of years and do various kits. I am thinking of a paddle shift for my Westfield.

Mike

[fergus]

DaveK-S1 said:

Crafty

I wouldn't bother looking any further than the geartronics system. Its the best option on the market that runs closed loop changes, and has been designed to work with the quaife box.

closed shift is the only thing you can trust your box with. Ken Block's 600hp Fiesta used in his Gynkhanna 3 film uses geartonics GCU and paddleshift.

Solenoids and open loop = g/box rebuild waiting around the corner.

Neil is a top guy to deal with and is a no BS type of bloke.

[8pot]

Just been on Geartronics site. Product looks really good. I had a early version of this on a Skyline which was just the full throttle gearchange module. Looks like I will be skint for a bit now. Videos of elise and 911 on their site look amazing.

Mike

[mickrick]

Does anyone know if geartronics have done any work with a Drenth DG400.?
It does indeed look like good kit.

[DaveK-S1]

Mick

Give Neil a call, and he will talk you through it.

His system is currently used on many of the V8 single seater hillclimb cars which use a variety of gearboxes, so it can be adapted to pretty much any gearbox.

[mickrick]

O.K. maybe when I'm a bit nearer the time.
Just wondered if anyone knew, as I don't like harassing folks unless I'm ready to buy.

Cheers,
Mick.

[The Wookie]

I think the evora uses a geartronics system, a lot of work went into the calibration work, so expect to do a bit of tweaking, nothing to do with the system, just the nature of the shift. Also worth pointing out that the clutchless downshiifts are rarely as sweet as a half decent heel and downshift.

Also, paddle shift is great for a racing car where duff shifts and overrevs are a problem, but fwiw personally I find a sequential box with a flat shift system the most enjoyable to use!

[Neil Wallace]

The Wookie said:

Also worth pointing out that the clutchless downshiifts are rarely as sweet as a half decent heel and downshift.

Perhaps you've only driven the solenoid based systems? When done correctly, clutchless downshifts are far smoother than a 'manual' shifting using the clutch - as long as the engine response is good. Most of the other shift systems on the market simply blip the throttle for downshifting, but there's actually a lot more to it than that

If you want to see some in-car vids of the Geartronics system, have a look here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_44TctTMF6o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOn6QL9Opsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jow8EMqKj28
http://www.vimeo.com/21189477

As Dave says, I do most of the BHC 'big guns', and Geartronics was the control system in the 2008 European F3000 championship. Blowing my own trumpet a bit here, but are any of the solenoid systems used at this level? There is a reason why not...

Neil.

[The Wookie]

Ours is a pneumatic jobbie, closed loop as far as I'm aware. Apparently James Rossiter has been quoted as saying it's one of the smoothest he's used on a gt car... Don't know if he's talking rubbish or not, but I can definitely downshift more smoothly!

Have to say though those vids do look smoother than our system, but it's difficult to tell without the arse accelerometer!

[crafty]

He's going with the Geartronics system.

Will post vids and pics for you guys when its fitted.

[EFA]

Sensible choice.

[taffyracer]

I have the Geartronics flatshift on my car,superb bit of kit and superb service from Neil, top bloke, if i was fitting paddleshift then i wouldn't look anywhere else

[8pot]

I have got to get one of these now I have seen the videos. Do they supply and fit?

Mike