Radical Newbie Flatshifter questions
Discussion
Hi,
I am picking my new to me radical clubsport up tomorrow and it is presently not fitted with any kind of flatshifter or alternative. Is the Flatshifter a worth while reliable addtion and whilst on the subject do many people run with the paddles or do they just keep the gear stick?
I will probably have quite alot more questions but can't wait to drive it!
Regards
Ross
I am picking my new to me radical clubsport up tomorrow and it is presently not fitted with any kind of flatshifter or alternative. Is the Flatshifter a worth while reliable addtion and whilst on the subject do many people run with the paddles or do they just keep the gear stick?
I will probably have quite alot more questions but can't wait to drive it!
Regards
Ross
Had my clubsport for about 1.5 years with plain old stick shift and haven't really felt the need for an upgrade, you can get really quick shifts without flatshifter imo. All depends on what you want it for and what you're used to really.
Probably best to try it first as is asap and then start from there
Dunc.
Probably best to try it first as is asap and then start from there
Dunc.
Edited by dunc_sx on Friday 11th September 14:10
dunc_sx said:
Had my clubsport for about 1.5 years with plain old stick shift and haven't really felt the need for an upgrade, you can get really quick shifts without flatshifter imo. All depends on what you want it for and what you're used to really.
Probably best to try it first as is asap and then start from there
Dunc.
100% sound advice Probably best to try it first as is asap and then start from there
Dunc.
Edited by dunc_sx on Friday 11th September 14:10
i genuinely thought about fitting one at the start of this year - as i found down shifting a tad harder to get used to as i had a set of paddles fitted to my last bike engined car....
however, i wanted to keep the car std and able to race with radical themselves.. so decided to stick with it.. also having chatted briefly to some of the other guys and looking at their times... i thought it best to stick with teh basics and practice !!
some times its best to keep it simple.. and it doesn;t get much more simple than a lever rose jointed straight back to the gearbox input - less to go wrong... and IF that flatshifter/trickshifter failed... in particular on down shifts.............. £££££
however, i wanted to keep the car std and able to race with radical themselves.. so decided to stick with it.. also having chatted briefly to some of the other guys and looking at their times... i thought it best to stick with teh basics and practice !!
some times its best to keep it simple.. and it doesn;t get much more simple than a lever rose jointed straight back to the gearbox input - less to go wrong... and IF that flatshifter/trickshifter failed... in particular on down shifts.............. £££££
Thanks for the advice all will try as is and then go from there!
The reason for asking was that i have heard that the flatshifters give the gearbox an easier time if they are reliable. However i have seen some cases where their reliability has come into question resulting in some expensive repairs!
Ross
The reason for asking was that i have heard that the flatshifters give the gearbox an easier time if they are reliable. However i have seen some cases where their reliability has come into question resulting in some expensive repairs!
Ross
Hi Ross
I have just fitted the Flatshifter Expert c/w paddles to my SR3, the quality is superb, fitting was realatily easy but engineering mounting brackets is require.
The system allows flat upshifting with a ignition cut and clutchless downshifts with the throttle blipper.
I have only run the car on chassis stands at the moment and all seems great, i am testing the car at Snetterton a week Thursday.
Best of all with this system you can use paddles or stick so should there be any problems you can revert back to the stick, the system cam be disabled compltely by disconnecting the electrical feed so it not be elligable in an event.
Customer support is fantastic, rang Graham on a sunday evening and he was more than helpfull, you dont get that level of service from some of the other suppliers.
I have some photo's of the installation, i will try to post them later.
Marshy
I have just fitted the Flatshifter Expert c/w paddles to my SR3, the quality is superb, fitting was realatily easy but engineering mounting brackets is require.
The system allows flat upshifting with a ignition cut and clutchless downshifts with the throttle blipper.
I have only run the car on chassis stands at the moment and all seems great, i am testing the car at Snetterton a week Thursday.
Best of all with this system you can use paddles or stick so should there be any problems you can revert back to the stick, the system cam be disabled compltely by disconnecting the electrical feed so it not be elligable in an event.
Customer support is fantastic, rang Graham on a sunday evening and he was more than helpfull, you dont get that level of service from some of the other suppliers.
I have some photo's of the installation, i will try to post them later.
Marshy
Edited by Marshy98 on Saturday 12th September 18:00
Hi Marshy
I'll be interested to see the photos on that and how you get on at Snet. Is that the Thursday before the final Radical Round that weekend?; if it is, I may well try to wangle it and join you; who's the trackday with?
From what I can see online, 'Flatshifter' seems to use very similar if not the same components as 'Trickshifter' (I guess they get bought in from somewhere, maybe the States?), which LCM uses (with the stick not paddles) and I came away with the impression that he is very happy with it; me thinks if it can meet Lindsay's very high technical standards and astonishing pace and do what he needs it to do (extremely rapid and frequent up and down changes on a sprint) in the formidable "Black Betty", then it should breeze by in the comparative calm of a circuit lap.
Nice to hear of someone providing good Customer service in the lovely village of Dedham - used to live just down the road
I'll be interested to see the photos on that and how you get on at Snet. Is that the Thursday before the final Radical Round that weekend?; if it is, I may well try to wangle it and join you; who's the trackday with?
From what I can see online, 'Flatshifter' seems to use very similar if not the same components as 'Trickshifter' (I guess they get bought in from somewhere, maybe the States?), which LCM uses (with the stick not paddles) and I came away with the impression that he is very happy with it; me thinks if it can meet Lindsay's very high technical standards and astonishing pace and do what he needs it to do (extremely rapid and frequent up and down changes on a sprint) in the formidable "Black Betty", then it should breeze by in the comparative calm of a circuit lap.
Nice to hear of someone providing good Customer service
in the lovely village of Dedham - used to live just down the road
Hi Trev
I think flatshifter, trickshifter and quickshifters are all the same components, heres a link to the web site:
http://www.quickshifters.com/
All parts carry a 1 year warranty even with " Race usage "
Marshy
I think flatshifter, trickshifter and quickshifters are all the same components, heres a link to the web site:
http://www.quickshifters.com/
All parts carry a 1 year warranty even with " Race usage "
Marshy
Cheers Paul
What brackets did you have to make? > Just the one that's bolted to the engine cover that holds what I assume to be the flatshift's main operating mechanism?
Not being that familiar with the detail of the SR3, did you have to make up a new gear change end lever going onto the gearbox output shaft to receive the output shaft from the flatshift operating mechanism? Presumably you had to do some wiring extensions with connectors to meet and supply the flatshifter's looms?
Snet?
What brackets did you have to make? > Just the one that's bolted to the engine cover that holds what I assume to be the flatshift's main operating mechanism?
Not being that familiar with the detail of the SR3, did you have to make up a new gear change end lever going onto the gearbox output shaft to receive the output shaft from the flatshift operating mechanism? Presumably you had to do some wiring extensions with connectors to meet and supply the flatshifter's looms?
Snet?
Hi Trev
I CAD/Laser cut the engine bracket, a small support bracket for the throttle blipped actuator
and a 50mm extention to the original gear shift bracket, this is to ensure the gear shift
actuator moves the full 25mm in both up shifts and down shifts.
The wiring is simple, just picked up a supply from the switched side of the kill switch and then a small mod to the coil supply for the ignition cut.
I'm at Snetterton on 24/09/09
Marshy
I CAD/Laser cut the engine bracket, a small support bracket for the throttle blipped actuator
and a 50mm extention to the original gear shift bracket, this is to ensure the gear shift
actuator moves the full 25mm in both up shifts and down shifts.
The wiring is simple, just picked up a supply from the switched side of the kill switch and then a small mod to the coil supply for the ignition cut.
I'm at Snetterton on 24/09/09
Marshy
Edited by Marshy98 on Sunday 13th September 09:20
point that marshy raises around the 25mm movement for BOTH up and downshift is sound.... having been through this albeit previous to my radical... its absolutely essential that whatever system you set up - the mechanical movement needs at least 22mm BOTH ways.. also any bracketry os best secured to the engine, and any flex to an absolute minimum......
just out of interest the paddle shift is doing what a human being is doing just faster, the down shift is blipping the engine and is very smooth why do you say that the manual system is kinder to the engine, i would have thought it would be the other way around.
The paddle shift is doing what the arm/stick foot is doing just ten times faster. if x= number of gear changes in a lap y = number of laps in a race X x Y = more time at full throttle, mathematicaly it must be quicker or am i missing something?
dont get me wrong i love stick shifting, heeling and toeing etc as much as the next man but it must be slower and more effort.
like any new technical system it will take a while to get it set up correctly but the result is well worth the effort
The paddle shift is doing what the arm/stick foot is doing just ten times faster. if x= number of gear changes in a lap y = number of laps in a race X x Y = more time at full throttle, mathematicaly it must be quicker or am i missing something?
dont get me wrong i love stick shifting, heeling and toeing etc as much as the next man but it must be slower and more effort.
like any new technical system it will take a while to get it set up correctly but the result is well worth the effort
Hi all
After driving both types of car my view would be -
1. The vast majority of Club Cup races use the stick...
2. Ensure you're getting the most performance from the driver before devloping the car..
3 Use the stick first and then go to flatshifter as part of the development....
4. Only fit the flatshifter intially if you feel that it will help your own development.....
5. And last but not least if you use the stick you can "feel" the gearchange, whereas elctronically you cannot "feel" it...
Hope that makes sense...
David
Boring Old Fart...
After driving both types of car my view would be -
1. The vast majority of Club Cup races use the stick...
2. Ensure you're getting the most performance from the driver before devloping the car..
3 Use the stick first and then go to flatshifter as part of the development....
4. Only fit the flatshifter intially if you feel that it will help your own development.....
5. And last but not least if you use the stick you can "feel" the gearchange, whereas elctronically you cannot "feel" it...
Hope that makes sense...
David
Boring Old Fart...
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