Adrift

As good a deal as that sounds, it would just be two CF paddles which would sit in a cabinet until the end of time. lol

TRSCobra

I have them and it it does get a little annoying if you're not driving super aggressively or listening to loud music. Apparently there's a way to put some tesa tape over the magnets to quiet them a little, but that requires removing them and pulling them apart.

My bigger issue is how much farther outward the paddles stick compared to stock, even adjusted all the way inward. I'm always grabbing them by accident when making low speed hand over hand steering maneuvers, and worried they could lead to some unintentional shifting doing autocross this season.

Airbag997

Nope. Same. Super distracting and chintzy. Hard pass.

FazedChicken

If the click is too loud, I saw someone on YouTube putting scotch tape to quiet it down.

Pull the paddle so the gap between the magnets is visible, and apply tape while holding it in the "activated/open" position. Put as many layers of scotch tape as you want to adjust the intensity of the sound. And you cut tiny pieces so it's impossible to see.

I haven't personally done this with mine, and enjoying the loud click (for now). Only did around 1000km in them before the car went into winter storage.

348SStb

Guys who installed the JQ magnetic shift paddles for you? I imagine many of you didn’t yourself… but for those of you who didn’t do it yourself? I’m wondering whom you hired and how many labor hours for the operation.

I am very familiar with the process — I’ve watched the videos; steering wheel has to come out, etc. I know how to do it; but I’m not talented enough to do it myself without running into an impasse or breaking something. I know my limitations with this stuff — I do some interior stuff as well as other handy stuff but this I wouldn’t attempt alone.

Going to the Porsche dealer is not an option I’ll take since their labor rates are higher than my lawyer’s rate. Also they probably frown on this stuff anyway.

I have eight cars on which I’d like to install these but I suppose I’ll try one set first; I’ll choose to install the first one on my 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 PDK and if I like them (which I’d bet I will), I’ll order them for my inbound Spyder RS and all the other cars.

Thank you.

KelvinC

I have installed quite a few. I am not mechanically inclined by any means, but I can honestly say that with the right tools, I’d say this installation would rate at a 2–3 out of 10 for difficulty.

Going very slowly, about 45 min to an hour.

Talent is not required. Just the right tools and the ability to follow instructions.

348SStb

@KelvinC

Thank you for your reply. Could you please assist further?

All right, I am preparing to do the job tomorrow because today was a fail since I didn’t have the proper bit after watching a YouTube video. Therefore we did not attempt to remove the airbag today, which maybe we should have. My guy is coming back tomorrow at 2pm, but I am still stumped and would like to figure this out before he comes…

Here are my questions:
1) What exact bit is needed to remove the steering wheel center lock?
a. I have seen someone say T-55 Star-bit; someone else say M18 triple square (which is gigantic); and another person say M12 triple square. Which of these, if any, is correct?
b. Do you have the torque value for this?
c. Is it necessary to replace the screw with a new one following removal?
2) Is the attached picture relevant to this job and accurate? I found it here.
<https://www.718forum.com/posts/213251/>

KelvinC

1a. You want to use a 12mm triple square bit socket. It looks something like this:




Or this if you want an extra long one:






I’ve heard that a Torx T55 can work, but I never tried it myself, nor would I recommend it since the triple square bit socket fits the hole perfectly.

1b. You want a torque wrench that can get to 22 ft/lb, as your diagram shows above. Make sure that you have some socket extensions, or a long enough 12mm triple square bit as you don’t want your torque wrench to hit your steering wheel/trim. You will know the moment you try to remove the bolt. If your torque wrench gets close to the steering wheel, it’s safer to just find a short extension to give yourself plenty of clearance.

1c. Officially, the instructions say these bolts are one time use. Some follow this religiously, others don’t. Out of all of the 15+ installs I’ve done, only one person has requested a new bolt. My opinion is that it’s totally fine to reuse it. There’s nothing that gives me the impression that the original bolt wouldn’t continue to work perfectly for its purpose. I just add a dab of loctite blue to the original bolt before reinstalling. Again, this is my opinion, you need to do what you feel is right for you. The bolt is not expensive, so you can decide for yourself.

2. Yes! As a tip, it helps to have a friend to hold the steering wheel while you torque it down to spec. Especially when you do the final tightening step where it says to continue to rotate an additional 90 degrees once you’ve hit the required 22 ft/lb.

As an additional tip, once you’ve removed the airbag and removed the steering wheel bolt, take a picture of the threaded area so you have a reference for what “perfectly straight” looks like. Sometimes there are little specks or marks that you can use as a reference to the center dot. When you remove the wheel and put it back, it’s very easy to accidentally offset the wheel by one notch. Then the wheel will be slightly askew, and you’ll have to remove the wheel to realign again. Use the photo to double check everything is 100% the same when reinstalling the wheel before replacing the bolt.

Hope this helps!

DrainsWalletsFast

I have tried these and don't care for them at all. Super clunky. Some people swear by them. Just suggest you try before you buy. If the throw wasn't so long and they didn't make so much noise they might be cooler.

348SStb

@KelvinC

Thank you for that excellent response! Much appreciated.

@mwar99

Makes sense. For me, I find that I use the handheld gear lever to shift much of the time since it feels like a manual lever, as it has a round ball on top; it’s fun to utilize it for shifting. I can always revert to the handheld gear lever for up shifting and downshifting if I tire of the clicking sound of the paddles. But I don’t think it’s annoying — I happen to like it whereas I dislike the uneventful oem paddle shift action.

GT4RSYMPHONY

How does the shifting action compare to a manual experience? Does it scratch the same itch? It’s a fairly unique feature among exotics so it’s intriguing

348SStb

@GT4RSYMPHONY

I would say the shifter ball feels the part. It’s an incentive to use the lever to shift gears rather than the paddle shifters. The huge pdk gear shifter on other P-cars or the tiny gear lever on BMW are kind of a disincentive. The RS pdk system is very responsive, so it’s fun to shift using the lever.

mrd_spy

they are fully adjustable so you can have a short throw if you want ?

I was going to buy these for my GTS , but they would not gel with that car imo. In the 4rs I think they work perfectly makes it feel even more race car.

I think oem are set too far inward for track use and don’t have a very nice feel.
with these you set the throw and reach, and have that positive click. Ferrari use magnetic also.

maybe just slightly too noisy but on track I wear ear plugs anyway.

but over all I think they add to the 4RS experience.

Dizzy1127

Just installed the madtrace magnetic paddle shifters. Used this thread as a guide.

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1093...stall-diy.html

100% recommend as it is a very easy diy with the right tools.

Its easier than trying to install the rennline phone mount that i still cant install because i cant pull the panel off...