Dial Shifter - Let Me Vent!

[GixxerJasen]

Expy is in the shop waiting in line to get the transmission diagnosed. They called to tell me they finally got in a loaner. 2024 F150 FX4. It's got the console old style shift thing. Honestly, it's huge and takes up space and just gets in the way. Can't wait to get my expy back.

Oh, the giant screen is nice, don't like how Android Auto is displayed though, and I'm missing my adaptive cruise control. Nice truck otherwise.

 

[ChuckNOS]

What defines "old guy?" Anyway, I've gotten used to the dial shifter ('23 Mac XLT) for everyday driving...not a big deal. What I dfind virtually unusable is the manual shit mode placement. Without a lever, there should be paddle shifters....had them on a 2011 Subaru and they came in very handy.

 

[nationalgallery]

What defines "old guy?"

That's defined by the 'definer's' age....

 

[Maxine the Max]

I am an "Old Guy" millions of miles under my belt, driving a tow truck for a living at age sixteen, street racing in the early 70's and one of my favorite sayings; "back when it was legal to drink and drive" (don't get upset it is just a joke, but true)
Whoever prompted Ford engineering to adopt the dial shifter should be fired! I is inherently wrong in every aspect of humanity.
As the proud owner of a 2024 Expedition Max I have to admit it didn't bother me initially, but it didn't take long for this unnatural cumbersome basic function of driving to start eating away at my soul.
The fact some person somewhere in the great country thought this shifter was a good ideal baffles my mind. I'm assuming it was copied from some modern European design or a video game.
I truly understand it is my unwillingness to change that has brought this rant to print, maybe there is some weekly evening meeting I can attend to help me with this problem although I'm pretty sure it will not help.
I do love the truck, but I will end with; If at any point Ford or the aftermarket ever develops a plug-and-play retrofit normal (Human style) shifter the way it was intended to be (Park-Forward, Drive-Back and Neutral somewhere in the middle) I will buy it at any cost!
Just so it is clear, this is not the way I normally talk. It was incredibly hard for me to write this post and not have it removed due to my normal use profanity.
Thanks for the venting session, I'm curious if there are others who feel the same way, please chime in.

Haha! You made my morning. All you needed was a dag-gum. Then it would have been perfect.
I'm a big fan of column shifters. Just feels right. But if I have to have one on the console. I like the dial. There isn't a big clunky handle sticking out. It has sleek classy look. And anything is better then the shifter on the dash! That's just bizarre.

 

[Galaxieman]

Two words: Column shift. The console shift is in the way, and the rotary is just plain stupid. Wife's '19 Expy has the rotary, my '20 F150 has a column shift, and my '12 5.0 GT is a 6-speed manual. It does not matter which truck I'm driving, the first time I go to put it in reverse on any given trip, I reach for the wrong location. Zero problems with the Mustang, but then again the 3-pedal thing and seating position helps muscle memory. There is ZERO reason ergonomically for the rotary dial to be where it is, and while it's slightly better than the console shift (in that it doesn't stick up way into the middle of everything) functionally it's stupid. At least they're both better than the GM 'buttons/toggles'. Push, pull, push? Design on those things seems arbitrary at best, and capricious at worst.

Something like 80% of vehicles in Europe are manual shift, which is a built-in forcing function to keep people off their phones. Between that and stricter licensing protocols, their crash numbers look better than ours. Last stats I saw had US manual vehicle sales at ~1%, and only 18% of Americans can even drive one anymore. And many of those are aging out of the driving population way faster than they're being replaced...

And don't even get me started on the whole "it automatically shifts to park" thing.

 

[VRAND]

Here's a post in a Maverick owner's site where someone replaced a rotary shift knob with one from a F150 -

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/f-150-shifter-installed-in-maverick.40708/

 

[Fastcar]

I have yet to hear anybody complain about the space a manual shifter on the console takes up. Then again not that many people can drive one.

 

[GixxerJasen]

I have yet to hear anybody complain about the space a manual shifter on the console takes up. Then again not that many people can drive one.

I can drive one. I'd rather not in Dallas traffic though. Nothing like having a bad day at work followed by over an hour of 3mph stop and go working a clutch.

 

[cptbligh]

Column shifter is best shifter.

Console wastes a bunch of space, and coming out of the BMW with the idrive controller in the same location I have to stop myself from throwing the Expy in park when i want to scroll through the dash menus.

 

[5280tunage]

I can drive one. I'd rather not in Dallas traffic though. Nothing like having a bad day at work followed by over an hour of 3mph stop and go working a clutch.

The traffic thing I can agree with, but I will say, the 10spd is a bit finicky in traffic for me. It tries to hold on to first gear a little to long and then lurches forward just as I'm about to need the brakes... With all of the sensors on these, you'd think the computers would be able to dynamically adjust shift curves.

 

[Herby]

I am an "Old Guy" millions of miles under my belt, driving a tow truck for a living at age sixteen, street racing in the early 70's and one of my favorite sayings; "back when it was legal to drink and drive" (don't get upset it is just a joke, but true)
Whoever prompted Ford engineering to adopt the dial shifter should be fired! I is inherently wrong in every aspect of humanity.
As the proud owner of a 2024 Expedition Max I have to admit it didn't bother me initially, but it didn't take long for this unnatural cumbersome basic function of driving to start eating away at my soul.
The fact some person somewhere in the great country thought this shifter was a good ideal baffles my mind. I'm assuming it was copied from some modern European design or a video game.
I truly understand it is my unwillingness to change that has brought this rant to print, maybe there is some weekly evening meeting I can attend to help me with this problem although I'm pretty sure it will not help.
I do love the truck, but I will end with; If at any point Ford or the aftermarket ever develops a plug-and-play retrofit normal (Human style) shifter the way it was intended to be (Park-Forward, Drive-Back and Neutral somewhere in the middle) I will buy it at any cost!
Just so it is clear, this is not the way I normally talk. It was incredibly hard for me to write this post and not have it removed due to my normal use profanity.
Thanks for the venting session, I'm curious if there are others who feel the same way, please chime in.

This post had me laughing early this morning!! I too am an "Old Guy" and I agree with every word mentioned. Can't wait to read your next submission!!

 

[5280tunage]

I don't own one, but apparently Tesla already removed the physical shifter from their new Model S and X,

While they're at it, they might as well remove the turn signal lever too, i hate to make stereotypes but most of the Tesla drivers around me use their turn signals less than the BMW/Mercedes owners.

 

[Fastcar]

I can drive one. I'd rather not in Dallas traffic though. Nothing like having a bad day at work followed by over an hour of 3mph stop and go working a clutch.

I made a trip from Boston to Daytona in a 6 speed vette and wore a hole in the side of my sneaker on that trip. I never got to use cruise control until south of Richmond.

 

[JayB66]

I am an "Old Guy" millions of miles under my belt, driving a tow truck for a living at age sixteen, street racing in the early 70's and one of my favorite sayings; "back when it was legal to drink and drive" (don't get upset it is just a joke, but true)
Whoever prompted Ford engineering to adopt the dial shifter should be fired! I is inherently wrong in every aspect of humanity.
As the proud owner of a 2024 Expedition Max I have to admit it didn't bother me initially, but it didn't take long for this unnatural cumbersome basic function of driving to start eating away at my soul.
The fact some person somewhere in the great country thought this shifter was a good ideal baffles my mind. I'm assuming it was copied from some modern European design or a video game.
I truly understand it is my unwillingness to change that has brought this rant to print, maybe there is some weekly evening meeting I can attend to help me with this problem although I'm pretty sure it will not help.
I do love the truck, but I will end with; If at any point Ford or the aftermarket ever develops a plug-and-play retrofit normal (Human style) shifter the way it was intended to be (Park-Forward, Drive-Back and Neutral somewhere in the middle) I will buy it at any cost!
Just so it is clear, this is not the way I normally talk. It was incredibly hard for me to write this post and not have it removed due to my normal use profanity.
Thanks for the venting session, I'm curious if there are others who feel the same way, please chime in.

I can't afford new anyway, so I get to avoid this whole mess by buying old stuff that works the way I want it to. The dial shifter indicates another piece of electronics that might, at some point, fail. Usually at the most importune moment. Re. Murphy...

 

[Pawpaw]

Dial shifter?? We didn't need no stinkin dial shifter back in the day. Just a Hurst Competition Plus!!

 

[bryz_expy]

Just had a newish F150 (2023) with a column shifter for a loaner. I was wondering if they still have it as mechanical or if it’s just a lever that tells the computer what position it is in.

I would think one of the experts on here @LokiWolf might have some Forscan knowledge and a company like Boosted Grey Goose might have a harness.

Put the F250 cup holders in, and you would have a pretty decent setup.

I’m wondering if the Police Expedition Interceptors are column shift.

 

[Grizguy]

Me too. Must be the same age.. My expy dial shift. Push buttons shifting into 4wd by accident mode switch. My 17 transit has shift knob in the center of the dash and my 06 f350 on the column where it belongs. All 3 have wiper controls in different places.

 

[slideboy7]

I would like a column shifter and bench seat in the front for 9 passengers. Tahoe and suburban do that in the base model. Expedition should have an option for that too.

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

While they're at it, they might as well remove the turn signal lever too, i hate to make stereotypes but most of the Tesla drivers around me use their turn signals less than the BMW/Mercedes owners.

LOL, at least they have a reason, that turn signal might mean the difference between making it to a charging station or not!

 

[Dahammer]

I too miss the shifter on the steering wheel column. However, being a senior the shifter knob is ok.
Can't play with the shifter knob tho like you could with the shifter on the column.