Hate that tranny knob

[O.R.T.]

We must both be messed up. Its funny

It's all of us except O/P snickering.

On-topic, my stupid column shift boot tore/wore in one spot. Guess what, I'd have to get a full replacement shifter to get just the stupid rubber/plastic thing.

Suggestions, may just have a leather one done up.

 

[Dr. Righteous]

Just bought my brand new 1500
4 WD and I'm kicking myself buying it for one dumb reason: I can't stand that knob on the console for the transmission. I've already more than once got the stereo knob and tranny knob confused while driving.
I really wanted a Ram and I thought I could get used to not having a lever on the steering column like every other truck on the planet has.
Now I'm stuck with a $40,000 truck that I'm unhappy with.
Why did Dodge design it this way???

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Man, talk about 1st world problems. It it pains you that much go back to the dealer ship and trade down to a more base model without the knob.
Modern vehicles do not need mechanical linkage to control the transmission, it is all electronic. It is much cheaper to put a knob on the dash than put a shifter assembly.
Expect future truck to all have knobs.

 

[smurfs_of_war]

Evolve or die.

kind of a "scorched earth" policy for a shifter knob I guess

 

[Hootbro]

kind of a "scorched earth" policy for a shifter knob I guess

Yeah, it is a little snarky but is true. I work in engineering for a aviation manufacturing concern and is basically the work motto around here.

Simple fact is majority of people hate change and we would all be still driving 1960's technology if most people had their way. People's approach most times to change is like the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance.

The market always bears out if a change is good and with FCA having record sales on RAM trucks, these rotary shift knobs are not a deal breaking concern.

 

[FamilyRAM]

You can shift while driving all day. The trans won't shift. No worries there. Even when I had a 09 sport my dog had knocked the shifter while doing 70 down the highway. Nothing happened. Any shifter these days are electronic. There just for show.

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Well there is an electronic interlock that prevents you from accidentally changing gears. If you listen intently you actually hear it disengage/engage when you depress/release the brake pedal.

Ahhh, of course. I should have realized.
Thank you!

 

[catch 22]

Wow.........just wait till he goes looking for the transmission dip stick.

 

[Sandbox]

It takes some getting use to but, it's not horrible.

 

[ADUBIS]

My mom had an old car with a push button gear selector when I was a kid. I cant imagine how much complaining the previous owner did when their new car came with a column shifter on it. Even worse would be a three on the tree... lotsa moving parts in that contraption

 

[Eased]

Honestly I didn't like the dial in my 2014 RAM at first. Trust me, after about a week or two it will become second nature and it will grow on you. I actually like it now. The dial will not let you do something you're not supposed to do.

For the people joking about mistaking it for the volume knob... that's just stupid. The dial has a very different feel and look to it and I've never once mistaken it for a volume or fan knob. You've got bigger problems if you make that mistake.

 

[shibby927]

picked up a new ram on saturday, and i found the knob to be unusual. i thought that when i first heard about the knob shift until i remembered my grandfathers, 52 or 53 push button trans on the dash. looked like radio buttons. i will get used to it as will you. of course i would rather have 6 speed manual.

I love mine. Saves space for other things. I love the storage bin in the center console where the console shifters used to be, and the cell phone/tablet holder that's there now. Quite handy.

 

[jasongt06]

I love my shift knob. Much better than the old style.

 

[Abe677]

I'm shopping for a truck to replace my 97 RAM 1500. The only non-traditional automatic I've driven was a rented Chrysler 300 in 2012 that had the console joystick. I didn't like it. The best example of my frustration would be this - I'm backing out of a parking spot and when I'm clear to move forward I can grab the mechanical shift lever and pull it from R to D without looking at it. Those shifters were designed to move from R to D without requiring the shift arm to be pulled in. Same with D to R. So I can maneuver the truck forwards and backwards without looking at the gear selector. This doesn't seem to be the case with these electronic shifters - either the 300 joystick or this rotary knob. I don't want to have to take my eyes off my surroundings just to shift the truck from R ot D. Similar issue when I back out of my driveway each morning - I don't want to have to look away from the road just to shift the truck into D.

Now, I only had the 300 for a week, so maybe there's something more to the way these new electronic shifters work that I'm not aware of.

Maybe turning the rotary knob full right gets to me D without looking and that would work. But getting to R without looking seems impossible with this setup.

Am I missing something?

 

[cbsmith]

Turning the knob fully to the right gives you D. Going to R you need to be a bit more careful because you could grab P but there are notches in the dial so you can feel it click over each gear so you can turn it left 2 clicks and it will be in reverse. I no longer need to look at mine when I shift as you get the feel of it.

 

[clh1220]

I'm shopping for a truck to replace my 97 RAM 1500. The only non-traditional automatic I've driven was a rented Chrysler 300 in 2012 that had the console joystick. I didn't like it. The best example of my frustration would be this - I'm backing out of a parking spot and when I'm clear to move forward I can grab the mechanical shift lever and pull it from R to D without looking at it. Those shifters were designed to move from R to D without requiring the shift arm to be pulled in. Same with D to R. So I can maneuver the truck forwards and backwards without looking at the gear selector. This doesn't seem to be the case with these electronic shifters - either the 300 joystick or this rotary knob. I don't want to have to take my eyes off my surroundings just to shift the truck from R ot D. Similar issue when I back out of my driveway each morning - I don't want to have to look away from the road just to shift the truck into D.

Now, I only had the 300 for a week, so maybe there's something more to the way these new electronic shifters work that I'm not aware of.

Maybe turning the rotary knob full right gets to me D without looking and that would work. But getting to R without looking seems impossible with this setup.

Am I missing something?

Ya your missing something. Turn to right to drive and 2 clicks back to park. It's pretty easy, it's not like your shifting it allot. Most of the time I go from park to reverse then drive. It shows what gear you're in, on the dash.

 

[WillardsRAM]

Takes a bit of getting used to, but it cleans up the dash area nicely. No protruding levers in the way. Would be nice if they integrated the tow/haul mode as a pushbutton on the dial though.

 

[Markcuda]

For the love of God, I just don't see why so many grown men, maybe some women also, can complain about something like a round shift knob.
Man up.

 

[TRCM]

Takes a bit of getting used to, but it cleans up the dash area nicely. No protruding levers in the way. Would be nice if they integrated the tow/haul mode as a pushbutton on the dial though.

Kinda like the foglights are on the headight switch ??

 

[Broyd]

Ya your missing something. Turn to right to drive and 2 clicks back to park. It's pretty easy, it's not like your shifting it allot. Most of the time I go from park to reverse then drive. It shows what gear you're in, on the dash.

Not quite. 3 clicks to go from Drive to Park.

 

[StoneDude76]

I love the knob. I'm used to it and I go from D to R without thought now. I don't have to look. All by feel. I'm with Markcuda. Man up.

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[Abe677]

I didn't realize I was risking my man-card simply by asking a question. The issue here is my safety and the safety of my family. Anything that takes eyes off my surroundings could be considered unsafe. The steering shaft shift lever required no eyes. Count clicks and simple moves from R to D and back without counting clicks or even pulling the lever towards me. The knob is quite different and seemed closer to the console joystick in the 300, which I considered to be unsafe. After some good replies here I think the knob is an improvement over the joystick.

Real men drive a manual anyway. Some of us have family members who can't so we have to compromise.

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