I have an interesting mod. Floor shifter in automatic Explorers. Would it work? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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I have an interesting mod. Floor shifter in automatic Explorers. Would it work?

BBQ_HotDogs

A Man Without Wheels
Joined
December 9, 2003
Messages
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City, State
Houston, Texas
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 Eddie Bauer (R.I.P.)
I am always thinking of ways to make an Explorer easier and prettier, LOL. But while driving the 03 Taurus that we have, I started thinking about the floor shifter. It has a nice console with a real nice shifter and looks about like an Explorer has, of course without the shifter. So that takes me to a question,

Can a floor shifter from say a Taurus be installed on an Explorer? This of course if for the automatics only, not standard shifts.
 



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Check Out this link....click
 






1996Limited said:
Check Out this link....click

That link is for an entire transmission swap.

It could be done I'm sure it would take some creativity though. All that is connected to the shifter is a cable that goes down to the transmission. The hardest part about a floor shifter would be getting the cable to work and getting all the detents for the different gears set right.
 






You could try to use any cable floor or console mounted shifter you can find.
Any AOD floor shifter (aftermarket) can be made to work with the 4r70w, also there are shifters available for the A4LD.

I basically had a 93 Explorer automatic trans in my truck and I used a 86 BII, 2wd floor shifter and bell crank assembly (not cable shift, solid linkage).

Now I am converting to the 4r70W (AOD-E-W) and I will be using an Art Carr console shifter mounted to a base built into my center console, this one is cable shift just like the stock column shifter.

Also when you do go floor shifter you can easily swap over the instrument cluster and column from a 5 speed truck to get rid oft he shift indicator and column shifter.
The OD buttong requires some simple wiring as well (two wires from computer, one is OD on/off, the other is the OD light)
 






Like the ones in the UK???



6534.jpg
 






You mean the Explorers in the UK with automatic transmissions have a floor shifter?
 






I think that would be sweet. Might have to do some research on this...
 






snocross1985 said:
I think that would be sweet. Might have to do some research on this...
No kidding. It would be worth the money to order from the UK the parts needed to make it a simple mod and do it. Nothing like having a vehicle that not many look like and a floor shifter would definately set it apart. We will have to wait on the UK gang to wake up and answer some of these questions for us...
 






Yeah except its designed to be used from the pass side.
 






I would love to do this, as long as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do so. The UK explorers do have the floor shift for the automatics, but as 410 said they are designed to be used from the opposite side. Gotta get some of the UK guys in on this one.
 






It should be a plunger style shift neck button which would allow you to invert the handle or use pretty much any other replacement Ford shifter knob.

or you could just do this and problem is solved :D
 

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I think the UK version uses a Taurus shifter. :D Would this work for the 4R70W too?
 






but the gear display is on the wrong side :)
 






minor details, Jamie :p
 






Very minor. If we could find one, then see what modifications it would need. You know how many people with Explorers would want to change theres to a floor shift with a console?

I will take a picture of the console of my Taurus when it get's home. I would bet it is the same as needed for an Explorer. But I don't know what transmission it has. I am just a drive it kind of guy.

If I could do something like this to an XLT or Sport, then I wouldn't mind not having an Eddie Bauer or Limited.
 






I remember this being discussed before on this site. I sure would do it if someone figured it out.
 






Seems to me it is quite possible.
Some work involved but that is the case with any mod of this extent.
 






oh this is easily possible, but why go overseas when there are high quality good looking aftermarket shifters right here?

keep in mind while looking at other Ford shifters that just because it goes P N R D 2 1 Doesnt mean it has the same throw for the shift lever, meaning it may not pull or push the cable far enough for the trans.
 






Here is the previous discussion I saw a while back.
 



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I am sure you will keep us in the loop with what you learn BBQ
 






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