Thinking about swapping my 06 Denali xL from column to console shift

[SnowDrifter]

I'll be watching this one. The steering column shift never really appealed to me

 

[01DenaliHiker]

That's not my fault most people would rather be lazy and let the transmission decide on which gear they should be in. I like to have as much control over my 3 ton bullet as I can.

Sure looks like the floor pan is separate, and probably easier to keep the same stamp for all of them, then to make a new one just to not have the area separated for the manual trans...

Also, I thought they did come in manual around the world. Wasn't a manual an option in South America or Mexico? Probably Africa too if they ever did it. The Silverado/sierra weren't assembled at the same places as the Tahoe/Yukon (AFAIK), but that doesn't mean the pans weren't stamped at the same place. Someone else might know easily, but I have no clue on the process, (just throwing stuff out there).

I'm messing with you, I myself love being in control of my transmission. Drove standards my whole life, and continuing if I have to drive the tractor trailer at work with the heavy dozer. Best anti-theft device on Earth. Lol. But I would not enjoy my Denali as much if it were a manual, it's nice to let something else do the work for me for a change; Besides, I tell mine what I want through tunes almost weekly if I'm not happy.

 

[Bdubb]

Picked up a tilt column from a manual truck. Harder to find one with tilt than I expected. Gonna take the next few days to strip it down to switch the wiring from the denali into it. Also, the gear selector indicator gets its signal from the black box on the side of the trans, not the actual shifter on the column like the older trucks. No splicing or rewiring required.

 

[drowssap]

I posted this awhile back but I see some new people in this thread. I m trying to figure out the best manual trans for my 8.1 Suburban.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I posted this awhile back but I see some new people in this thread. I m trying to figure out the best manual trans for my 8.1 Suburban.

Pretty cool.

 

[01DenaliHiker]

Picked up a tilt column from a manual truck. Harder to find one with tilt than I expected. Gonna take the next few days to strip it down to switch the wiring from the denali into it. Also, the gear selector indicator gets its signal from the black box on the side of the trans, not the actual shifter on the column like the older trucks. No splicing or rewiring required.

Yes, but the two wires that connect on your shifter in the column are what supplies your P shift indicator. It'll still function, but will not give you the indicator box. Thus you won't know when you're in park. Black box gives signal on the trans for selection, those two wires somehow link everything together. Seems to have been a headache for the silverado world all the way up to 2006 for those that did it.

Try it without them connected first, but leave it as an option just in case your indicator isn't showing up. If not, just splice them.

 

[Bdubb]

The two wires on the column shifter are for the tow/haul button. The trailblazer ss floor shifter has an o/d or traction control button on the shifter handle that can be wired as a replacement for the tow/haul button.

 

[Bdubb]

Also, the trailblazer ss has the gear indicator in the cluster as well. It shouldn't be very different in wiring . That would make it more expensive for GM to come up with two different methods of getting the same info to essentially the same place on the cluster.

 

[adriver]

I posted this awhile back but I see some new people in this thread. I m trying to figure out the best manual trans for my 8.1 Suburban.

The 8.1 (and the 6.6 Diesel) came with the zf-6 behind it in the 3500.

 

[inmypassatlife]

@JKmotorsports already did this, theres also a link of a fella who went to manual trans and used a tierod end as the pivot point. looks good. If you're going to floor shifter, might as well go manual