Collection: Paddle-Shift Systems

How a Steering Wheel Paddle Shift Kit Works 

A paddle shift kit takes the shift lever out of your hand and puts it behind your steering wheel. Instead of reaching for a sequential lever, you pull a paddle. Compressed air from an onboard reservoir does the actual work of moving the selector, so both hands stay on the wheel and every shift lands the same way, whether it's the first stage of a rally or the last.

Here's the sequence: compressed air from a small onboard compressor is stored in a pressure vessel, then released through a valve block and solenoid to fire the actuator, which pulls the selector fork through a gearbox-specific mounting bracket. The paddle triggers the valve, the ECU cuts ignition or throttle briefly to unload the gearbox, and the gear change happens without clutch input on upshifts. The point isn't so much raw shift speed. It's that every shift happens the same way every time, and neither hand leaves the steering wheel to make it. The point isn't so much raw shift speed. It's that every shift happens the same way every time, and neither hand leaves the steering wheel to make it.

Choosing the Right Kit for Your Sequential Gearbox

Every complete kit in this range is built around a mounting bracket for one specific gearbox. The rest of the hardware (actuator, valve block, compressor, pressure vessel and paddles) is the same across the range and can be fitted to a gearbox not listed here, provided the customer sources or fabricates their own bracket. We stock matched systems for:

• Sadev: SCL82-17, SL90-20, ST75 LW, ST82-14, ST90-17, and FWD Gearboxes
• Tractive: RD905, RD906
• 3MO: ETCW, ETV, ETV-R, FTX, LC776, TXL
• Quaife: 60G
• Unic: 5-speed and 6-speed units

The gearbox reference on the product page is the only spec that matters for compatibility. The same kit fits any car running that gearbox, regardless of which rally or circuit platform it's bolted into.

Complete Kit Contents: What's Included 

A Complete Pneumatic Paddle Shift Kit ships as a full system ready for installation: the actuator, gearbox-specific mounting bracket, valve block, compressor, pressure vessel and connecting pneumatic hoses matched as a set.

For teams servicing or repairing an existing install, we also stock the individual components as spare parts : pressure vessels, compressors, actuators, solenoids and solenoid coils, pressure switches, seal kits, spherical bearings, pneumatic hose, wiring harnesses and gear-change paddles. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do rally cars use paddle shifters?

Yes, in modified rally cars. Homologated rally cars can't use them because paddle shift isn't permitted under Rally2/R5 regulations, but modified rally cars are the exception and are where most aftermarket paddle shift kits get fitted. Paddle shifters are also common in high-level circuit racing such as GT3, GT4 and LMP prototypes.

What's the difference between a flappy paddle gearbox and an aftermarket paddle shift kit?

A factory flappy paddle gearbox has the pneumatic or electro-hydraulic actuation built in from the factory. An aftermarket paddle shift kit adds the same actuator, valve block and mounting bracket to a gearbox that didn't ship with one, most often a Sadev, Tractive, 3MO, Quaife or Unic sequential box fitted for competition.

Do I still need to use the clutch with a paddle shift kit?

It depends on your setup. A paddle shift kit simply changes how the gear change is actuated and generally follows the configuration of your sequential gearbox. Some systems allow clutchless upshifts using ignition or throttle cut, while downshifts may require a clutch or use an automatic throttle blip if supported by the ECU and paddle shift system. Always check the specifications of your gearbox, ECU and paddle shift kit to understand how your system is configured.

How much does a paddle shift kit cost?

Complete kits vary in price depending on the gearbox they're built for, with individual components such as pressure vessels, actuators and valve blocks also available separately for existing installs. Get in touch if you'd like a quote for a specific gearbox or a full spec build.