UPDATE: Zen Magnetic Paddle Shifters - Review Added

[krisk]

Does anyone have experience with the Zen Carbon Fiber Magnetic Paddle shifters? I was looking for an option to extend the paddles, but was not really loving the idea of just taping on some extensions. I came across these, and if they work, it could be a nice upgrade for use on the track.
https://zencarbonfiber.com/products/zen-series™-carbon-fiber-magnetic-paddle-shifters-for-2024-s650-ford-s550-mustang-copy?variant=54163649462563

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[Wrinkly568]

Do you need to remove the steering wheel to install?

 

[krisk]

Do you need to remove the steering wheel to install?

I couldn't find the installation instructions online, but I think removal of the steering wheel may be required.

 

[Q6543]

200$…. I’m duct taping popsicle sticks before that.

Aftermarket really dropped the ball on us for so long, paddle extensions, custom screen housings … just cool stuff in general those look pretty awesome

 

[Sofa King]

I have some of the "just stick on" ones, and actually have only clipped them on there.... wasn't sure about them so didn't stick em, but so far have not even come off without using the tape. When they do (or if), then I will likely tape them.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

I have Carbonfiberaddons paddle extensions installed in my GT. They attach to the backs of the OEM paddles with pre installed (on the extensions) 3M double sided adhesive tape. Man! Those rascals are stuck ON THERE! Not sure how I'd get them off if I wanted to!

Good luck with what ever you choose!

PS: @Q6543 ----duct taping popsicle sticks! Good one!

 

[Wrinkly568]

I contacted Zen Carbon Fiber. Yes the steering wheel has to be removed for these paddle shifters to be installed. He actually sent me a video which shows the install of a carbon fiber steering wheel on the ‘24 Mustang. But it shows how to get to the paddle shifters to replace them.

 

[86pagt]

Check the M6G forum … I’m pretty sure there is a post on these..

 

[86pagt]

Sorry not zen but here is one post

https://www.mustang6g.com/installing-magnetic-paddle-shifters-tips-photos/

 

[Gr8ful]

For some reason I don't paddles. I got this stick thing coming out of console with a ball on top. And it has numbers on top. I think it has something to do changing gears. Lol

 

[krisk]

Update and Review:

I got the Zen paddle shifters installed last month, but other than a few short drives down the road to check out suspension changes, I didn’t get any real drive time to test them out until this last weekend. I went to a track event at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday and Sunday and got to test them out. Here is my review:

1. Install: The installation wasn’t bad. It does require removing the steering wheel, but it took about 1 1/2 hours total while taking my time. There were no installation instructions included, nor could I find any on the Zen website, which was odd. I have the service manual for my car, so I simply used the paddle removal and install instructions from it.

2. Feel: The paddles feel very solid and don’t have any play in the mount or the paddles themselves. That was one of the two things I disliked about the stock paddles. Being plastic and feeling like they were activated with some sort of button made it easy on track to question if I really activated it when pulling the stock paddle, especially when downshifting two or more gears.

The Zen paddles have a very distinct click and an obvious break when activated. To pull terms from the firearms world, I would describe it as having almost zero take-up, zero creep and a very discernible break point. This made it unmistakeable when I had shifted, which was great for track use. They also take more force than the stock paddles to activate, which helps prevent the accidental activation, which I had done in the past on track with the stock paddles.

The paddles do have squared corners as opposed to the rounded found on the stock paddles. I wouldn’t call them sharp from a cutting standpoint, but they have a distinct corner. I didn’t experience any discomfort with them while testing them out, but it’s worth a mention. I use gloves on track, so it made no difference there. I don’t expect the sharp edges would bother anyone or be a concern.

3. Function: The paddles functioned exactly as expected. I had no malfunctions. It’s a paddle shifter; pull and it activates. It works.

While I never had any issues activating the paddles on the track, in playing around with them after install I found that it was tough to apply sufficient force to activate them if you tried to pull on the very end of the extended paddle. While I don’t think anyone would typically place their hands in a position to use the ends of the paddles, I figured it’s worth a mention.

4. Fit: The paddles are angled back from the steering wheel more than the OEM. This does leave less room between the paddle and the blinker and wiper arms. I had no issues all weekend with inadvertently activating either arm, which is interesting because with the oe shifters I usually would bump one of them at least once during the weekend. The paddles have slots where the screws mount to the shifter base, which allows for adjusting the paddles closer or farther away from the edge of the steering wheel.

The shifters come with both regular and oversized paddles. You can swap between the regular and oversized while mounted on the steering wheel by simply removing screws from the back of the paddle. The regular are slightly taller than stock, but not significantly. The oversized are quite a bit taller than stock. The photos below are of mine with the oversized paddles. This was the primary reason for the upgrade. Running on track it was hard to keep a finger on the paddles when stock. The way the stock ones are mounted I ended up having two fingers on the paddle and being careful not to activate it by mistake when turning the wheel. I found myself moving my fingers back and forth from the steering wheel to the shifters, which is why I occasionally would activate the wiper arm when turning. The Zen shifters, with the way they sit back and are taller, allow me to wrap all my fingers around the steering wheel and keep just my middle finger on the shifter. With the heavier pull weight to activate and zero take up, I never had a problem accidentally activating the shifter.

5. Quality: Overall I am pleased with the quality of the shifter. It feels much more solid than the stock parts, and I’m optimistic it will hold up long term.

6. Final thoughts and rating: I’m very happy with the purchase and think the pricing is fair for what you are getting ($199). These are not stick on paddle extensions; this is a full functional upgrade, so pricing is not comparable to a stick on piece of plastic or carbon fiber. I would not run extensions on the stock shifters because it would only add to the uncertainty of whether it was activated and increase the inadvertent activations. At this time I rate the product as 4.5 out of 5 stars with the .5 deduction for the lack of installation instructions. I’m very happy with my purchase.

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