F80 M3 Nelson Racing Paddle Upgrade DIY!

Trickcruiser

Private
Nov 5, 2016
27
17
50
Cincinnati
Recently I had the opportunity to get my hands on one of the very first set of Nelson Racing Paddles for the F80! Install was simple and quality is very good.
I am very anxious to test these on the track in a few weeks. I feel the stock paddles do not give you enough surface area to grab the gear you want in some wheel positions. This upgrade greatly increases this surface area!
Wheel Before:
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New Paddles:
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Installed!
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Here is a quick DIY on my install.
1: Disconnect the battery
2: Foot on the brake for a few seconds to ensure there is no stored energy (better safe than sorry)
3: Remove the airbag from the steering wheel. There are two round holes on each side of the wheel. use a flathead screwdriver to push in on the locking spring to release each side. Be patient and you will figure this out pretty quickly
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4: Remove the airbag by disconnecting the small electric connector top center behind the airbag.
Airbag removed
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5: Remove the outmost screw on both sides of the wheel. This is the only thing holding the paddle to the wheel.
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* I chose to not fully remove the paddle wiring from the wheel as the connectors are buried and is simply not required for this install.
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6: Push the small black pin through the housing. The pin is tapered so it will only pass in one direction.
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7: Separate the paddle from the electronic portion. Note where the spring and small black plastic part are located inside as they can fall out if removed upside down.
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Comparison of the stock VS Nelson Racing paddle
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8: Install is reverse of of removal.
sgynESCl.jpg
 
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