[This name is al]

I'm old & inherently don't like the rotary dial for the transmission. My 1998 has the column shifter, but every other SUV/CUV we've had since then has had the floor/console shifter. Plus I think it looks better.

Conventional wisdom on doing this entails buying a lot of expensive stuff used. If you were to buy new, the cost would be over $1,300 (this is for a 2015 RT with DVD player):
Item PN Cost
Console base (reinforcement) 68372487AA $217 (used $180 shipped, $50 shipping)
Console bezel 6FC271Z7AC $551 (used $180 with upper handle)
Shifter base 68322226AC $269 (used $65)
Shifter handle 6FE062CCAC $220 (used, part of bezel above, usually over $100)
Wire harness 68381783AA $58 (cheaper to buy new)
Total new $1,315 plus shipping, used $491

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EDIT- My parts/tools list (updated 8/4/24):
Used parts-

• Shifter assembly, lower & upper, price varies, $80-$180

New parts/materials-

• TE Electronics or AMP PN 638393-5 wiring connector, under Mouser, Digikey, etc. under $2 plus $10 shipping. No terminals needed.
• 3x M5-.8 wellnuts to hold 3D plate to console base, Amazon 10 for $7. As an SAE alternative, I used 10-32 since that was all the HW store had.
• 2x M6x25 flange bolts (8mm wrench size) to hold shifter base front to console bracket, local HW store $2. Socket head bolts would also work here with washers. You could possibly use 1/4-20 if unable to get M6.
• 2x M6x30 flange bolts to hold shifter base rear to console bracket, local HW store $2
• 3x M5x 30 flat head screws to hold 3D plate to console (flush mount), local HW store $5. If using 10-32, get at least 1" long, 1.25" is better for the deeper rear location.
• Glue to re-glue boot to shifter/new retainer, $5 Some sites suggest "Shoe Goo" available at Walmart for bonding leather to plastic. I used some "silicone glue" I got from Amazon and then clamped it in place with clothespins and paper clamps until it set. So far so good.

3D printable parts-

• Zip is attached with the updated versions of the mounting plate and OEM boot retainer. Note since I can't attach a zip file, the file is a txt extension, so download it and rename it to zip. There is no password.

Tools-

• Common sockets and screwdrivers depending upon the hardware used.
• Pick to remove existing terminals from shifter connector. Can grind down a small common nail to accomplish this.
• M6-1.0 tap
• Dremel with cutting blade to trim console brace.
• Drill and drill bits-
  • One to drill holes for M5 or 10-32 screws, a 13/32 or 7/32 should work. A 3/16 worked for the 10-32, but would be too small for a 5mm. Use this same bit to mark where your wellnut holes need to be.
  • One to bevel hole for 3D shifter mounting plate for mounting screws, varies by screw head size. For the 10-32 I used, this was a 23/64. Be careful not to go too deep. The rear mount can go deeper if needed.
  • One to drill for M6 threads. Normally this is an M5, but since I was tapping into soft plastic, I used a slightly smaller 3/16. I was able to use this same size for marking the wellnut holes.
  • One to drill holes for the wellnuts. For the 10-32, this was a common 3/8.

Outsourced labor-

• 3D printer or source for same, I suggest Craftcloud. You can upload the files and get an instant quote in several materials from several makers. I suggest at least PLA Plus, ABS, or Nylon. The quote I got for the 2 files in July 2024 was under $15 shipped and would take about a week to get. Be sure to specify the boot retainer is only 20% or less infill so it remains flexible.

Total cost estimate with shipping around $150-190
If you want to avoid the aggravation of the shifter/boot, you could buy a used bezel for around $120-180.

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EDIT- My wiring harness research:
In the online parts listing, there are 4 of them. Here's what it looks like to me:
The harnesses are segregated by either AWD/RWD, and then with or without CD/DVD in console. Here's a summary:
68381782AA AWD w/ DVD-CD in console
68381783AA RWD w/ DVD-CD in console
68381784AA RWD w/o DVD or CD in console
68381785AA AWD w/o DVD or CD in console

Even used you're looking at several hundred dollars for these parts, and then you have to remove the entire console. What if there was an easier and less costly way?

I took my 2015 RT apart in this area, and here's what I found:
Once the bezel is off (AlldataDIY says to have the shifter in neutral for this), you have an area below where the shifter base could likely mount. I looked at pictures of both the 2014-17 and 2018+ console brackets and the 2018+ is flat and has 4x M6 foldover type nuts to hold the shifter. The 2014-17 is mostly flat in this area, but has a slight step. There is a raised area that must be trimmed back to allow the shifter to be mounted.

My plan:
There are three areas to address here-
1 . Mounting of shifter base,
2. Wiring of shifter, and
3. Shift boot adapter

Mounting the shifter base-
After the shifter arrived the bad news is it's a lot larger (about 144mm x 76.5) than I thought. It won't fit onto the console bracket lengthwise as-is, but it is close. Width should not be a problem. I used a Dremel and trimmed away the bracket where the shifter needs to sit.

Here's a pic where I initially set it in approximate place, the back part hits the raised portion of the bracket:

This pic shows where the support bracket must be cut/trimmed. If I had a better tool, this would have taken a lot less time. I ended up using a Harbor Freight tool and toothed blade that had a shaft made out of anodized butter. I had to straighten it a couple of times. I measured my full 3D printed plate and it was 127 long x 101 wide. Since the shifter base needs 144 x 77, I'm good for width, just need more length.

(The below section has relevant info for mounting the shifter)
This shows the shifter base in approximate position with the bezel on top with the new boot adapter (more on that below). A note here, I misread the directions and pulled out the wrong part of the bezel to do this. I broke the tabs that hold this in place, so I'm planning on either 2 sided tape or gluing it back in since it's not designed to be removable.

I have laid out a larger plate, and added holes for the two positioning tabs. I omitted the four mounting bolts as it is easier and more accurate to mark and drill them once the shifter base is in place. That piece will take over 7 hours to print at 100% quality! I test printed a prototype at 10% quality to see how everything lined up. This piece will be held to the console bracket by at least 3 smaller well nuts and flat head screws in countersunk holes. The new base adapter is thick enough to drill and tap. One other consideration is how high the shifter will sit in relation to the boot. The toughest part is behind now that I trimmed the bracket.

As of 8/1/24, I have installed the shifter. Here are relevant pics:
Here is the console bracket with the 3/8" holes drilled for the 10-32 wellnuts:

This shows the wellnuts in place:

Here is the bracket screwed into place. The three screws seemed to make it sturdy enough.

Here is the shifter in place- I managed to block out most of the bolt heads in the picture. Note that it is best to use flanged bolts here, as they have a reduced head size. Since the plate is thicker at the rear, I used 30mm long bolts there and 25 up front. It's easy to get an 8mm socket in to tighten them. Keep in mind when tightening you're going into plastic. The wiring plug is easily accessible.

I used some silicone glue I had on hand and clamped the boot with some clothespins and spring paper clamps. So far, so good. Here's the final version installed (the radio is still a work in progress, disregard the wiring). The letters light up, and AlfaOBD recognizes it as a 2018+ electronic shifter.

(End of updates)

I found both parts for the shifter from a seller on eBay. You have to pull teeth here, as the junkyards that sell this stuff rarely take pictures or accurately describe what they have listed. In my case, I inquired about a 2018 "shifter assembly" and verified in writing it included the top and bottom pieces. I got it for $96 shipped with tax.

The wiring and shift boot were moved to subsequent posts since I had exceeded the number of attachments.

The only downside as with this type of conversion is no manual shifting. From what I read on a thread in the HP Tuners forum, you could possibly have this via a transmission control module from a 2018+ truck. There was also some discussion about using AlfaOBD to change the type of shifter present. I have not followed up on either of those.

Total cost involved here:
Shifter, used, top & bottom, $96 shipped on eBay
Well nuts M6, $8 for 10 shipped on eBay
Connector, $15 shipped from mouser.com
End total: $119

 

[This name is al]

I've exceeded the maximum number of attachments, so I'll split this up. This section will cover the wiring details and parts, see a following post for the actual install.

The wiring connector (see follow-up post for wiring the new connector)-
I found electrically at the shifter, these trucks are the same down to the circuit numbers and wire colors:

Trying to find the proper connector took some time. Dodge will sell you one as part of a "repair kit" for over $80, but in fact it's a part that costs under $2 retail- TE Electronics or AMP PN 638393-5. It uses the same terminals as the 2014-17 connector, it's just a different shape. These can be found along with terminal PN 1326028-1 (you'll need at least 6 if building a new harness) on Mouser or Digikey:

I confirmed this connector plugs into the shifter on 7/31/24.

You'll need to unpin your old connector and put the wires in their proper places on the new one. These AMP automotive connectors are easier to work with in doing this than other types I have seen. The old connector has a piece in the rear that pushes the terminals in. It can be unclipped as shown in the below picture, then pulled back and eventually removed. There is a rectangular red ring around where it plugs into the shifter. That's what I call the external terminal lock. It can be pried off with a small screwdriver. After that, there are internal terminal retainers. You need a small pick type of tool, or you can make your own as I did with a small common nail. As you lift the retainer, pull the wire and the terminal slides out.

External lock removed & how to remove terminal:

This is what it looks like before you pull off the external lock:

This is from a Challenger site, but shows the same connector on a shifter:

Here is the wiring pinout for the new connector from that same thread, note that A190 on the Challenger has the same function as A195 on the Durango, and the pin assignments are the same for the Durango (see wiring diagrams):

Simply plug in the terminals from the old connector into the new one.

 

[This name is al]

This section will deal with the shift boot.
The shift boot-
The top handle's boot has a different shape than the 2014-17 opening. I measured the circumference and designed an adapter roughly the same overall size and height, but a different shape. The first attempt I made didn't fit well into the opening, plus the piece for the boot was slightly too large.

After giving this some more thought, I decided to use a lighter version that could easily be snapped into / out of the bezel like the 2018+ part so you can remove the handle if needed while the boot is still attached to the mounting piece. I also raised the boot attachment point by a couple of MM to hold it better, and reduced the OA circumference so the boot can install easier. My original design was too sturdy for easy removal. The new design only has tabs under it to locate it, so it can be snapped in or out more easily:

It took two tries, but I think I have it about right now. The first one snapped in and out too easy, and it would have rattled. I have tried the latest version with the shifter bolted in place, and I think it will work as needed. I just need some glue to attach it to the boot and that should do it. Here are some pictures of it:
Underside installed:

Top view installed:

Underside view:

 

[Citadel Brian]

Over $100 for that is high. Now, if you a 3D printer, I’d be willing to bet if this works you’d sell a lot of them in here

 

[This name is al]

Over $100 for that is high. Now, if you a 3D printer, I’d be willing to bet if this works you’d sell a lot of them in here

I used emachine shop software to display the part I designed. Their cost for one-off parts are always way high, so I rarely use them. If you don't have a printer, Shapeways is usually better for pricing if you have the file.

My goal here is to make something that works, can be done by the average user, and is affordable. Once I get everything in place and tested, I'll upload the 3D files for anyone that wants them. IMO, the prices for these used parts are way high when you compare them to similar parts for other trucks.

 

[This name is al]

Edit- this was all old info, and has been deleted as new info was added to the above posts. I'm trying to keep this as simple/clear as possible.

 

[stoopalini]

Looks great man! I love projects like this 😊

I hated the rotary in our 2016 R/T. I was happy dodge switched back to the shifter handle.

 

[This name is al]

Edit- this was all old info, and has been deleted as new info was added to the above posts. I'm trying to keep this as simple/clear as possible.

 

[This name is al]

New Connector Installation
Wiring connector arrived. This for me was the easiest part of this project.

The connector with the lock released, I used a micro screwdriver to push in the gray tabs, visible on this side to the left of and between the 6 and 10:

Push in on the small gray tabs on each side and pull the terminal lock back and out. Note the connector has pin numbers for each row. These must correspond with the wiring diagram above. For reference:
First row
Pin 1: Red/Yellow
Pin 2: White/Orange
Pin 3: White/Brown
Pin 4: Gray
Pin 5: Yellow
Second row
Pins 6-9: Not used
Pin 10: Black

The top & bottom pics shows the lock after the gray tab has been released. Note the pin numbering.

You can now finish pulling all of the wires from the rotary shifter connector, be sure to remove the lock piece from them. Note they are keyed and will only pull out when the depressions are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Same for installing them in the new lock.

Once they are in the proper order- double check this- you can insert them into the new connector. The large depression faces up so the pin you lift will lock it in. You'll know you've done this right when you feel/hear a click as they seat. Note unless you rotate the connector 180 degrees, pin 10 will be the opposite of this, in that it faces in the opposite direction due to being on the second row.

Once everything is in and in the proper place, you can push the lock into place. Job's done!

 

[This name is al]

Edit- This section was deleted and edited for clarity into the post dealing with mounting the shifter.

 

[scottout]

Pretty impressive conversion. I did a similar one a couple years ago on my 2014 but went the easy way. I got a center console from an 18 (I think) with the t shifter and swapped it all out. They haven't changed the harness so everything plugs in. Only thing that doesn't work is manual shift on the stick. Have to use the paddles on the steering wheel.

 

[This name is al]

I'm going to call this complete pending a test drive- ironing out some engine bugs before I can do that. Shifter lights up as it should, and when I use AlfaOBD it goes to the 2018+ for the electronic shifter diagnosis even if I set it as the 2015 model.

 

[shadash]

Congratulations reguarding the shifter.

How is the big touch screen working. I like the screen in my car but the one you put in is very tempting.

I've seen a couple of reviews. It seemed like the people reviewing liked it at first but ran into issues over time. Seemed like user error to me but who knows.

 

[This name is al]

Congratulations reguarding the shifter.

How is the big touch screen working. I like the screen in my car but the one you put in is very tempting.

I've seen a couple of reviews. It seemed like the people reviewing liked it at first but ran into issues over time. Seemed like user error to me but who knows.

LOL, ask me in about a month! I'm dealing with a bent pushrod now & 0 compression on #2.

I figured out the wiring/RCA connections and have them on a spreadsheet. I'll make a thread on this radio once I get to dedicate some time for it. I'm looking forward to it. I added an 8" Android touchscreen to my Caddy CTS that I think was for a Kia- this was before I got into 3D printing- so I made a hybrid mount/bezel from an install kit and some bondo/JB Weld. It's great for display, but radio reception really sucks. I mainly listen to MP3 music I have converted and saved to the ROM.

I briefly used the display after I had the seats back in, here's what I remember:
There's no GPS app with it natively.
Radio reception seemed subpar.
I didn't have the shifter in when I was doing this, so I couldn't check the RV camera.
Hazard flasher and fan switches worked.
US/Metric settings are counter-intuitive for me. If you check the box when it says US, you get metric display on the dash. Took a while to figure this out, but I'm not the type to read instructions on stuff like this. That's actually a good thing since there aren't any. The company put out a YT video that was hit or miss for hooking up the connectors. The dude admitted several times they could be mislabeled.

I think this thing has around a gazillion functions, so I'm not even near the tip of the iceberg.

 

[2swimchic]

This section will deal with the shift boot.
The shift boot-
The top handle's boot has a different shape than the 2014-17 opening. I measured the circumference and designed an adapter roughly the same overall size and height, but a different shape. The first attempt I made didn't fit well into the opening, plus the piece for the boot was slightly too large.

After giving this some more thought, I decided to use a lighter version that could easily be snapped into / out of the bezel like the 2018+ part so you can remove the handle if needed while the boot is still attached to the mounting piece. I also raised the boot attachment point by a couple of MM to hold it better, and reduced the OA circumference so the boot can install easier. My original design was too sturdy for easy removal. The new design only has tabs under it to locate it, so it can be snapped in or out more easily:
View attachment 134258

It took two tries, but I think I have it about right now. The first one snapped in and out too easy, and it would have rattled. I have tried the latest version with the shifter bolted in place, and I think it will work as needed. I just need some glue to attach it to the boot and that should do it. Here are some pictures of it:
Underside installed:
View attachment 134261

Top view installed:
View attachment 134259

Underside view:
View attachment 134260

Thank you for the detailed/advice and conversion procedure. I like your adapter.