Aftermarket cruise control

[Auto360]

First off, I may be posting this in the wrong section, maybe it should be in the miscellaneous section. 

So, when got my van it didn't have cruise control.  I'm willing to bet most cargo vans don't because businesses are too cheap to give there employees any extra niceties. But that's just me being synical.
Oh what a bear it is on long trips to not have it. Think I-80 across Nevada. 
So, I went to cruisecontrol.com and paid $400 for mine. Seem expensive? To me it's worth ever penny and then some. I also put a CC on my little Tacoma and my friends Tundra. My van, with the 7.3 was incredibly easy. In the kit I got a new steering wheel because that is where the buttons are. Everything just plugged into existing wires within the steering hub and one black wire had to be run into the engine bay. The hardest part was finding a steering wheel puller to get the steering wheel off.
A friend of mine put a CC on his E150 w/4.6. That was more complicated because it wasn't a plug and play like mine. But mostly it was time consuming.
Anyway, if you don't have cruise, there are options. The website actually supplies the automobile manufacturers the cruise controls.

 

[Vagabound]

So, when got my van it didn't have cruise control.  I'm willing to bet most cargo vans don't ...

So, I went to cruisecontrol.com and paid $400 for mine. Seem expensive? To me it's worth every penny ...

Anyway, if you don't have cruise, there are options. The website actually supplies the automobile manufacturers the cruise controls.

Good info.  This is on my "think about it someday" list.  I also feel that CC is mandatory, so if it isn't present, it will have to be added somehow.

I was a bit stumped by the price of $400 - couldn't figure out why it is so high.  Then I read that the kit includes an entire steering wheel designed for CC.

I remember some years ago investigating this, and at that time, there were other much cheaper kits that added some kind of lever with buttons to the steering column.

When you did your investigation, what other types of CC options did you find?

Vagabound

 

[Auto360]

Hi Vegabound,

I did this just about 3 yrs ago. I bought it with my tax returns. Yes, mine was a bit high...I'm sure because you get a whole new steering wheel. Because I have the 7.3 diesel this was my only option. I guess because the throttle is computer controlled. I do know the lever your talking about as many of the kits are somewhat universal. The CC kit on my Tacoma is mostly universal except for a few components. That was a little cheaper but still over $300 I believe. The one on my van is a factory cruise though. I'm glad it didn't cost more than $400 but honestly I would have paid $700.

 

[muddy]

This is definitely on my to do list. I swear I saw something under $200 but looks like it is going to be about $300 for my 2011 Express.

 

[johnny b]

Could you check your web site again.....cruisecontrol.com goes to FoxConnect

cruisecontrol.com - FoxConnect: Official DVD and Blu …
cruisecontrol.com

Shop, watch, and explore at FoxConnect - The Official site for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring Blu-ray & DVD movies and instant digital downloads.

???

 

[Auto360]

Dang...sorry about that.

Www.thecruisecontrolstore.com

 

[ArtW]

BITD we used to put boat throttles in
Not true CC, just a friction system hand throttle, but it did work, sort of

 

[DannyB1954]

Sears used to have an aftermarket kit for cruise control. I put one on and it worked well. You glued magnets the driveshaft and put a sensor near them. It measured the magnetic pulses.

 

[poncho62]

I read somewhere that with the Fords, you can just go to the junkyard, get a CC steering wheel and swap them....All the wiring is built into the computer anyways......Dont know if thats true

 

[CottonTexas]

I read somewhere that with the Fords, you can just go to the junkyard, get a CC steering wheel and swap them....All the wiring is built into the computer anyways......Dont know if thats true

Some require an under-hood module and/or a single wire to be run in the column depending on application, but the way I understand it Fords are very straight-forward.  I wish I knew more about the "other two" though, particularly GM.

Cotton

 

[Auto360]

Yup, Poncho, I'm 99% your correct. I did have to run one wire under the hood. Piece of cake...as long as you know where the wire goes. Everything in the steering wheel is simply plug-in.

 

[DannyB1954]

Most cruise controls I have seen needed a vacuum operated module to move the throttle plate. I don't know that they put those in cars without cruise control.
Also if the computer controls the cruise control, you might need to have the computer reprogrammed so that it knows it has cruise control equipment. maybe not, but something to find out about.

I used to work in transport refrigeration and they were all computer controlled. When we had to change out the controller, we had to reprogram it to match the exact model, (went into the configuration and put in the exact model number). Computers don't like trying to control something that is really not even there. They start throwing out alarm codes.