• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Modified transfer case shift linkage.

Jeff 98XJ WI

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Butternut, WI
Hey guys, I just recently finished modifying the transfer case shifter linkage on my '98 with AW4 and NVG231 to make room for a long upper suspension arm and to remove the portion that connects to the body. It seems to have worked out quite slick, so here it is for your viewing pleasure. :)

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeEN2jZq0btncw

I built the setup based on the bracket from Skyjacker, but mine uses the stock bracket that mounts to the transmission and some custom work. I reused the pivot ball from the body mounted bracket, but mounted it to a new Z bracket that bolts to the stock transmisison mounted bracket. I cut the lever unit apart and moved the arm (that connects to the rod coming from the shift lever) 1 3/16 inches or so closer to the tranny. I then welded it back together in the correct position to clear the mounting bolts for the pivot ball when shifted through it's range. I also cut the shift lever's extension and flipped it around so the shift rod comes in from the other direction. Finally, I cut the shift rod from the shift lever and rotated one end 180 degrees so it comes into the shift lever from the opposite direction and moves everything closer to the tranny. Like I said, it is working well. Jeff
 
Pretty slick, Jeff. CRASH changed his too to make room for a long upper arm, but I don't know if he has any pics. He modified the shift tab on the t-case to point up rather than down, and then was able to run a shift rod directly from the shaft lever and eliminate the bell crank.

What I did is unrelated to what you guys did, but about t-case linkage. I was tired of wearing out the little plastic bushings in the tabs that the linkage rods go through. Plus, the action was a little sloppy which was sometimes a problem using 2low. I used four 7/16 female rod ends, and a couple of lengths of 7/16 all thread, and bolted the rod ends to the shift tabs. It was simple, it shifts very positive, and it won't ever wear out again.
 
Thats pretty slick, but I want to see photos of the long upper arm :D

AARON
 
looks like it works nice, but just curious....did you consider the posibility of using some kind of cable actuator?

I always thought that'd be a cool way to go.

looks like you came to a solution from what you had, not what you'd have to gather, if so, thats obviously the answer....
 
That's right Beezil, I used what was there and just moved it closer to the tranny while also eliminating the body mount. I didn't really look into any other method. I just saw what Skyjacker did and figured I could mimic that myself while not really costing me anything but time and effort. As for Crashes setup, from what I read once, his shifter is in the 4L position when the transfer case is in 4H now since the shift lever on the transfer case is pointing up. I didn't want that. I haven't built the long arm nor the mount yet, so I really don't know if it will fit like I want, but I think it will. From what I see, the tranny shifter might be the next thing in the way and I'm not sure how to make more room in that area. Jeff
 
Well, after running this modified setup for BOTW-05, I have started to work on the long arm front again and decided I wanted more room and greater simplicity. So, I did exactly what Goatman said Crash did although I thought Crash had actually kept a bell crank that was mounted to his custom upper arm mount AND a lever pointing up on the t-case. That means that his stock lever in the cab is pulled all the way up to be in 2wd and all the way forward to be in 4wd. In any case, I simply ran one link from the stock body mounted lever (with the rod connection point flipped - cut and rewelded as was done to facilitate the first round of linkage changes) to a modified lever pointing up from the t-case. I cut that lever apart and rewelded so that the lever just clears the case when shifted all the way back. One can't hardly get any simpler and it seems to work fine so far. However, I haven't wheeled it like this yet, so it MAY be a problem when bouncing around, but it sure looks like it will work just fine. The lever in the cab still works in the right direction too with 2wd all the way forward. Jeff

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeEN2jZq0btmGM
 
No bell crank for me.

The shift tab on the T-case points straight up, the shifter runs down to the top of the UCA mount, through a bushing-ed sleeveto the other side of the mount, and then a tab drops down 2" from there. 2wd is all the way forward in this form, just like stock.

Nice work on yours. How's the crossmember fitment going?

My computer at home is very sick from viral infection right now, but I got you some pics of my undercarriage and will download and post this weekend.

Jeff 98XJ WI said:
Well, after running this modified setup for BOTW-05, I have started to work on the long arm front again and decided I wanted more room and greater simplicity. So, I did exactly what Goatman said Crash did although I thought Crash had actually kept a bell crank that was mounted to his custom upper arm mount AND a lever pointing up on the t-case. That means that his stock lever in the cab is pulled all the way up to be in 2wd and all the way forward to be in 4wd. In any case, I simply ran one link from the stock body mounted lever (with the rod connection point flipped - cut and rewelded as was done to facilitate the first round of linkage changes) to a modified lever pointing up from the t-case. I cut that lever apart and rewelded so that the lever just clears the case when shifted all the way back. One can't hardly get any simpler and it seems to work fine so far. However, I haven't wheeled it like this yet, so it MAY be a problem when bouncing around, but it sure looks like it will work just fine. The lever in the cab still works in the right direction too with 2wd all the way forward. Jeff

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeEN2jZq0btmGM
 
So if I understand yours correctly, you have a custom shifter handle extending from your pivot on the upper control arm mount into the cab? You are not using the stock shifter handle then, right? I see it...in my minds eye. :) Jeff

CRASH said:
No bell crank for me.

The shift tab on the T-case points straight up, the shifter runs down to the top of the UCA mount, through a bushing-ed sleeveto the other side of the mount, and then a tab drops down 2" from there. 2wd is all the way forward in this form, just like stock.

Nice work on yours. How's the crossmember fitment going?

My computer at home is very sick from viral infection right now, but I got you some pics of my undercarriage and will download and post this weekend.
 
Jeff 98XJ WI said:
So if I understand yours correctly, you have a custom shifter handle extending from your pivot on the upper control arm mount into the cab? You are not using the stock shifter handle then, right? I see it...in my minds eye. :) Jeff

Exactly, a custom shfter handle. The stock one wouldn't work with where my UCA mount is.

CRASH
 
Jeff I have been scheming about doing mine the way you did it the second time. Did you modify the shift lever at all? If I do it I will just get threaded rod and do it with ball joint rod ends (no welder). My stock set up is FUBAR so I’m just doing it to get a simple reliable replacement.
 
Well, I actually did quite a bit of welding. In the first installment, I removed the stock shift handle, cut the end off that the rod pops into, reversed it, and welded it back together so the rod would come in from the other side. If you are using rod ends, that wouldn't be necessary. I also cut the rod and rotated part of it and then rewelded. Again, rod ends and threaded rod would negate that. Lastly, I removed the stock shift lever from the t-case, scribed a circle around the end that fits on the case, and cut along that line. This material seems quite hard and I managed to screw up my portable band saw blade while doing the cutting. I got it done though. Then I bolted the now round end to the t-case and rotated the rest of the lever till it just cleared the case when the case was in 4lo and marked the position of the two pieces. Then I removed the lever, tacked the two pieces together, reinstalled the lever and checked for proper alignment. When I was satisfied, I fully welded the two pieces back together. I don't see how this process could be avoided unless you made a completely new lever, but it would be difficult to cut that hole with flats on it that fits over the t-case shaft. I may end up going to heims of some sort and threaded rod after I clock the case, but we'll see.

I don't understand whey Novak didn't make their kit like Crash did. They include a new t-case lever, so why not make it point up instead of down. Then their inside lever would remain forward when in 2wd and back when in 4lo. If mine works as well as it seems to be working, I don't know why they don't make a kit to do what I did. They could use heims and threaded rod too, and it would be an easy bolt together system. Perhaps it wouldn't work all that well on a TJ or YJ or other applications since the kit they do make is supposed to be universal. Jeff
 
So did you rotate the T case lever 180? If so couldn’t you just flip it? If not how many deg would you say you rotated it?

CRASH did you have to modify tcase lever?

Why didn’t Jeep do it this way in the first place it would be cheaper!
 
It's not a 180 degree flip. If you tried that, the lever would get into the T-case housing. It's something less than 180. I just out the T-case in 2-hi, and then tacked the lever in the right position.

Jeff, that lever is one hard mother! I had to use a small cutting wheel to get through it.

CRASH
 
Thanks for the info. I’m encouraged to take another look at it. Last time I did I was at the end of a long work session and my motivation was waning.

I may try to fabricate a clamp on lever that can be positioned and then tightened to just grab the diameter and not use the notches. If that won’t work I’ll try a slot about the right size and clamp that. If that won’t work I’ll have to get someone to weld one up.
 
Here is what I am thinking for a lever that could be positioned at any angle, and I could make it with no welder.

TcaseLeverWeb.jpg


So if I had this and a linkage rod with rod ends do you think it would work?
 
That's a neat drawing, but I don't think the rod is thick enough to do a clamp type thing. If you have the manufacturing machines available to make that, you could probably just have one made with the slot cut at the right angle! Jeff
 
Jeff 98XJ WI said:
That's a neat drawing, but I don't think the rod is thick enough to do a clamp type thing. If you have the manufacturing machines available to make that, you could probably just have one made with the slot cut at the right angle! Jeff
Are you saying you think the shaft coming out of the Tcase has too small a diameter to grab onto like this or that is dose not stick out far enough. You may be correct of course. But I want to try this because it will allow me to adjust it as needed. I build test equipment as part of my job and I have had good luck with this type of shaft arm, though it would be nice to have a longer section of shaft to work with. Thanks for your input.
 
The bracket is only about 3/16" thick. The amount of the shaft sticking out of the t-case that fits in the slot is about the same thickness. That doesn't seem thick enough to fit a bolt through the edge of the bracket. I also think it would be hard to clamp with enough force to allow the lever to repeatedly shift. Jeff
 
UPDATE! :) My upside down t-case shifter lever is still working fine. However, I recently noticed in an article in the July 2007 volume 23 of 4Wheel Drive and Sport Utility magazine on page 60 in which they show a guy pulling a 231 case from what appears to be a TJ and replacing it with another 231 built with stronger innards, a picture of a mechanical shift mechanism bolted to the tranny with ONE rod running to a lever on the t-case that points up! It appears that this pivot has a lever that protrudes into the vehicle inside and has ONE rod running to an arm that points UP from the t-case! I have never seen this conifguration on ANY stock Jeep vehicle. I've looked at a '06 TJ as well as JK's and WJ's etc. I found out that the '06 TJ used the same bell crank mechanism as our XJ's, but the JK's and WJ's use a cable shifter to a lever pointing up from the t-case. Has anybody ever seen a mechanical lever mounted to the tranny with a single rod running back to an arm pointing up from the t-case such is shown in the article? In any case, the newer Jeep cable t-case shifters may be adaptable to older Jeeps to eliminate all the linkage issues and provide a very simple shifter...as well as room for a long upper arm. :) Jeff
 
Back
Top