Gaging interest in resurrecting the Shiftster

[SenorNoob]

^This. It's to the point that you need rotational force, then you have the problem of locating your stops. Before you know it, you've made the shift motor again...

 

[4x4junkie]

I can't say I'm interested in owning this since my transfer case is manual shift.

I bet there would be interest in a remote shiftster option! Instead of attaching a round knob to the place formerly occupied by the electric motor, add a lever. With this I bet you could adapt a short automatic transmission push-pull cable and a hurst-like ratchet shifter to make the transfer case shiftable without laying in the mud.

I think the problem with a cable actuated from the side is the shifter needs to turn approximately 270°. And I'm not sure if a twist type cable can work.

I've posted before about creating a drum (pulley) & cable mechanism to shift these, with a 'wind-back' spring that returns the drum to the 2WD position when cable tension is released (a lever pulls the cable, unwinding it 270° from the drum (shifting it thru 4-HI, N, finally to 4-LO)... Pushing the lever back releases the cable, the return spring then rewinds the cable back onto the drum, returning it to 2WD)... Or maybe a small rack-n-pinion gear with a solid push-pull cable (rack attached to end of cable, pinion mounted on the shifter shaft).

I'd probably have more ambition to design something like this if I had a malfunctioning e-shift case, but mine are all manual. But I still can brainstorm ideas for you guys to use though...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've posted before about creating a drum (pulley) & cable mechanism to shift these, with a 'wind-back' spring that returns the drum to the 2WD position when cable tension is released (a lever pulls the cable, unwinding it 270° from the drum (shifting it thru 4-HI, N, finally to 4-LO)... Pushing the lever back releases the cable, the return spring then rewinds the cable back onto the drum, returning it to 2WD)... Or maybe a small rack-n-pinion gear with a solid push-pull cable (rack attached to end of cable, pinion mounted on the shifter shaft).

I'd probably have more ambition to design something like this if I had a malfunctioning e-shift case, but mine are all manual. But I still can brainstorm ideas for you guys to use though...

I've never seen that post, but good idea.

 

[JoshT]

I've posted before about creating a drum (pulley) & cable mechanism to shift these, with a 'wind-back' spring that returns the drum to the 2WD position when cable tension is released (a lever pulls the cable, unwinding it 270° from the drum (shifting it thru 4-HI, N, finally to 4-LO)... Pushing the lever back releases the cable, the return spring then rewinds the cable back onto the drum, returning it to 2WD)... Or maybe a small rack-n-pinion gear with a solid push-pull cable (rack attached to end of cable, pinion mounted on the shifter shaft).

I'd probably have more ambition to design something like this if I had a malfunctioning e-shift case, but mine are all manual. But I still can brainstorm ideas for you guys to use though...

You're talking about a spiral spring right? Like a giant clock spring, an actual time piece clock spring, not the one behind your steering wheel. Not sure hot much erxtra machinging it would take to fit in a spring that would work for that. Seems like it would have to be pretty large and strong. Also if your cable breaks then the spring automatically runs the selector all the way back in the other direction.

You could do it like a motorcycle twist throttle. Some like my Honda have two cables with a drum like you described on the carburetor, one cable pulling in each direction. On the bike both ends are doing a twisting motion, but a lever with enough throw should do the same thing. Move the lever in one direction and that cable pulls the drum in that direction. Move the lever in the opposite direction and the other cable pulls the drum in the other direction, rewinding the first cable as it goes. Each cable would have to wrap around the drum far enough to get the full range, so there would be overlap at the ends. Add a detent and plate at the lever end for positions. If one or both cables break it's going to stay in last position since there's no spring pressure, you've just got to climb underneath if you need to shift it.

Depending on how they are making these new ones, it could be as simple as developing a lever/cable/drum system that can attach to or in place of the knob. That seems like a whole separate project for someone to figure out after the basic unit gets out there.