StevenP’s 37s + IFS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ build

I would make extra double triple quadruple sure then check again that they didnt fall into some dark space of the tcase somewhere. That would make for a bad day.

I did that when I built my lefty, I had a c clip pop off and I figured it fell on the floor, nope it ended up in my front input shaft. Luckly it was softer than the gears and they just chewed it up, dodged a cannon shot on that one!!

 

Yep. Little things get chewed up no problem. A shift key is probably big enough to cause some issues.

 

Yea that would really do some damage!!

 

I imagine that would definitely do some damage. I’ve spent the last 3-4 hours combing over the case and my surroundings, cleaning everything out. It’s not in there, sure wish it was!!!

Just got back from the dealership, no local stock, only at the national warehouse.. so I order it online and wait to continue with the project or I button it up with 2.

 

I’m also seriously wondering if it only ever had two.. if you happened to be watching me the last few hours you’d think I had I lost my marbles the way I’ve been searching for it haha

 

Been there. Last year I was doing some electrical work. I had my 1/4" x 6" extension on the ratchet then I didn't. I looked everywhere. Three times. Never heard it fall. Never saw it in the engine bay. Never seen it since. lol

 

Gremlins man.. I thought I left these fuckers behind when I sold my BMW years ago

 

Haaaaa!!!! Found it after one last try.. now mind you I’ve already sifted through this area at least 4 times, with a magnetic pick up tool as well..


see the little gap between fake lawn and shed base floor.. for lack of any actual bench space I usually work here on stuff like this.. it has gobbled things before, but usually they remain on top and are easily found.. I guess this must have found some space between rocks and when I was sifting dug itself even deeper. Glad I decided to give it one more go!

anyways, many hours later, I can continue with peace of mind.

 

Well.. I didn’t get nearly as far as I wanted thanks to the wild goose hunt earlier, but I got everything back together to test for functionality, everything is nice and smooth, twin sticks function independently of each other, and there isn’t anything rattling around in the case haha.

Calling it for the day and I’ll pick up tomorrow morning where I should’ve been around noon today.

Bigger thanks than text can express to everyone who has pitched in; none of this would be happening without help from y’all and the forum at large!

 

Made good progress today, didn’t take very many pictures though, my apologies.

Got everything together, sealed, and ready to reinstall. Everything functions as it should, although there is one strange attribute..

When I was “bench” testing functionality it was really hard to spin the cases from the crawl box spline, particularly with everything passing through 1:1. I found it easier to spin them with reduction (perhaps that’s the gearing at work?), or I had to spin them from the drive shaft flange. I saw one video on YouTube and the guy seemed to spin his with no trouble, so that did give me pause.. but everything feels smooth and sounds smooth, it’s just hard to spin from the output shaft, but everything functions, all gears, and reductions, in 2wd and in 4wd, so I thiiiiiink I did it right.. lol



Next hurdle will be actually getting it back up and bolted to the transmission. Shit is heavy! I believe @slander mentioned in the crawl box thread something like “use a transmission jack, don’t be an idiot”... yeah.. I can see why. I tried to belly this bastard up there, managed to get it about level, but only having two hands it was pretty pointless - couldn’t align it and slide it home, nor get a bolt in to help hold it. I don’t have a transmission jack, but I think what I’m going to do is run two ratchet straps from frame to frame so that they cradle the front and back of the dual cases, and ratchet it up, I’m thinking this will help not only bring it up to the height it needs to be, but also allow me a little forward and backward motion so I can slide it into the transmission coupler when aligned. If that fails then I’ll wise up and get a transmission jack

I’ll need to put in some serious work on the triple stick setup.. all the levers need to be shifted driver side and forward a considerable amount, and I have no vice to put them in for bending, nor a bench to buy a vice for, so I’ll have to get creative there as well. Suggestions are welcome!

And lastly, my Corbeau Trailcats may show up tomorrow, fingers crossed!

 

You crazy sob......wish i could lend a hand

 

Maaan, I wish you could too, could’ve got that beast up and in with a little more umph and another pair of hands haha

 

It's going to be hard to spin because you have a bunch of new parts in that crawl box!

Instead of bending the triple stick shifters, I just bent the crawl box shifter more vertical. I stuck it in a vice and yanked it. DO NOT HEAT IT, it will melt and fall apart.

 

God damn that's some serious progress

Not that I can offer much help aside from another set of hands and tools.

I've got Tuesday and Wednesday off, let me know.

 

I’m going to attempt to get them all into the stock j shift location and save my cup holders and center console run. I was looking at the bends on the stock shifter for a baseline and it’s far from straight lol. I may take them all up to my pops since he has a bench and a vice and go to war with them there, unless I can come up with a way to hold them steady here at my spot with no bench or vice.

I think if I made the crawl box shifter more vertical they would all pop up through the cutout in the floor, but I’m not sure they’d get to the spot I’m hoping or have enough movement to shift.. have to get the cases bolted up first to see exactly what needs to be done. I’d be thrilled if it worked out with just straightening the crawlbox shifter!

Thanks man, it’s coming along sloooooowly, but surely!

Wish I had more time during the week to take you up on that offer, I bet we could chug through a ton of stuff with the both of us wrenching, but work beckons

Still have that bumper skin though, if you do find yourself up here and still want it hit me up

 

Yep no worries.

I'll need to swing by that way to drop something off for someone so yeah, could be sooner than later.

 

Things are looking good!
Loving all your documentation on this. I'm definitely gonna be coming back to your thread when it comes turn to do mine.

Curious on what exactly you do to the shifters to make it work, cause i'll be going the same route with the triple sticks and trying to stuff them in the factory spot.

From what I've read, you might also have to clearance the tunnel with a BFH or something make room for the shift linkage.

 

What is the benefit of the triple sticks or is it always a triple stick and you can move some back to the cup holder?

 

Thanks @betterbuckleup , I kind of dropped the ball yesterday on pictures, fortunately the stuff that went down yesterday is pretty straight forward and documented well by other folks.

I’ll do better with the sticks, because I think it’d be nice for those like you who are going triples and want them in the stock location to have a little more information. There are a handful of pictures from other members who have done it, and that’s been enough to give me a rough idea of what I need to do, but I’ll try get a bunch of photos and post a more step by step walk through on it.

As far as the clearance issue goes for the shifter linkages, I’m hoping that my 1” body lift will provide enough room, but even if it doesn’t I doubt I’ll have to go too crazy with a hammer. I’ll try and get some good images of that as well

 

basically it's keeping the stock crawlbox shifter (which goes between the t-case and transmission), and converting the stock t-case to a twin stick and moving the shifters up to where the crawlbox shifter is. So that you have "triple sticks" all in one place.
Twin stick is this: one stick is 2wd & 4wd, and the other is high range & low range.