I am in the process of making shift levers for my double t-case setup with an NP203 and a D300. I am having several problems:

1) The D300 shift rods used to be stiff as hell when I had a single stick. Now they are loose as hell with the double stick conversion. It seems as though just the weight of the 5/8" round that I used to make the levers wants to pull both stick into neutral. God help me if I should be going over some rough terrain and bump it with my knee! Why the hell is it so damn loose? I could open it back up for my third time and cut some tips off some bolts to put under the detent ball and springs, but it doesn't seem like I should have to do that and I am getting tired of tearing my d300 apart.

2) Again, using 5/8" rod for the lever on the NP203, their very weight of the lever pulls the shifter all the way back! No need to bump it with my knee there, it just falls back!

3) The amount of rod that I am using for each lever is minimal. Certainly less than there was in their stock applications! I don't see why it is such a problem all of a sudden! Even if I did tighten up the d300 shift linkage, the NP203 is already as tight as it can go. There's now way to adjust it! I know that there is nothing wrong with it because, without leverage, it is next to impossible to move. I could make a short, straight lever to have less weight leveraging on it, but then it would end up beneath my seat! Same goes for the d300.

If anyone had some pics of custom levers and their routing that they have done on either of these t-cases, I would appreciate it. HELP!

J. J.

What about using some kind of tubing for the rods? Here is a pic of my shifters but I dont think it will help you very much. http://www.alaskaoffroad.com/images/Tech/Tcase/toomanyshifters.jpg

I also saw these ones on here that look to be made from alum flat stock. I like them alot better than the ones I made and might do the same.

The problem with doing what I see in those pics is that, if mine came straight up like that, all the levers would be underneath my seats.

J. J.

unless you made the connecting links longer.

The they would be either in the passenger's and my laps or tangled in our feet. Good idea, though.

J. J.

the link from the lever to the case?

aahhh
i see
oddball jeep driveline
well ya gotta put em somewhere

How about some pics of what you got now. I'm having a hard time visualizing the problem you mentioned to MJ. Looks to me like longer links would be the answer.

Your wish is my command. I'm thinking that the rod is just too much weight with too big of a lever. I am going to try and work something lighter, or somethat that has the weight supported by the floor, or something other than the actual shift linkage. I know an easy way to do it with the d300 since it just pushes the rails in and out. The 203 is harder though since it actually pivots.

http://www.patooyee.com/miscpics/SHIFTERS1.JPG

http://www.patooyee.com/miscpics/SHIFTERS2.JPG

http://www.patooyee.com/miscpics/SHIFTERS3.JPG

http://www.patooyee.com/miscpics/SHIFTERS4.JPG

J. J.

Yeah, I'll bet your right on the weight. Hard to tell but I guess that's what I would be looking at.

As for the 203, using a rod to move things off to a better location is not a big deal. all you need is a short (2-3" or so) lever pointing down (or up) on the case shift pivot, then a rod going forward to the shifter which pivots on a hard mount somewhere handy in the right location. Then you can vary the rod's attachment point distance from the pivot to adjust leverage as needed. Now think about remoting the shifter for a secondary top-loader, now *that* would be pain...