Anyone else have a problem with the shifter linkage for the 4wd keep coming apart under the Jeep? Need done help on ideas how to make the connection better.

 

There are a bunch of aftermarket linkage solutions.

Stock linkage sucks and is over complicated

 

Hose clamps and zip ties. Lol

 

i'm rebuilding mine by making my own kit similar to the one FST is selling.

anyone know if there is any purpose behind that god awful mess that comes stock under the jeep? you would think it would have been cheaper and more effective for jeep to build a one arm linkage..

 

You have a link for the link? LoLz I'd like to see what they are selling.

 

What is this "FST". I tried to google it.

 

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f10/si...inkage-163872/

 

$50 for that?

Christ that's like $10 worth of parts. Maybe $15 tops.

I don't know if they tested this out on the 242 yet, but speaking from personal experience it's not as easy as they make it out to be. The stock paddle that comes down is too short, and the linkage is at too much of an angle and doesn't allow the T-case to drop into 4lo.

I had to drill a hole in a 4" piece of 1/4" plate steel and hold it up to the stock paddle and weld it on. Then i bolted my linkage into that to level it out.

Picture related. What that will look like on a 242.

I should make these things. I can knock them out for the price of the two heim joints (like $10), and the rest of the parts i get for free, and i can ship them around the country for $4.90.

 

Is that a picture of yours on NP242? I ordered the FST kit, I paid the price because I'd rather pony up 50 bucks for a custom product than crawl around a junkyard and hardware stores to try and find the pieces I need. Aint nobody got time for that. I hope I don't run into any problems installing it--i'll find out next week when it arrives.

 

Yeah that's a picture of mine on the NP242 before i welded on a piece of 1/4" plate to level it out. Wouldn't engage 4lo at all.

I have a bunch of 1/4" plate laying around my house. I knocked that shifter out in like 20 minutes if that with a drillbit, a jigsaw, and a file to get it perfect.

Other than that it's just two heim joints, a piece of threaded rod, two grade 8 bolts, and two locknuts for the threaded rod.

Picture Related.

The three to the left of the shorter totally painted one were all errors. I was trying to figure out where the slot needed to be so it would butt all the way up against the T-case when in the 2wd position.

Finally got it right with the short one that is totally painted. That one is perfect.

If you ever need another one, seriously message me. I will have 15 of them ready to go by the end of today.

 

I would just like to state that its more than 15 bucks for the hardware, the custom lasered out shift lever, and the shop time it takes to put it all together.

We disclosed in our thread that these have not been tested on the NP242 yet (also why the thread is labeled "231" linkage) and slight modifications MAY be needed. With that said, I would like to point out that our t case shift lever is longer than the one in Hudson's pic.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Kris Froehlich

 

Thanks for the input! The weather has been far too crappy for me to attempt this install yet.