transfer box shifter ideas

[****inthemud]

Hi All,

Been sat day-dreaming a bit the last couple of days about different setups for land rover transfer box selector options (yup I really do that).

Now if I had own way I would love to have the centre diff lock operated by some form of air actuator a bit like the t95 style option but perhaps compressor driven. However both of my trucks are t230 cases.

I then thought perhaps a simpler option would be to just separate the standard 2 axis selector stick into to individual levers. For me this would be great for trialling as I really seem to struggle when toggling the centre lock in and out (perhaps its just short arms or something...).

Anyway I thought perhaps some of you out there may have made your own solutions to this and would have pictures that you might be willing to share for some future "creative inspiration".

Cheers!

[simonr]

OK - a couple of options I've used in the past.

* Closed loop hydraulics - I actually used Pneumatic cylinders with water as the 'hydraulic fluid' as the pressure / force is low. Just connect the ends of two identical rams together so when you push one piston in, the other is pushed out. This is a simple way to remote anything to anywhere. Bleeding is tricky, but you can assemble the tubes & rams under water (in a bucket / bath) and expel all the air while it's under water.

This works really well. I've used it many times - including to control the throttle on my wood-burning stove from my office 10m away. It gives a nice positive control with force-feedback.

* Car windscreen wiper motor with the crank connected to the appropriate lever. You just use a two way, momentary switch to reverse the current through the motor to hop between Hi / low etc.

Somewhere outside I have a Suzuki box with the Hi/low selected using a wiper motor. If I can find it, I'll post a photo. This works OK, but isn't as positive as you cannot feel when it's gone in. However, when real-estate for controls is limited it's much easier to find room for a switch than another lever. I used this on my Electric Freelander to change drive ratio.

Si

[****inthemud]

OK - a couple of options I've used in the past.

* Closed loop hydraulics - I actually used Pneumatic cylinders with water as the 'hydraulic fluid' as the pressure / force is low. Just connect the ends of two identical rams together so when you push one piston in, the other is pushed out. This is a simple way to remote anything to anywhere. Bleeding is tricky, but you can assemble the tubes & rams under water (in a bucket / bath) and expel all the air while it's under water.

This works really well. I've used it many times - including to control the throttle on my wood-burning stove from my office 10m away. It gives a nice positive control with force-feedback.

* Car windscreen wiper motor with the crank connected to the appropriate lever. You just use a two way, momentary switch to reverse the current through the motor to hop between Hi / low etc.

Somewhere outside I have a Suzuki box with the Hi/low selected using a wiper motor. If I can find it, I'll post a photo. This works OK, but isn't as positive as you cannot feel when it's gone in. However, when real-estate for controls is limited it's much easier to find room for a switch than another lever. I used this on my Electric Freelander to change drive ratio.

Si

Thanks Si, some VERY interesting thoughts!

would love to see the wiper motor example. I'm surprised that its strong enough.

(p.s: at some point I have a question about ball-jointed trailing arms from a while back, been waiting for you to pop up!)

Sam

[muddy]

Disco two uses cables for an off the shelf solution for the box end. If your serious about trialing forget cables and dissect the difflock mech to lose the spring and give positive control so you can pull it out with load on it via a big lever.

Will.

[Guest_001]

How about some 12v solenoid actuators and some switches on the dash?

[Disco-Ron]

Depending on who you trial with check what you're allowed to do within the regs first

[reb78]

Isn't there an air powered option for the d2 out there somewhere as well??

[simonr]

(p.s: at some point I have a question about ball-jointed trailing arms from a while back, been waiting for you to pop up!)

PM me any time!

Not the best construction ever - but it was done in a hurry when I discovered the lever poked into the cab in an unhelpful place! I always meant to re-build it nicely, but it never broke - then I cut the vehicle up!

Si

[dirtyninety]

My friend has a screw driver welded to and poking directly up from the diff lock. simple!

[revilo.ind]

Expanding on the hydraulic idea, or pneumatic, you allready have a very reliable compressor on your truck; your vaccume pump, if you were to use pnuematic cylinders, can be bought cheaply second hand or new old stock, and connect them to 2 way pnematic switches but use vaccume to drive the ram not pressue.

Vaccume is much more reliable, hoses wont pop of from over pressure, if your difflock dosent engange right away or the rams travel is impeded, the forces are less and your not relying on a comressor to provide air pressue.

All you need to be safe is a filter on the inlet side of the switch so you drag in carp or water into your vaccume circuit.

If your in any doubt, maxxi drive diff locks, like arb or ashcroft, use vaccume to drive there diff lock actuators, it negates the need for a comressor and they have a reputation for being one of the strongest most reliable diff lockers there is.