ok so im getting heaps of feedback , so as im told a cdl link from a disco 1 will fit a disco 2 , replacing the current high low range lever . Has anyone done it , if so did you have any probs or was it a straight swap . everyones help is appreciated cos here in oz even lr specialists say no and want a grand

 

Usually a straight forward swap other then sometimes having to bend on of the shift arms just a little for a proper fit.
Enjoy all that extra traction.

 

I did it this summer it was easy except the bending the shift arm Mike was talking about. It was a PITA the 1st one 1 snapped the 2nd arm I took my time and bent it slowly and it fit. There will be cutting of the cover that goes over the trans. A tip that saved me time was install the linkage get a wire coat hanger and bend it so it goes from the linkage to the hi/lo selector it will save you time from bending running to and from work area and truck. And mine works great it saved me a few time and got me home after a buddy and I were rebuilding my front propshaft and seen it was cracked and the yoke was jacked up.

 

Its somewhat stright away. Cutting the plate was the most pain in the ***, and once you do, you wont be able to use the stock shifter again without replacing or retrofitting the plate with mounts again, as the hole to allow left right and up down movement exceed the size of the 4 mounting holes in the plate. the shifter arm on the d1 has a very thick base, an inch or more if i remember, its not just the pencil thick rod all the way down. a dremmel wont do it, even with diamond coated discs i could barely get a half mm down after a very long time, it would take hours id bet and a few disks. i ended up (not pretty at all) using a carbide drill bit to make a bunch of holes in a square around the plate, then passing again with a bigger bit until there was only a few mm's of metal between the holes, then a good ol wood chisel and hammer cut the rest out very very easily. i then bend the sharp edges back with pliers as to not pose to much a hazard or sharp angles to potentially jam up on while shifting.

the plate wont fit back UNDER with the new assembly in, it will sit on top, so you will have to use RTV or some other sealant or the wind/noise is pretty bad. the noise i could live with, but once it got cold outside i noticed the air problem at speed! easy, but if you forget it, you have to take the whole damn thing apart again.

buy a rivit gun and an assortment of rivets or sheet metal screws to reattach the plate on the new top position.

you might need a chaser and some patience in cleaning the 4 bolts on the top of the xfter case to mount the new assembly, as mine where caked with 11+ years of ****, and the bolts would NOT thread in without some very good cleaning, even after picking and soaking in everything from break clean to pb blaster, only a chaser got them useable.

the angle of the linkage bar bend is important to, after a few activations the torque on the connector piece was enough to where it simple bent back and fourth instead of pushing the lever for hi/low. i think we reversed it upside down to get a better support angle so it pulled instead of pushed. the metals just to old or soft, or both. didnt think of the coat hanger idea, but in a simple bench vice with pliars was more then enough to work in the bends at the hands of a tallented partner haha.

there are some wires/hoses that should be removed from a bracked and ziptied out of the way or they might lay on or too close for comfort to the shifter parts.

getting the linkage to connect to also a small project, as the holes are different sizes, so to get a firm fit you need spaces/bushings to fill the gaps. small piece of copper tubing cut thin and placed in as bushings with a standard bolt/nut worked fine, just have to get the size/length right.

the stock foam insulation will have to also be cut open to accomadate the left right AND up down movement, as its not in the same place as the stock shifter, so essentially you cut a decent sized hole in it, increases the road noise a good bit. there is also an increase in vibration.

the top of the shifter is also exposed now, the rubber boot cover thats under the shifter wont fit right, so either make a makeshift one out of some good quality tape, or just remember that you might have to open up the dash to clean it out and relube it after some water crossings, mud or dusty driving. i packed mine full of bearing grease to help, should also help fill the void and ease cleaning.

while removing the tranny shifter would make it MUST easier in terms of access ease, its not required. if you twist the plate once you drill the rivits out, and pull it up and out on an angle, you can get it to wedge out so you can get down in there working from the passenger side, or hi above from the drivers side, depending on how well aged your back and knees are (or how fat your hands!!)

speed wrenchs (ratcheting open ended wrenchs) make things alot easier at times, especially since you can only really fit 2 hands down there at a time w/help... and a good foot or so or longer extension for tightening the cld lock on the switch, its hard (atleast for me) to get to from under the car unless you have a lift.

hope the info helps, its not hard or difficult, but if i had a chance, i would have ponied up the $500 or whatever it is for the bolt in replacement that they sell!!!

 

thanx for that , i might just buy the new one for a d2 . how easy is that to fit and when its locked does it dissengage trac control , cos i want it to

 

I am attempting this week with a D1 lever. The big issue is to have the D1 hi/lo selector. Its the piece that has 6 bolts on top of the t/c case and has the bend in it. It will save you some bending and frustration from what I have researched... I ordered mine from Will Tillery in Disco Mikes signature.

 

how about you fly over to western australia and do it for me . ill buy you dinner for your troubles

 

Disco2 tbox shifter assemblies are not available new, neither is the lever that bolts to the tbox.The Disco1 cdl lever (that bolts to the cdl shaft) will not work with Disco2 cable setup. I had to make one by modifying a used LR3 transmission shift link.
You should be able to find one complete from a salvage yard. If you find one make sure you get it with both cables, the mounting bracket on the tbox, and the lever that bolts to the cdl shaft. The cdl shift cable is available but is nearly $200.00 U.S. the bracket is available and is less than $30.00U.S. You really don't need the hi/low shift cable but if someone else is removing it for you its just easier to say you want the whole thing including the lever and bracket that bolts to the tbox.
If you're not picky you can make one using a lawn mower choke or throttle cable

 

Lucky8 Llc. - Take the road less traveled...

worth the money in my book fi you dont feel like tinkering... and after the cost of lost time and parts getting a d1 shifter in its not all that much more expensive unless you find a steal at a junkyard etc.