Anyone use stock explorer 4R70W shift cable with Ididit column shifter?

[skrit]

I've searched and searched but only found a few tidbits of information in previous build threads but nothing that gives me the confidence to try it. I guess I could just use the Lokar shift arm and rod if it's not ideal to use the stock cable and shifter mechanism shown below.

 

[904Bronco]

Can't say I have ever done that or considered it. Random thoughts below...

You could be the first to engineer it?
But here is the question to consider... Is this part currently available to be purchased new from Ford? If it is, would it be available to a couple of years?
A 2001 V8 Explorer (the last year of production) is now 25 years old
I'm assuming that your cable is used, how much more life is left in it?
And you know what people have been saying here, that the V8 Explorers are getting harder to find in the Wreaking yards.

Doug

 

[widowmaker77]

I used the stock c4 rod. I took the shift lever that was on the my 4r70w and cut the end off where the cable attaches. Then I made a longer arm and tacked it to the piece of shift lever still on the transmission shaft facing forward like a c4 lever does ( that way the shaft lever on the column moved the trans lever in the correct direction). Cycled the shaft arm through all the gears to make sure My shift rod wasn’t going to hit anything . Pulled it all off the trans and welded it up. Has worked perfect.

 

[tasker]

FOR what it's worth, I used the Lokar stuff and had great luck with it

 

[skrit]

FOR what it's worth, I used the Lokar stuff and had great luck with it

Yeah, think I'm just going to go that route. Was concerned about having to replace the selector shaft but my selector arm is just bolted on from what I remember.

 

[fordguy]

FOR what it's worth, I used the Lokar stuff and had great luck with it

The Lokar kit works great and is not too expensive and it is a clean looking install.

 

[rjrobin2002]

The Lokar kit works great and is not too expensive and it is a clean looking install.

That's what I used on my f100 with a 4r70w

 

[skrit]

Case closed... I'll just do the Lokar linkage and selector arm mod. Thanks all

 

[skrit]

Would have added pics like I normally do but i already uninstalled.... not a fan of long text posts...sorry.

keep in mind i have no welder so any fab work would be purely bolt and nuts or threaded holes and screws.

Case not closed....I bought the Lokar rod style shift linkage and I'm not impressed. The rod is straight and there is no way I can attach from the Ididit lower shift arm to the 4r70w shift arm without major binding. Tried putting a bend in it... still it's not ideal and it's not acceptable. Thinking of maybe the Ididit cable shift solution but super expensive?

Maybe my existing C4 rod would work?

I'm limited to the "height" I can clock the lower steering shift arm "up" due to the driver's explorer exhaust manifold (probably at 10 O'clock max)

If anyone has a Lokar/Ididit specific pic to help me that would be great.

 

[tasker]

BEST pics i got, hope they help

 

[skrit]

Thanks @tasker . The issue I see is there is no way a straight rod can connect between the shift arms. I used a long metal rod to try and illustrate the angle that it would be at the steering column shift arm to touch the trans shifter. Ignore the explorer cable bracket. Just mocked that up to see about using the stock cable.

Also if I put the test rod flat against the column shift arm there is a good distance from the trans arm (first pic)

See the angle here.

 

[tasker]

can't put a bend in the rod at the end? maybe cut the bracket/reweld and shorten it up?

 

[skrit]

can't put a bend in the rod at the end? maybe cut the bracket/reweld and shorten it up?

I did put a bend in the rod and it helped but seems janky and still rough to shift. That's what I was looking for really is how folks bent the rod

 

[tasker]

AHH, DON'T HAVE ANY UPPER PICS OF MINE, SORRY!

 

[904Bronco]

You will have to put a little twist in the bracket on the steering column... Angling it so the rod is pointed at the trans shift arm.
I don't have pictures available at the moment.

Depending on the column... Stock, Ididit, Flaming you may have to extend/shorten of lengthen the shift rod. Getting the indicator to show full throw left and right has always been a pain. All of my experience has been done with a 1" body lift.

 

[skrit]

Finally got back around to this. I had to do some major custom bends to the rod. It was very frustrating having to disconnect and reconnect, creeper underneath at least a half dozen times. For reference this is the Lokar ACA-1808 purchased from Amazon. Should have looked at more Lokar options that were cheaper without the selector shaft which I didn't need.

Goes through all gears like butter now. Do not have the gear indicator installed on the column yet so no idea of alignment. I'll be going Dakota Digital cluster with the gear indicator on it so not sure if I'll even install the column mount one.

Here are my bends...