Dana 20 rebuild questions / pills

[Johnnyb]

Howdy everyone. I put my EB into 4th / high range with the drive shafts disconnected and unfortunately my transfer case sounded like a box of marbles.
So I dropped it and I will order the rebuild kit from wild horses on Monday.
I would like to achieve front dig, but not at the expense of popping out of gear. The wild horses instructions for their twin shift says that removing the pill will make it easier to pop out of gear. That seems contradictory because the pills are not the detents.
My question is, does removing the pills actually make it easier to pop out of gear and would wild horses adjustable detents mitigate that situation?
BTW: 71 T-shift

THX,
JB

 

[Soylent]

The biggest players, as I understand it, for popping out are weak detent springs (order a heavy duty set from Jack O’Brien), worn shift forks (especially if bungee cord was used) and rounded out gears. The pills prevent cross shifting the teo diffs. With the pill in pkace, the front shifter can’t move further away from the rear shifter than neutral until the rear is moved into neutral.

My rear shifter still can pop out in high gear low rpm around 60 mph so I may have the later of the two causes as I replaced the springs. I remember @jamesroney mentioning something on this cause?

 

[mrdrnac]

Since you are already planning on rebuilding your Dana 20 get this kit from JB Fab and do it right!

Ford Bronco D20 Shift-Rail Kit P/N SRD20F

Replacement shift-rails for Ford's version of the D-20 transfer case (Bronco 66-77).

jb-custom-fabrication.myshopify.com

 

[Johnnyb]

Since you are already planning on rebuilding your Dana 20 get this kit from JB Fab and do it right!

Ford Bronco D20 Shift-Rail Kit P/N SRD20F

Replacement shift-rails for Ford's version of the D-20 transfer case (Bronco 66-77).

jb-custom-fabrication.myshopify.com

That's a great option, how do the pills work with their shift rails to permit front wheel drive only?

 

[m_m70]

worn shift forks

this was my issue.......check them out while you have it broke down.

 

[bronco italiano]

That's a great option, how do the pills work with their shift rails to permit front wheel drive only?

Allows the shift rail to place front or rear in neutral, but won't allow you for place one in 4H and the other in 4L. Very nice shift rail setup. I put it in my buddy's bronco last year.

 

[Johnnyb]

Allows the shift rail to place front or rear in neutral, but won't allow you for place one in 4H and the other in 4L. Very nice shift rail setup. I put it in my buddy's bronco last year.

That's awesome! So just in case I ever let a noob drive it, they can't , they can't screw up the T-case but it still lets you do a front dig.
How do you think they're Dana 20 rebuild stacks up against the WH one? If I'm going to be paying for expedited shipping I might as well try to get everything in one place.

Thanks,
John

 

[mrdrnac]

FYI, JB Fab also makes the best Twin Stick on the market, in my opinion, for the Dana 20 if you haven't already purchased one.

 

[bronco italiano]

I think WH gets their stuff from JB fab.
Dirt Donk can chime in.
JB Fab is all top notch stuff.

 

[nvrstuk]

JBFab

The large thrust washers that ride against the case along with previously mentioned worn shift forks are two not commonly "looked at" causes of a D20 popping out of gear. (Don't forget to make sure the shifter linkage isn't hitting the body also)