S/C-HD2002 said:
I had ZERO interference problems with the transfer case shifter. I personally would not try to over think a solution like a remote shifter. Bending the factory shifter can be made very comfortable and functional. I ran my shifter the way it was for around 11 years with out a single problem. I also had people comment on how much cleaner and easier to shift it was than their shifter.
Your main issues are to clear the dash and heater box, and the t case shifter. Other than that, comfort shifting is your other concern. I have seen people run their shifters around the passenger side of the t case shifter. I didn't like how it shifted at all.
Mine ran very close down the driver side of the tranny tunnel. It was never in the way of anything and always shifted perfect.
Hope this helps.
Mine's on the passenger side of the t-case shifter and it's been shifting very nicely for the 8 years since I installed it. It's also very comfortable. In fact once I'd made the initial 90 degree bend for heater clearance and a rough bend upward towards the drivers seat, I replaced the shifter cane into the tranny, got my oxyacetylene torch and sat in the cab. Then I just heated it while I was sitting there and bent it till I liked how it felt. I couldn't get mine to clear the heater when I first installed it, even with a tight 90 degree bend. At the time I didn't have a body lift. I had to notch the heater box at the bottom to make room. I've heard that some NP435's have a shorter top cover that gives more room, but I've never looked closely at any others since I did my install. In any case, I really like the way it shifts. Not much good for drag racing, but hey, an EB is a truck- it deserves a truck transmission ;D
One thing that made the routing easier was that I got rid of the t-shift handle. I got my NP435 out of a '67 divorced-case F250 that had the t-case shifter mounted to a bracket on the transmission. I took that shift lever along with the transmission. The knob on the shift lever had the same pattern as the t-shift Dana 20, so I torched the old t-shift lever off my Bronco bracket and welded on the other one. Looks clean and it let the NP435 shifter cane get a lot closer to the t-case shift lever.