Shift lever

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by northernhopper, Nov 21, 2015.

  1. northernhopper

    northernhopper Light Load Member

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    I would like to heat shift lever a few inches above the floor and bend it to a new position. Right now its too close to the chair and will actually hit the arm rest. What im wondering is will heating and bending cause it to lose temper and bend over time through use? There would be 18 inches of leverage above heated point. Any metallurgy experts?
     
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  3. swaan

    swaan Road Train Member

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    Can you tell us if the shifter is solid or hollow tube??

    My Westernstar is solid and I heated it red hot then bent it to my liking. No prob. I bent mine under the boot so can't tell it was heated.
     
  4. northernhopper

    northernhopper Light Load Member

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    Really have no idea if solid or hollow. Its an old 1996 spicer if that helps. Its covered in surface rust and needs sandin
     
  5. swaan

    swaan Road Train Member

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    Well if it is solid you would have no issues heating till cherry red and bending it to suit.
     
    S M D Thanks this.
  6. northernhopper

    northernhopper Light Load Member

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    Thats the answer i was looking for. Thank you.
     
  7. S M D

    S M D Road Train Member

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    Hated the one I had in the kw t660 and my friend and i heated it up until it was red and bent it where I wanted it. Talk about a difference it made. But yeah you could bend it doesn't take much effort either. Just patience
     
  8. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    If the air lines go outside the shift lever, it's solid. If the lines are hidden, it's hollow. I've bent and cut down lots of shifters in my day. You don't even have to get it red hot. Never bent a hollow one, but cut about 6 inches off a Freightliner hollow one once. That helped a lot.
     
  9. burnsey

    burnsey Light Load Member

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    I bent one years ago in an old "cornbinder" (IH Fleetstar circa 1976) . . . it was solid, heated it cherry red where I wanted the bend and just leaned on it until it was in a better spot to clear the metal console I was installing between the seats.

    But, trucks from back then, everything was SOLID metal (and boy did they ride like the springs were SOLID :().
     
  10. northernhopper

    northernhopper Light Load Member

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    I'll heat it and bend it over Thanksgiving weekend i think. Then next project will be to retap threads to use an eaton knob. Oem spicer knob is $350 and i cant find any aftermarket. Oh....and play with air lines to change to eaton knob
     
  11. GrapeApe

    GrapeApe Road Train Member

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    What kind of knob do you have that costs $350.00? Must be something really special, we pay $60-70 for the standard 13 or 18 speed knobs.
     
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