overdrive

it's been at least 2 years since i got my overdrive from herm, and today was the first day i have actually used it as it is intended! pretty sad i know. but, now that i have a welder and some room to work i decided a couple days ago that i needed to get the linkage figured out and hooked up. i used some steel tube and bent it to the shape i needed for the linkage. the pivot is my old single stick pivot modified to bolt up to the side of my sm420, and the shifter is from herm and had to be bent back aways so that it would not hit the dash.

i knew i was going to like the od in town since i was able to try that by simply putting it in gear before taking it out. with my setup (4.10 gears/sm420) it works really well to just leave it in od in town. on the highway the difference is really amazing... 1700 rpm @ 55mph. sweet!

so today was the first time i got to try splitting gears on the trail and i am equally impressed. with reverse being 7 to 1 ratio like 1st, having the od was nice for backing up in low. it was so much fun finding the perfect gear to match the terrain i can't wait to go out again...

i will post a few pics soon...

chris

 

yeah! isn't split shifting great?!

 

What gears can't you split shift? All three and reverse are splitable? Why would you split second? Why not just jump to 3rd or back down to 1st. Sorry for my ignorance just curious actually. OD would be pretty cool. Does it put any strain on the tranny or is it just beneficial?

 

It takes a little while too get used to. I used my brother Jeep last weekend. Trying to find the different combo of gears to keep it from acting like a bucking bronco (while giving it gas and letting off) was a little hard.

His Jeep has a 255hp Chevy 350 V-8, NP435 and 4.88 gears.

 

around the streets here for instance 2nd with od is perfect for 25 mph with 31" tires and 4.88's

1st od is good for some rough dirt roads too rugged to hit 2nd

 

I just got done with a short ride up Tincup pass, and splitting gears is really nice. 1st over, and second direct. Maybe second over in places. Having the 3.15 TC doesn't hurt either. Where I really like the OD is highway on the way back. It makes the 5.38's possible to get 60 something out of 'em
-Hill

 

tincup pass..... sighhhhh. wish i were there.

meeeemmorrrieeessss....... (singing in my best ren voice)

 

I can't wait to drive a setup like this. Sounds like more fun than my Power King tractor with the tandem three speeds! R)

 

never been there, but maybe i need to take a little road trip

i have a few more things to get done before i take the jeep THAT far from home, but i am very close! i need to get a trailer or a drawbar soon.

chris

 

here are a couple pics of my new linkage
sorry the jeep is quite dirty...

od is engaged in these pics









suprisingly there is no binding and it shifts quite easily

chris

 

Make sure you lub the shifter pivot every year to keep it from rusting and freezing. Don't ask how I know.

 

Is that a hand throttle I see in the pics? How about some pics of it and how its hooked up.

 

well i couldn't come up with a good way to mount it so i had to loose my choke for now. it is just looped around the throttle and held on by the choke mount. i really need to come up with something better so i can have my choke back also.

i will take a pic for you soon.

yes, i do need to get some grease in there asap.

chris