B&M’s Pro Stick Shifter and North West Fab Works twin-stick shifter

Every shift needs to be precise, period. While anyone would agree that rock solid, precise gear shifts are critical to racing, we believe it’s just as paramount for us off-road folks.

Picture this… You are trying to crawl a steep, off-camber ledge that requires some speed to crest. In a mad fury of adrenaline-charged raw horsepower and spinning 37” tires, you slam it from first to second gear. But wait, you miss second and third all together and shove it straight into neutral. The engine over revs and you roll sharply backward out of control and the next thing you know, the tires are pointing towards the heavens and you’ve soiled your shorts quite effectively.

All of this can happen with a stock shifter that doesn’t have the precise shifting capability and the proper safety shift-gates. This is exactly why we decided to move away from our aged, old-school shifters to more precise, cable-actuated shifters.

The shifters we chose were the North West Fab Works twin-stick cable shifter, and the B&M Racing Pro Stick cable shifter – both icons in their own rights. But, before we get into the pros and cons of each shifter, we will explain why we selected them.

 

Cable Shifters

Most transmissions and transfer cases use shift linkages that consist of a fixed pivot point(s) on the transmission or transfer case, with connecting rods between the shift rails and shifters on the floor of the cab. Bloody simple, and they work fine for those of us with stock drivetrains. But, if you have a body lift, a different transmission or transfer case, a clocked transfer case or a dual transfer case, rod-style shifters become very difficult to work with and even less predictable off road.

Cable shifters are far more versatile than linkage shifters. They don’t bind when the drive train has been modified in any way, and you can mount them in a variety of places or positions, which is less possible with linkage shifters. A cable shifter is independent of the transmission or transfer case, coupled only by the cables.

 

NorthWest Fab Works Twin-Stick Cable Dana 300 Transfer Case Shifter

 

NorthWest Fab Works is one of but a few companies that make twin stick cable shifter for transfer cases. We chose NorthWest Fab Works because their shifters are well engineered and of high-quality.

The shifter body incorporates high-quality steel construction with precise welds, all in a small profile package that makes mounting very easy. The cables are rated up to 230 lbs of pushing and 350 lbs of pulling force, and temperature rated from -65F to 230F degrees. The cables are also sealed and permanently lubricated, reducing maintenance and increasing life time.

The NorthWest Fab Works Dana 300 cable shifter kit that we ordered included absolutely everything we needed to install it. All fasteners are self-locking, the cables are 3 feet long and fully adjustable too. NorthWest Fab Works offers cable shifters for the Dana 300, NP 205, Atlas II and Stak 2 and Stak 3 transfer cases.

 

Installation

 

Installation of the North West Fab Works shifter really began with the shifter assembly, which I might add, was very straightforward and simple. To make it easier to work with, we chocked up the shifter assembly into a vice. We then slid the shifter handles through the top of the shifter assembly and inserted the poly bushings and then finally the bolt that secures the shifters in place, along with the self locking nut.

Thread the supplied shifter cables through the front of the shifter assembly. To make life easy, run the front-most cable nut as far forward on the cable so that the cable sits further inside the shifter assembly (you’ll adjust this twice, later). We then installed the cable rod-ends onto the cables, and finally threaded them into the bottom of the shifters and tightened the jam nuts. Adjust the depth of the cables to about the 50% mark so that the cable “throw” is relatively neutral. Again, you’ll need to adjust this once more, after it is installed in the vehicle so that the shifters shift precisely.

Next, slide the shifter boots over the shifters, run the jam nuts onto the top of the shifters, thread the shifter handles onto the shifters and then tighten the jam nuts. Assembly complete. Shifter Installation – Installing your shifter will be different in every vehicle. We installed ours into a custom-made center console, which made installation a snap. We mounted our North West Fab Works twin-stick shifter from underneath, for a cleaner look, but it can be mounted on top of a surface just as easily. For now, just let the cables hang wherever you like, you’ll hook them up later.

Next, you’ll need to install the threaded rods, tubing and bracket to the transfer case. Depending upon your application and available space, it may be easier to remove the transfer case and work on a work bench (like we did). Remove the old shifter linkage couplers from the transfer case. Remove two bolts from the transfer case and screw in the supplied threaded rods. Slide the tubes over the rods and then the cable-retainer bracket over the top of the tubes. Next, tighten the nuts (we suggest using locktite on the threads). NOTE: The threaded rods that we received were about ½” too short, so be sure to check the length of the rods before final installation.

Install the new cable retainers into the shifter rails on your transfer case using the supplied hardware. Tighten the cable retainers just enough so that they can pivot a bit. Install the transfer case (if necessary).

Now, feed the cables from the cab of your vehicle through the floorboard, and pass them through and into the brackets of the transfer case – again, we installed the locking nuts to about the “middle” position to make it as neutral as possible. Be sure that the cables are free of moving parts (like driveshafts, ujoints, etc.) and not near or against the exhaust system. Secure cables if necessary.

Lastly, and this is where a second person comes in very handy, shift the shifters and adjust the jam nuts on the cables until the shifts are crisp and lock into place all of the way.

The Verdict

The NorthWest Fab Works Twin-Stick Cable Dana 300 Transfer Case Shifter is a precisely made unit that has clearly gone through a lot of research, development and refinement. In our opinion, it shifts as well as a linkage-type shifter, which isn’t easy to do with a cable-type shifter unless it’s well constructed and uses quality materials. The too-short threaded rods were a slight inconvenience, but a quick trip to the local hardware store fixed this problem for less than $4.  

If you have modified your drive train, clocked or rotated your transfer case or want to mount your transfer case shifter in a different location, I would look no further than NorthWest Fab Works – we’re very pleased with their product.

 

 

 

 

B&M Pro Stick Cable Shifter

The B&M Pro Stick – a true icon in the racing industry – the original hardcore racing shifter. We chose the Pro Stick primarily because we liked the ergonomics of it, and because of its flexibility of shift-gates and patterns, and because it matches the interior that we were renovating on our project FJ40 Land Cruiser.This B&M Pro Stick is NHRA/IHRA approved, and works with 2, 3 and 4-speed transmissions with either forward or reverse valve body applications. The gate plates are modular and can be changed in just a matter of minutes, which will come in handy for those of us that might change from a standard valvebody to a reverse valve body later. The shifter is also quite easy to mount, as it can be mounted flush against the floor or a center console, can be mounted to the chassis, or can even be frenched into a center console like we did. The Pro Stick comes with a lightweight brushed aluminum cover that can be removed with two quick release pins too, making maintenance a snap.

Installation

Like the North West Fab Works t-case shifter, the B&M shifter’s installation really begins with assembly. The kit ships in about 50 or so pieces, so if you take pleasure in rebuilding carburetors, building models or doing puzzles, this is right up your alley. The instructions supplied were wonderfully detailed, but did lack in the photo/illustration department a bit.

To begin the installation, we first chose a location to install the B&M Pro Stick Shifter. We knew that it would be mounted to the newly built center console that we made, but my bright idea of “frenching” it into the center console caused a lot more work than we anticipated, resulting in a few extra days worth of work – well worth it in the end though. We began by building a cradle that the B&M Pro Stick shifter would mount into, and we only tacked the cradle into place as we knew we would need to adjust the depth and angle of the cradle to get the profile just right. After 4 or 5 settings, we nailed it and finish-welded the cradle into place.

With the shifter mounted into the center console, we fed the shifter cable through the floorboard and attached it to the transmission. Mating the cable to the transmission was so bloody simple that we didn’t even have a chance to snap any photos. Regardless, you simply bolt a bracket to the transmission pan and then hook the cable to the shifter on the transmission. We required zero adjustments on our shifter, but adjustments can be made within a few minutes of tweaking.

 

The Verdict

The B&M Pro Stick shifter gives the driver incredibly crisp, accurate shifts. It takes 20 or so passes through the gears to get it broken in properly, but after that, it shifts nicely.

The reverse lockout is a nice feature, but it does become annoying as it often requires one hand on the wheel, your second hand on the shifter, and your third hand on the reverse lockout lever. Shifting quickly between reverse and first can be cumbersome because of this. There are ways to modify the shift gate so that the reverse lockout feature is negated, and the shift grip still provides some protection, but we don’t advise this for obvious reasons.

Overall, the build quality of the B&M shifter is second to none – the billet machined handle, the polished hand grip, the aluminum cover, and the all-steel construction of the shift mechanism is exactly what you would expect from a true leader in shifter technology.  B&M shifters are so durable and strong, that I dare say this may be the last shifter we will ever need.