Hand throttle, ? for the 5spd guys

[ChuckD]

Anyone have a hand throttle on thier MT XJ/MJ? If so is it worth it if you have a stock T-case and 4.10 gears and 33's?

[ChiXJeff]

I've got one with a 5spd, 4.10s and 31s (gonna be 33s soon, though.)

Not as usefull as I thought, but I would do it again. Even came to a full stop half way up Hell's Gate, and didn't need to touch the throttle to get started up again.

ChiXJeff

[satan]

Hand throttle is kinda nice to have, but the XJ'spedals are so close toghether that heel-toe isn't too tough -- if you get one that can "set and stay" it's mighty handy for keeping a little RPM on the alternator for whinching and other operations like that...

I find that bumping my idle to just under 1.5Krpm before entering a good crawl will help me avoid a few of those (fat footed) gas pedal bumps.

I gave-up on my hand throttle (linkage issues), and insted control the idle stepper motor (RenixII) -- same kind of idea - easier linkage with a few bonuses...

[XJ_MAC]

I have one on mine. Very handy on loose rock hills. Used a small piece of small chain to fasten it to throttle linkage area. That gives slack so the cruise and regular throttle can work without interference.

[dmillion]

XJ-MAC, I don't suppose you could post a picture of how you connected that chain to the throttle linkage, could you? That's the part I'm not sure about. All the write-ups I've seen talk about using the spot that cruise control would go in. Well, I have cruise control and I don't want to disable it! Now I need a way to connect a THIRD cable to the throttle linkage.

[macgyvr]

I have an RE hand throttle on my 95 4.0 w/automatic. I have used it for cruise control when I used to drive it on the street. I have used it on the trail many many times for a more precise throttle control. And the best use is with my winch, to bump my idle up to 2k without having to be in the Jeep. I think its worth it to install on any Jeep that sees a lot of trail use.

mac 'hillbilly cruise' gyvr

[35xj]

I built one from bike parts for mine. cost about 5.00. I use it pretty often for winching and for the OBA.

[Scott Mac.]

I have the RE hand throttle and use it quite a bit on steep tricky hill climbs. It has a adjustment screw to set the tension. I will usually set at 2k if I'm stoped in mid obstacle.

[TC]

I made mine from bike parts also, about six bucks. Funny thing is, I've used mine on extremely steep downhill dropoffs more than for climbing. With the clutch out and my foot smashed on the brake pedal I can keep the engine from dying out with just the right amount of throttle. TC

[XJ_MAC]

I'll try to take a pic and post it this weekend.

[Bronco]

What dose the RE kit give you that you cant get from the bike Shop for 6 bucks? Dose it have any nice cable ends or something that make it easier to install?

[notorious DUG]

I only have a 4spd so can I still answer?

I like mine. You can make one from bike parts for 20 bucks or under.

Regardless of gears etc the control is nice....I really like it becaus eI have big feet and it just doesn't really work for me to heel-toe in the MJ.

[FatXJ]

Well as I bicycle mechanic I can tell you what you need.
First you need a brake lever, right or left it doesn't matter really. They do make some levers with adjustable travel so you can fine tune it to your needs. Second is housing, you will need get brake housing for whatever length you need. Third is a cable, cables come in many different types. For a hand throttle I would use a stainless brake cable. You can also get teflon coated and regular cables but stainless hold up the best. I'm not sure what length you need but they come in standard and tandem lengths. When you cut the cable you can either buy a cable end cap (from bike shop) or solder the end to keep it from fraying.

For extra bling: they also make braided housing that is either kevlar or steel braided. It costs almost 3X as much but is very stiff and reduces compression.

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by FatXJ
Well as I bicycle mechanic I can tell you what you need.
First you need a brake lever, right or left it doesn't matter really. They do make some levers with adjustable travel so you can fine tune it to your needs. Second is housing, you will need get brake housing for whatever length you need. Third is a cable, cables come in many different types. For a hand throttle I would use a stainless brake cable. You can also get teflon coated and regular cables but stainless hold up the best. I'm not sure what length you need but they come in standard and tandem lengths. When you cut the cable you can either buy a cable end cap (from bike shop) or solder the end to keep it from fraying.

For extra bling: they also make braided housing that is either kevlar or steel braided. It costs almost 3X as much but is very stiff and reduces compression.

Sorry, maybe you should become a Jeep mechanic before to tell people what they need.

Brake lever hand throttles suck, one of my friends made one and it was just dumb, and it worked for dog crap. Think of it like this, you have one hand on the wheel and most of the other hand is busy with the shifter, you only have a thumb or a couple of fingers free to accuratly actuate the hand throttle, big, clumsy brake lever is not the answer.

Not the one in my MJ but the same parts:

http://4x4-101.com/images/shifter_small.jpg

this was done using a right hand friction lock shifter lever and a 60" cable. Whole thing was under 20 bucks. Cool part is it has an adjustable friction lock on it so you can bump the idle up to run your welder/winch/compressor whatever. It iwll also function as a pretty good cruise control.

I bought my lever at a local bike shop but it is the SAME lever that comes in the RE kit.

[FatXJ]

Originally posted by notorious DUG
Sorry, maybe you should become a Jeep mechanic before to tell people what they need.

Brake lever hand throttles suck, one of my friends made one and it was just dumb, and it worked for dog crap. Think of it like this, you have one hand on the wheel and most of the other hand is busy with the shifter, you only have a thumb or a couple of fingers free to accuratly actuate the hand throttle, big, clumsy brake lever is not the answer.

this was done using a right hand friction lock shifter lever and a 60" cable. Whole thing was under 20 bucks. Cool part is it has an adjustable friction lock on it so you can bump the idle up to run your welder/winch/compressor whatever. It iwll also function as a pretty good cruise control.

I bought my lever at a local bike shop but it is the SAME lever that comes in the RE kit.

Hmmm... you sound like you like you should become a mechanic in any form. I am a Jeep mechanic because I always work on mine.

I recommended the brake lever because that's all I have seen and everybody I know that has one loves it. My roommate put one in his Yota and it worked awesome because you could grab the shifter and use the throttle at the same time. The key is to mount it low enough so that it doesn't interfere with the shifter knob. Then you can put 2-3 fingers on the throttle while still having at least one to wrap around the knob. I don't see how your setup is any better than a brake lever. A brake lever is fully adjustable at any time, yours is much harder to adjust. The advantage of yours is that it can be set to run at a certain RPM. My hand can do that too. So pick your pleasure but I like a brake lever.

Oh yeah that shifter that you used is called an Friction/SIS shifter. It has two positions one for friction shifting and one for indexed.

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by FatXJ
Hmmm... you sound like you like you should become a mechanic in any form. I am a Jeep mechanic because I always work on mine.

I recommended the brake lever because that's all I have seen and everybody I know that has one loves it. My roommate put one in his Yota and it worked awesome because you could grab the shifter and use the throttle at the same time. The key is to mount it low enough so that it doesn't interfere with the shifter knob. Then you can put 2-3 fingers on the throttle while still having at least one to wrap around the knob. I don't see how your setup is any better than a brake lever. A brake lever is fully adjustable at any time, yours is much harder to adjust. The advantage of yours is that it can be set to run at a certain RPM. My hand can do that too. So pick your pleasure but I like a brake lever.

Oh yeah that shifter that you used is called an Friction/SIS shifter. It has two positions one for friction shifting and one for indexed.

Funny, I am a mechanic......industrial equipment and airplanes. Working on *your* Jeep does not make you anyting. There are tons of private pilots who work on their own aircraft, Iwould hardly call one of them a aircraft mechanic.

Biggest problem wiht a brake lever is range. I can get all the way from idle to WOT with the flip of a finger, no brake lever I have seen gets that kind of travel. Mine is fully adjustable to, when I mount the end at the carb I put a ferrule adjuster like is on a brake lever in the braket so I have infinate adjustability. Plus if that is not enough you can tweak the adjustment by bending the cable and sheath, this will actually adjust the cable lenght as well.

I can not find a comfortable way to use the brake handle ones, plus they would never mount to my shifter in a useable manner

My shifter is not indexed at all, it used to have a little "ratchety" thing in ot but not no more.

[Scott Mac.]

Looks like you're back to your old self again Dug.:wierd:

[FatXJ]

The new brake levers for linear pull brakes have almost 2x the cable pull as the old style canti levers. This is what my buddy used and he could go to WOT with it. The key is mounting the cable close the the pivot point on the throttle body, but not too close as to make it hard to pull. These are bike parts, so in your own words you have no professional expertise on them so how can you say what is needed? Think about it.

So since I work on other peoples vehicles does that make me a mechanic? I changed ball joints this week on my neighbors truck and replaced the brakes on my neighbors van, and next week I am adjusting the valves on my neighbors Honda Shadow. Yeah I kn0w I can become a licensed mechanic if I go take the stupid tests but that doesn't do me any good because I don't do it for a living. So I'll do everything myself and do it just the same as a licensed mechanic but not pay for it.

I like to think this: "You are what you do, not what a piece of paper says you are". I know some dumb mechanics but yet they are professional mechanics because they took the same tests you did. I'm willing to bet many of these home mechanics know more than some professionals.

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by Scott Mac.
Looks like you're back to your old self again Dug.:wierd:

Maybe.

Love to hate me, hate to love me.

Women want me and men want to be me.

Scott, I just heard about your situation now, best of luck with everything man.

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by FatXJ
The new brake levers for linear pull brakes have almost 2x the cable pull as the old style canti levers. This is what my buddy used and he could go to WOT with it. The key is mounting the cable close the the pivot point on the throttle body, but not too close as to make it hard to pull. These are bike parts, so in your own words you have no professional expertise on them so how can you say what is needed? Think about it.

So since I work on other peoples vehicles does that make me a mechanic? I changed ball joints this week on my neighbors truck and replaced the brakes on my neighbors van, and next week I am adjusting the valves on my neighbors Honda Shadow. Yeah I kn0w I can become a licensed mechanic if I go take the stupid tests but that doesn't do me any good because I don't do it for a living. So I'll do everything myself and do it just the same as a licensed mechanic but not pay for it.

I like to think this: "You are what you do, not what a piece of paper says you are". I know some dumb mechanics but yet they are professional mechanics because they took the same tests you did. I'm willing to bet many of these home mechanics know more than some professionals.

ALRIGHT, philosophy debate!

Never seen a lever like that and I bet it costs more then the 8 bucks my friction lock did :D Plus with mine I can piggy back on the throttle cable hook or a cruise control hook and not have to work at creating a closer pivot point.

A license has NOTHING to do with beign a mechanic, anyone who thinks it does has no idea what is actually involved in being a mechanic or what the tests are like.

Now for that part where DUG is DUG, so you changed some parts, this makes you a mechanic? There is so much more to being a good mechanic then swapping parts. Anybody can change pads or swap ball joints. Adjusting the valves on a bike is a cake walk, they are a straight conversion from shim to actual change in gap, not very hard. Where it gets tricky is *finding* the fault WITHOUT changing good parts and knowing what your course of action is will solve it. It has nothing to do with what you can or can not replace. I know guys who are not all that great with their hands who are some of the best mechanics I have ever seen because they can sit down with a shcematic or a TSM, figure the logic and the system and go out and KNOW what the problem is. That is what makes a mechanic.

The guy at Jeep whomakes the dealer pay is not getting it because he can do brakes or knows how to set up gears, any monkey can do that stuff. He gets paid because he knows how to find the problems.

[ChuckD]

I priced most of the bicycle parts and it does come out around $20, The thing is RE's is only $30, is RE's any good? Does it come with actual instructions?

[FatXJ]

You are the best! Thank you! I whole heartedly agree that I am a mechanic.

Hell I have to trouble shoot stuff without a fancy code reader scanner thingy and yes I have some problems but for the most part I can figure it out on my own. So tests aside I am a mechanic according to you.

Man to think you thought I wasn't a mechanic.:twak:

So your definition of a mechanic is somebody who can identify troubleshoot and fix a problem. Yet thousands of real mechanics like yourself everyday do routine maintenance and repairs which require nothing but a basic idea of what's wrong. Maybe you would like to think that a mechanic is bettter than simple stupid repairs but that's what the business is. The fact is most people can't do a brake job, rotate tires, change their oil, or even put air in their tires. It's a sad world we live in but you and I fill the same need which is repair. Sometimes we get the lucky "I don't know" response and we get to do real work but if my hunch is right you have a lot of "here this (insert part here) is broken, fix it."

I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say there are mechanics and there are good mechanics and the difference is huge between them. I can find a mechanic by opening the phone book but a good mechanic is harder to find especially these days.

The brake lever I was talking about should run between $5 and $30. The more expensive one being aluminum with fine adjustment of travel. The lower price model has 2 positions for the cable which allows it to be used for both styles of brakes. The shifter that you have was designed back in the 1980's and is no longer used so finding one is sometimes hard. So again the brake lever is just easier to find.

I have never seen anybody have to relocate the cable closer to the pivot point. I was just pointing out that you can do it to troubleshoot the WOT problem if it arises. I have seen at least five people use this method with no problems and I have never seen anybody use a shifter. So from my experience you're solution is less popular.

PS - I like to argue it is fun. I only argue if I think I have a strong point.

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by FatXJ
You are the best! Thank you! I whole heartedly agree that I am a mechanic.

Hell I have to trouble shoot stuff without a fancy code reader scanner thingy and yes I have some problems but for the most part I can figure it out on my own. So tests aside I am a mechanic according to you.

Man to think you thought I wasn't a mechanic.:twak:

So your definition of a mechanic is somebody who can identify troubleshoot and fix a problem. Yet thousands of real mechanics like yourself everyday do routine maintenance and repairs which require nothing but a basic idea of what's wrong. Maybe you would like to think that a mechanic is bettter than simple stupid repairs but that's what the business is. The fact is most people can't do a brake job, rotate tires, change their oil, or even put air in their tires. It's a sad world we live in but you and I fill the same need which is repair. Sometimes we get the lucky "I don't know" response and we get to do real work but if my hunch is right you have a lot of "here this (insert part here) is broken, fix it."

I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say there are mechanics and there are good mechanics and the difference is huge between them. I can find a mechanic by opening the phone book but a good mechanic is harder to find especially these days.

The brake lever I was talking about should run between $5 and $30. The more expensive one being aluminum with fine adjustment of travel. The lower price model has 2 positions for the cable which allows it to be used for both styles of brakes. The shifter that you have was designed back in the 1980's and is no longer used so finding one is sometimes hard. So again the brake lever is just easier to find.

I have never seen anybody have to relocate the cable closer to the pivot point. I was just pointing out that you can do it to troubleshoot the WOT problem if it arises. I have seen at least five people use this method with no problems and I have never seen anybody use a shifter. So from my experience you're solution is less popular.

PS - I like to argue it is fun. I only argue if I think I have a strong point.


To me a man who can not change his own oil is not much of a man. Parts changers a re just that, parts changers. So many stealership "mechanics can change brakes all day long but they could never do any serious trouble shooting if their life depended on it. They are not mechanics, they are HACKS. Yeah, the "real" mechanic has to do the bread and butter work but the whoel point is that he can do *more* if he needs to.

Every shop has at least one of those guys, he is the one who figures out the problems for all the other yokels to fix.

I have only seen one or two brake lever hand throttles, must be a regional thing. My way is better, chicks dig it more....I did a servey.

P.S. I hate to argue.

[ChuckD]

Well thanks for all the wonderful banter, I am truely impressed with both agruements. I AM NOT A MECHANIC, but I can diagnose my own Jeep. :D

Anyway, with that said, RE's Hand throttle, I think I read that somebody had it and liked it. Anymone else have any thoguhts on it?

BTW

Use the edit feature to fix your mispelled words, I do it all the time. ;)

[SyCo]

Wow, try to find input on hand throttles, and find an argument about what a "real" mechanic is, superb. Can we try to get back on topic please?

Seriously, take this nonsense to PMs or JU. And don't even dare to try to bring me into this debate either.

[calvin andrus]

I just bought the rubicon express hand throttle and it works great but all it is is bike parts, the where in packages that said like jone's bike accesories or something........for 30 bucks I got ripped off big time, cheap ass plastic stuff, just make it out of bike parts like others have said and save yourself some money.
-calvin

[ChuckD]

Thanks, I figured it was bike parts. Low quality, well off to the bike store, or maybe I'll just use the brake handle from my Mountain bike, I haven't rode that in ages. :)

[Bronco]

Man! You two are like a couple little girls. You should to be ashamed of your Bitchy selves.
That said, I’m thinking that a newer style Shimano sifter may work well, the kind that have a lever for up shifting and another for down. You wouldn’t get the smooth throttle control but it would eliminate over modulating it. Seems like what you lost in precision you would gain in control. I figure one click would give you X RPM’s with no load. Anyone ever tried it.
Also I spend three years working at a bike shop and we would always have a bunch of old stuff lying around that we would be fairly free about giving away or selling for almost nothing. I figure if you are buying the cable (and maybe drooling on some of their bikes) there is a good chance you could get them to throw in a used lever shifter.
For those of you who have used bike parts, how have you handled the difference between a bike handlebar and a Jeep stick shifter? I guess you could shim it all up, but that would look kinda ghetto-fabulous.

[ChuckD]

Has anyone thought od using some type of remote, like cut the end of a handlebar (or a piece of round tube), fashion the brake lever or shifter to it.

Also does the XJ have a high idle kick up when you turn on the AC or not?

Here I found one for $15, best of both worlds.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.asp?number=35031

[notorious DUG]

Originally posted by Bronco
Man! You two are like a couple little girls. You should to be ashamed of your Bitchy selves.
That said, I’m thinking that a newer style Shimano sifter may work well, the kind that have a lever for up shifting and another for down. You wouldn’t get the smooth throttle control but it would eliminate over modulating it. Seems like what you lost in precision you would gain in control. I figure one click would give you X RPM’s with no load. Anyone ever tried it.
Also I spend three years working at a bike shop and we would always have a bunch of old stuff lying around that we would be fairly free about giving away or selling for almost nothing. I figure if you are buying the cable (and maybe drooling on some of their bikes) there is a good chance you could get them to throw in a used lever shifter.
For those of you who have used bike parts, how have you handled the difference between a bike handlebar and a Jeep stick shifter? I guess you could shim it all up, but that would look kinda ghetto-fabulous.

You called me a bitch, I really don;t know if I should tell you how I delt with the shifter dia. problem......

Well, OK I will but just this once, be nice from now on.

I use either a rubber bushing with about the correct OD and drill the ID to fit my shifter or I wrap a thin strip of duct tape around the shifter till the OD is close. I only use a thin strip so none shows on either side of the clamp and it does not look completely ghetto.

The bushing looks nicer but is more work.

I belive RE uses the buxhing.

BTW, when did NAXJA become a bunch of on topic nazis?

facist pigs.

[Bronco]

Thanks for the info on the Bushings etc… Any other ideas?

[FatXJ]

Originally posted by XJCHUCK72
Has anyone thought od using some type of remote, like cut the end of a handlebar (or a piece of round tube), fashion the brake lever or shifter to it.

Also does the XJ have a high idle kick up when you turn on the AC or not?

Here I found one for $15, best of both worlds.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.asp?number=35031

You don't want that because it has a shifter built into the brake lever. Shitmano as I know it likes to do that so if either one fails you have to buy the whole unit. You could always cut the shifter off I guess. Your choice.

When your at the bike shop ask them for a rubber shim they should have lots of them.

[XJ_MAC]

This is a pic of the large hole electrical connector I placed behind the foot pedal throttle linkage and folded around and soldered to the end of the chain at the end of my hand throttle.

[XJ_MAC]

The other end of the chain at te end of the cable.

[XJ_MAC]

The entire hookup.

[XJ_MAC]

I wrapped the cable in tape to make it stay in the extra cable slot on the valve cover.

[macgyvr]

Originally posted by XJCHUCK72
Anyway, with that said, RE's Hand throttle, I think I read that somebody had it and liked it. Anymone else have any thoguhts on it?


I have RE's hand throttle. I bought it about three years ago when it was $20. Since that time a couple of Jeep guys I know have bought parts for about 6-10 bucks at a local bike shop.

And for the record, all I have even seen around here used locally were the gear change shifters that DUG posted a pic of, I know of no one using a brake thingy for a hand throttle.

mac 'only a mechanic when I stay at a holiday inn express the night before' gyvr