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Novak SHifter Q's

Kejtar

PostMaster General
NAXJA Member
OK, if you got the Novak Shifter for the 231 which holes did you use (counting from the top on the lever bracket and counting from the tcase end on the tcase bracket). Also please specify if it was an aw4 or ax15 install.
Thanks
Remi
 
OK, I'm still searching for the best way to set this up. Looks like first hole from tcase end and 3rd from the top might be a winner, but I'll have to bend the shifter stalk in all weird angles, so if anyone has any better suggestions/starting points I'm all for it.
 
On mine I installed the front rail (4 hole jobby) in the bottom hole. The back one on mine only has 2 holes make sure it is installed down, so the allthread rod is almost horizontal. I had to heat and bend my shift rod in two spots.
'97 Ax-15 w/231
 
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Fenris said:
On mine I installed the front rail (4 hole jobby) in the bottom hole. On the back one make sure it is installed down, so the allthread rod is almost horizontal.
so you went with the hole furthest away from the tcase and used the bottom hole in the bracket? How weird of a bend did you have to make in the shifter rod in order for that to come out semi normal?
 
I don't remember which holes I used, it is at home an hour and a half away. But I do remember that I bent my shifter in a somewhat elongated z shape. The best way to do it would be to bend a little at a time and keep fitting it till you get the shifter where you want it. I did not heat mine up. I just stuck it in my clevis mounts on my bumper and put a pull bar on the end and cranked on it. It is mild steel and will bend. This makes fittiment faster. I liked mine sticking up pretty high. Good luck.
DSCN0751.JPG
 
Just went and looked, heres what I got;
Tranny bracket has 3 holes, I'm in the first hole closet to the tranny, this bracket is the top horizontal bracket
Bottom hole of the 4 hole unit
shift bracket for the transfer case is a two no adjustment braket
The all thread that connects the last 2 brackets has to be horizontal or it binds.
Yep had to heat and bend the shift rod, twice. Use the coat hanger trick for a template.
Had to do a minor cut and bend on the tranny tunnel sheet metal were the shifter enters the cabin.
 
OK, for any future searchers with the ax15 and the 231 I ended up using the hole closest to the tcase and the third hole (counting from the top) on the lever bracket. Now after some really CREATIVE bending (I think I got 4 bends total) I got the shifter clearing through the hole and fitting within the opening left by the original 4x4 lever.
Now all I need to do is find me a damn rubber boot for it cause the noise is terrible!!!!! And to top it all of I think my drivers side front speaker is going out :(
 
thats cool, where do you get these shifters?....oops, never mind, seached.
 
mack said:
thats cool, where do you get these shifters?....oops, never mind, seached.
Even though they are not cheap for all that they include and they are a PITA to adjust (figuring out what range of motion you want and so on is kind of tedious and time consuming) I would do it again :D I had to run a few errand so I was without a front driveshaft which means I could go to 4L and I have to say that the smooth shifting action ROCKED!
 
I love my shift. It is amazing. Once you go Novak, you never go back. One drawback is as stated: no boot. I need to put mine in to "try" and keep mud and dirt outta the carpet.
 
With regards to the hole in the floor, what did you guy end up doing? I’m thinking about using a shift boot from a Durango t-case. I’m thinking I will cut all the stuff with the joint out of the stock assembly so that I’m left with just the rim that bolts down and try to get the boot clamped down under it and then just cut the plastic around the center consol as needed to clear all of it. If the Durango one won’t work (rubber accordion style) I’ll just go with a leather cone style one. They are available in 400 styles on ebay.
 
I found a rubber acordian style one from a local parts store that comes with a cheezy crome ring put screws through and keep it to the floor. I think it is going to be a bigger pia to put it there, so I would go with the leather ones like you are talking about. :D
 
Did you guys have to elongate the hole in the floor at all? I just looked at the Durango again and it’s not an accordion style. It is just a big long cone shape. I think it may work nicely.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
 
Bronco said:
Did you guys have to elongate the hole in the floor at all? I just looked at the Durango again and it’s not an accordion style. It is just a big long cone shape. I think it may work nicely.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Nope, I just bent it to make it work. To cover the hole I used a piece of flat rubber: it's semi soft, semi rigid. I opened it throug the center and overlapped it so that when you shift it it splits it open in front and it closes behind.
 
Kejtar said:
I opened it throug the center and overlapped it so that when you shift it it splits it open in front and it closes behind.
So then did you remove the indicator area of the center consol or just leave it and keep the fuzzy slot thing.
Anyone have any pics of their cain?
 
Bronco said:
So then did you remove the indicator area of the center consol or just leave it and keep the fuzzy slot thing.
Anyone have any pics of their cain?
The console area is left alone and that fuzzy thing is still there. Btw, you will have to remove the metal "bucket" the z-gate shifter operates in.
 
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I got my kit in the mail today and it looks sweet. Unfortunately I got a defective part. The clamp for the cane is bent wrong so that it will not grip the cane. I called Novak and made them aware of the problem. They confirmed that they had a bad batch and offered to send me a new one but it would be a few weeks. They suggested that I shim it with a piece of rubber tube or metal shim. At this point I’m just going to make it work. Kinda a burn though.
I’ve got the bucket out and the center consol out so its just a matter of putting it all in.
 
Man! Now the T-case bracket wont clear a big boss on the piece between my transmission to T-case. I guess I’m going to have to grind out a big chunk to make it work. It looks like the boss is there as part of some kind of a t-case linkage. I’m not sure what my tranny came from but I think it’s an XJ. The funny thing is that all the pics Novak have on the wed show a bracket that is a markedly different shape, and looks like it has clearance for this boss. This thing has been kinda a disappointment so far. I’m sure it will be nice when I get it rigged to work.
 
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