2WD/Syncro 4WD Front Linkage Rod

Front Rod and Accessories:

The front rod have been redesigned too.  It featured a stamped and formed front shift ear bracket, due to the technology used, no heat is built up in the forming process which would anneal the material and make it softer.  The kit includes new ABS plastic shifter ear tabs with the included epoxy and should make these almost indestructible.  The rear portion of the front rod is where it shines most.  The original front rod used a swaged spline section in conjunction with a yoke attached with a bicycle-esk clamp.  Where as the clamp was designed mostly for assembly from the factory for quick and fast attachment.  The problem lays in the fact these vehicles are getting older.  Transmissions have been replaced, shifters have worn components, rods have worn and new items have been added through out the years.  Anybody who has had to replace the bushings and adjust the shifter afterwards can tell you how much of a bear this can be.  The primary adjustment is done at the splines on the factory unit; the clamp the factory used actually relied on brute force to align these two parts by putting two dimples in among the splines to positively clamp.  If you wanted to rotate the shaft, these dimples make it hard to adjust without at least two people and excess foul language.  We have changed it up a bit by utilizing two collars around a solid section of stainless on a smooth bore to get the grip strength but not deal with the issues of the splines.  If you do the adjustment by yourself or give it to your mechanic, the new design will be greatly appreciated, with added ease and adjustability of the system.