The Shiftsters™ are finally here......

[RickyB]

Hey folks, just wanted to debut our new product to you all, The Shiftster 1™. The S-1 will finally be available for purchase next week. All FSB members can get the Shiftster 1™ shipped to their house for the introductory offer of just $58.00.





Here's the website (that's still under construction, so please excuse the mess) for those of you who might be interested;


http://theshiftster.com/

And feel free to ask us any questions either here or at;


shiftster1@gmail.com

Here's a few extra pics of The Shiftster 1.












Thank you,

Ricky B

Ricky B Designs



The Shiftster™, Shiftster 1™ and Shiftster 2™ are both patent pending and trade marks owned solely by Ricky B Designs™.

All photos of the Shiftsters are the property of Ricky B Designs.

Bronco photos courtesy of Bigski6.

Web design courtesy of Maxson.

All rights reserved, 2009.

[Dustball]

Interesting idea- good to keep with you as a trail repair part. You may want to put in bold type somewhere that crawling under the truck is required to shift the t-case. It is not accessable from inside the truck or from the side of the truck. This would reduce any headaches from customers who have the wrong idea about this.

[RickyB]

Originally Posted by Dustball

Interesting idea- good to keep with you as a trail repair part. You may want to put in bold type somewhere that crawling under the truck is required to shift the t-case. It is not accessable from inside the truck or from the side of the truck. This would reduce any headaches from customers who have the wrong idea about this.

Thanx DB, and I'm working on that as we speak. Everything is taking off very quick on these 2 goodies so I'm juggling seven plates and a midget right now.

(Btw, I'll get some of the Shiftster 2 pics up soon. That's the one that mounts in and shifts from the cab-----no need to reach under your truck)

Ricky

[RickyB]

.

[ToddACimer]

The website could use some improvement but the product looks like it would work if setup properly. I would like to see better pics of the engagement mechanism for the floor shifter. The pain in the ass method of shifting under the truck is pretty bullet proof if you can actually reach the t-case.

[jopes]

how does the cab mounted one take into account for the drivetrain movement?

[ToddACimer]

Originally Posted by jopes

how does the cab mounted one take into account for the drivetrain movement?

I wasn't even worried about drivetrain movement, which we all know is a major issue with these trucks (at least 1" of twist at the t-case with perfect motor mounts) but more importantly how does the shifter allow for positive engagement of the pin mechanism that is used to "lock" the t-case in gear. From what I can tell the shifter shifts forward and back while "attempting" to rotate the shift mechanism on the backside of the tcase

[Joes93Bronco]

and why not design it to be in the stock location by the tranny cover? cause it rotates?

[ToddACimer]

Originally Posted by Joes93Bronco

and why not design it to be in the stock location by the tranny cover? cause it rotates?

for all intensive purposes a lever arm could be mounted on the shitster1 and shift the tcase perfect every time, granted this design would be bullet proof and require removal of the center console and help from a back seat driver. $210 seems like a lot for a product that obviously has very little R&D and even less practicality

[Cucamongan]

[Need4racin]

You should etch on the handle which way to turn it.

[90bronco351]

looks chincy, wouldnt a manual tcase swap make more sense?

[Robs79BBbronco]

i think the product could be useful.....just the name is gay.

[Worn Out F150]

I like the out of the way location of The Shiftster 2's shift lever.

[Dave's Bronc 90]

Originally Posted by ToddACimer

for all intensive purposes a lever arm could be mounted on the shitster1 and shift the tcase perfect every time, granted this design would be bullet proof and require removal of the center console and help from a back seat driver. $210 seems like a lot for a product that obviously has very little R&D and even less practicality

I think that may be a little harsh.

Originally Posted by 90bronco351

looks chincy, wouldnt a manual tcase swap make more sense?

Well of course it would, but everybody doesn't want to go that route. Some guys don't have the tools, time, or inclination to go to all of the trouble associated with a manual t-case swap. I'm not saying that the manual swap is extraordinarily hard, but it's not exactly quick to do either. Some aspects of it just blow, like removing that glued in cover plate from the floor board, and trying to find not only a shifter, but a trim ring and boot that is in decent shape so the cab of your truck doesn't look terrible. The Shiftster 1 looks like it can be installed very quickly and looks to me like it would be a very acceptable compromise for a lot of guys, and at $57 it is down right cheap. Think about it; if you're a guy who only occasionally uses his 4WD this can be a great solution to your electric t-case engagement issues. It's not like you HAVE to crawl under the truck to keep the front wheels from driving, you can just unlock the hubs. Good job Ricky for coming up with an innovative new product for us.

[Redwagon]

1 problem i see is after a few mud runs the shift pulley set up is most likely going to jamb up with crud.

[InfoFord]

I would be concerned about that bicycle chain and water turning it into a rusty solid shaft

little rock rubbing should take care of the shift lever bracket real nice

I like the shiftster 1 as a trail repair method though it would make life more tolerable in the field

[RickyB]

Wow Gentlemen, thank you very much-----good criticism, critiques, comments and questions. Which is exactly why I chose to debut them here at FSB first, because I trust your judgements.

So let me see what I can reply and answer in no particular order;

1). The S-1 does indeed require you to reach under the truck to rototate the knob to select another gear range. Fortunately it's location is far to the left of center so it's a bit less than an arms reach away. I've been using mine for a few months now and can operate it with my right hand while my left hand is hanging on to the door sill. As can my 17 year old daughter. Takes less than 10 seconds.

2). Yeah, the name might be just a bit to the left of gay. But names can be changed.

3). Like I warned y'all at first, the web site is still under construction.

4). Installing a lever to the S-1 and then running it up into the cab (behind the drivers seat) via a cut-out and rubber boot doesn't work because the t-case shaft requires a full 270 degree turn to go from 2H to 4L.

5). Now as far as the S-2 goes, this is my working prototype and hence it is not yet totally refined. As for the estimated pricing of $199---$210, that's still up in the air. But I can tell you that despite the fact it may look chintzy it's really quite stout and heavy. In fact all the components weigh about 6 pounds at the moment and will get only heavier because the large mounting plate will be 1/4" thick steel instead of the 1/8" thick one that you see now.

6). And just as an fyi, there's a bit more to the S-2 than meets the eye---a lot of custom machined metal parts, figuring out the right geometry, and a lot of thought and research in this. Plus machine shops and water jets do not come cheap these days.

7). As far as rock crawling goes, that could be problematic for some of you guys----though if you put a straight edge right now between the bottom door sill and the bottom of the frame rail, the S-2 is still and inch or so above that imaginery line. And obviously a lot higher than the bottom of the t-case. Maybe one of you guys could sketch up a good design someday for a 'crash bar/roll cage' thing to protect it?

8). The flex and twist of the engine-t-case vis-a-vis the body is addressed by the use of the motorcycle brake shift cables. There's plenty of room for movement designed in it.

9). I agree about the exposed chain (plus this one you're seeing is basic steel---though NOT a whimpy bicycle chain) perhaps getting mucked up and/or rusty after a beach run or mud bog. So I'd suggest a good high-pressure wash with a garden hose afterwards. I'm also looking at using a stainless steel chain.

10). I chose on purpose(and personally much rather like) the location of the shift handle where it is, since it's nicely out of the way and frees up floor room around the tranny hump. But I'm working on a slightly different layout/version for an S-2 that would mount where the stock original floor shifter would have.

11). As far as a rotating the t-case shaft with the S-2 and keeping it locked in place, that was actually the biggest obstacle to overcome. So there's a positive lock/catch/detent mechanism incorporated in the design to keep the shaft in the proper location, and not unintentionally slip out of gear.


Anyways, thanx again Gents. I really do appreciate your input.........


RB

[chexmix]

Originally Posted by RickyB

Wow Gentlemen, thank you very much-----good criticism, critiques, comments and questions. Which is exactly why I chose to debut them here at FSB first, because I trust your judgements.

I love the S1, brilliantly simple. I'm with you, if your out locking your hubs, you can simply reach under and lock in 4wd too. I'd love to see an engraving on the plate below so an untrained user would know where to shift it. The S2 I'm worried about gravel and junk jamming it.

Now you never asked for future product recommendations, but I'll give it to you anyways:

You seem pretty handy with the machining... take the S1 and mount it in the cab on the floor (like the old dump truck hydraulics). How? Flexible rotating shaft. S1 handle mounted on cab floor, under it though the tub is a shielded flexible rotating shafting the simply snakes down to the t-case. Users with auto hubs don't even have to get out and there is nothing exposed to the elements. Boom! The S3. It's yours, happy birthday! Best of luck, your off to a great start!

[JKossarides]

Wow what an incredible idea, pure genius IMO at a great price, practical and looks really cool too ~

Way to go Brother ~