I'm struggling to decide if I should buy the Westfield linkage at around £200 or make my own for under half.

The WF one would require moving some wiring as the first builder stuck it right in the way of where the bell crank would go. But not really a difficult job to do.

If I was to make my own, which shouldn't be difficult at all, would 8mm rose joints and 8mm aluminium rod (with threaded ends) be suitable? Or is there a risk that 8mm ally won't be strong enough and will bend?

The WF setup is supposed to be really slick, but the thought of £200 just on a linkage is troubling me.....

id always say make it myself, but YOMD. £200 sounds well over the top. The forces on the system are minimal, you could pick very small roses and it would be fine.

I used M8 ball joints (Ford jobbies and much cheaper than rose joints) and 8mm steel rod - probably a little ott but at least they don't flex - a nice positive action.

[Edited on 28-5-06 by RazMan]

M5 females and a cable from tuthill controls, would cost 1/2 of the wesfield kit.

I can supply if necessary.

My setup cost about £80 for the paddle and rod ends.

4 male, 4 female M8 rod ends some M8 threaded bar and a hand full of bolts.

I solved my previous problems and its silky smooth now.

I thought 10 of these in female M8 at £30 would be ideal and give me some spares for something else.

Link

Then some of this.
Linky

Cable change would no doubt be better given the space to work in. Any supplier URLs and hints what would be needed?

The hardest part will be getting a nice stable lever mounted and pivoting well, for either solution.

Thats where i got my rose joints from!

quote:

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M5 females and a cable

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Description

Dave: You got any pics of the other end too?
Where did you get your cable from, part number, price?

ta
Chris

Just been planning the route/lengths.
I don't think 8mm ally will keep its straightness over the first length which has to be around 1m from lever to engine bay.

6mm stainless hasn't got a hope either so I'm thinking about some 12mm thin walled tube with nuts welded on each end to connect to.

This will give strength without too much weight although not as subtle a solution as I would have liked.

Which would be stiffer, 8mm ally or 6mm stainless?

Or should I really go with a cable solution?

Would appreciate some pics of peoples gear lever and engine ends plz.

ta
Chris

The 8mm stainless bar i have, while having some flex, dosnt seem to affect the feel of it

OX used the shaft from a carbon fibre golf club and bonded in the rod ends

- looks the business and is nice and light too.

8mm threaded bar with 8mm sleeve from B&Q

Thats exactly what I used.

Made a nice mounting plate for the gear lever out of some ally I had knocking about and drawn up some sketches for the rods/rose joints.

Are rose joints OK to run side/side (2 side supports and one in the middle) or should I have the little insert thingy's to do that? Can't see any harm as long as I use a washer on each outside end so the bores aren't locked together.

I'm guessing you can't join 2 side by side as there would be quite a bit of play with each joint turning in the rose before they locked and the rods moved?

If it all goes to plan, at least the direction of change is corrected over the Westfield design, where forwards = change up. That's presuming I do actually know where 1st is on this box. Anticlockwise when looking from the propshaft end?

Just need to wait for all the bits to arrive

Bit links in case ne1 is interested:

Stainless rod for horizontal long lengths
Aluminium rod for short and vertical runs
Aluminium bar for lever onto gear selector and also as gear stick
M8 male and female rose joints

[Edited on 29/5/06 by the_fbi]

Just to clarify the question hidden above.

If you have 2 rose joints side by side, running at 90 degrees to each other (input/output at 90 degrees) with a bolt through their bores (and a washer) will there be any play/slack between the input and ouput?

There will be won't there. Time for a slight change of plan.....

Yep their will be as much movment as the bearing turns until it is locked by nut/bolt hitting the shell.

I used the windscreen wiper mechanism from a Leyland National bus. Lots of nice rosejoints and aluminium connecting rods. Cost less than a tenner!