So a guy in my night fab class brought in a bucket of ball bearings from his mill they can't use anymore. One microscopic imperfection and they're out...

So I took the liberty of making some things...

I think the large ones are 2.25in diameter ball bearings and the smaller ones are 1.5in diameter or 1.75in diameter ball bearings... Welded a 3/8NC16 nut on the back with TIG and stainless steel filler rod and brushed them up...

You can't scratch these. I took my wire brush to them and didn't make a mark. HIGH STRENGTH STEEL. My original plan was to drill and tap them, but after going through 4 center punches for the holes, the ***** just rounded the punches. Didn't want to spend $50 on bits just to drill the holes to take the chance with the taps of breaking them off inside the holes. So the instructor said just weld a nut on the back side of them.

Here's the ones I made today:





This one turned out pretty cool with the heat input of the TIG:



And here's what they look like on the Hurst and in the truck:





Shane is going to try one fo them out also this weekend for more input on how they feel with the Hurst and what not... Possible sale of like $20 plus shipping.

 

Cool man, I like the raw steel look.

 

damn sweet

 

The stock Hurst ball is plastic right? If it is than these should be a DEFINITE improvement since they are so much heavier. For shift *****, the heavier the better. The added weight really helps it go into gear much smoother.

 

Yeah it's a plastic shift ball the Hurst comes with... These are fun with the Hurst too! Really just slides into gear. The stock Hurst ball is like 6oz or so... These shift ***** are like at least 1.5lbs. lol

 

That is a great idea. Could you engrave them or is the steel to hard?

 

Probably if you sandblasted them

 

Not possible without a carbide bit. I thought about having the shift pattern engraved in it, but I'd have to take them in and have it etched.

It's easily sanded and grinded... But as far as piercing... not happenin. Sandblasting is useless!

 

Damn, man nice job, goes great with your interior too

 

We'll see how I like it when I put one on my shifter this weekend!

 

I like my level II *****, but that is a damn good idea dude!

 

very sweet.

Could laser etch them! But I like it raw like that.

I am not sure how you plan to put it on a manual tcase shifter, those are not threaded. guess you could thread it though.

 

Tre got this link last night on aim...sorry had a friend over and we were watching the fast and the furious! Lol, awesome movie...

I think I'd like these if you could get titanium *****! I'd be all over that mang. Ti to go with my military/stealth/skunkwerks ranger build i'm going for....so keep a look out for Ti *****,

 

hows the real world use going? My mach 1 has an aluminum ball and that thing can burn the hand after the car sits in the sun.

 

sweet. good thinkin. looks good

 

thats what i am thinking but alum is a better conductor of heat

 

nice i want one send me one

 

i might get one. how many you selling?

 

True. Aluminum has a heat conductivity of something like 230 W/(K-m), whereas steel (not sure about the high strength steel Tre is using...something with higher carbon probably??) is something like 45 W/(K-m). I believe these are for pure forms of aluminum so actually numbers will be off. So aluminum absorbs heat something like 5times faster than steel. (but its early in the morning so i might be off here with the numbers). So I'd say go for steel *****! lol...

 

The FX4 shifters are... lol. That was my attempt at being a smarty pants. lol.

You're probably running one of the 97 and older style shifter arm on that tcase. Fx4's are very similar, but the chrome are actually bolts to a bracket that then goes down to the linkage....alot like how a hurst arm bolts to the hurst pivot shifter ball.

 

Yup my t-case lever is threaded.

 

I might consider one, but in the winter when its -15 out it might get a little cold. I know the plastic Hurst one gets cold.

 

hm, may be intrested, wanna trade one for getting one powdercoated when i get my gun and oven setup?

 

Hmm.. I wonder if Trepaul dips. I think I saw several clues in these pics.

If I had a manual, id definately buy one, the price is great and they look sweet!

 

looks nice, id want to wear gloves in the winter though. imagine getting in with wet hands and grabbing a ice-cold steel ball! you could put a sock over it though i guess. ive got 2 extra shift ***** besides the stock hurst ball, one is a stock shift ball from a old IH grain truck, the other is a wood ball i picked up at a craft section of hobby lobby. i always seem to go back to the hurst ****. i made a t-handle for mine out of a scrap piece of pipe but never really cared for it. ive got a huge steel ball (3") that has threads in it, ive nevr tried it due to worries about that much weight on the end of the lever. id need a adaptor of some sort, the threaded hole is like 12mm.