R1 lever on a R2

85_Ranger4x4 · Mar 30, 2017

Putting a M5ODR2 in and of course the F-150 lever is way too long (probably a foot longer than the floor shift that is in the truck now) The thing is also really fat which nixes my plan of bending and cutting it down.

Will a Ranger lever fit on the R2?

Fit ok otherwise too?

Anyone tried a chrome FX4 shifter in a older Ranger?

Mac · Mar 30, 2017

I don't know if Ranger lever fit on R2 but the FX4 lever will not fit on earlier trans. Just swapping my FX4 to a Hurst and found this while looking for other info. Shift stubs are different, see picture in link https://www.google.com/search?q=m5odr1+stub+shaft&tbm=isch&imgil=KQ_8O0TZ5hZ2-M%3A%3BgabuXOtfhqwDCM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.therangerstation.com%252FMagazine%252FJanuary2011%252FM5OD-R1HD_swap.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=KQ_8O0TZ5hZ2-M%3A%2CgabuXOtfhqwDCM%2C_&usg=__e0KO00ZtaW2m0cYHfMmCGeMU82g=&biw=1168&bih=740&dpr=1.25&ved=0ahUKEwjYpbrmt__SAhWI8oMKHZVKCpAQyjcIJQ&ei=8pvdWNjkFIjljwSVlamACQ#imgrc=KQ_8O0TZ5hZ2-M:&spf=1
Dave

85_Ranger4x4 · Mar 30, 2017

My R2 is out of an '04 F-150 heritage, for a V6 F-150 they don't come any newer.

Meanwhile I see the FX4 lever has the bolt going across the back, mine is on the drivers side like I am guessing the older Rangers are. :temper:

Nathen cut and turned the shifter mounting point which would be fairly easy to do too, its all going to be under the boot anyway.

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/January2011/M5OD-R1HD_swap.htm

Now to find a deal homeless FX4 lever...

85_Ranger4x4 · Apr 1, 2017

The normal R1's I found in the JY have the cam bolt on the passenger side.

R1HD has the cam bolt across the back.

R2 has the cam bolt on the drivers side completely opposite of the lesser R1.

And somehow I bumped into a twin stick FX4 LVII at the JY that still had the sticks in it. :yahoo:

Stub shafts coming out of the trans is the same size so no worries there. Aside from the cam bolt location and a locating pin I need to tap out it fits the stub shaft the same as the R2 lever.

I initially thought about cutting the end off and welding it like how I wanted it. Then I came up with the idea of just having a machine shop put another flat in the stub shaft. :icon_idea:

If anyone needs it I did find these part numbers:

FX4 arm: 1L5Z7210BC

Shift ball: 1L5Z7213AA.

85_Ranger4x4 · Apr 10, 2017

Never saw a side by side of the shifter stubs, if I had known they would only charge 4 bucks for the stub and I had more time I would have nabbed a non HD one too, I will update the pic if I get one.

There are alignment pins in the shifter that go into the grooves. My R2 shifter didn't have one but my FX4 R1HD shifter did, easily tapped out. With the wedge bolt I don't see them being that critical, probably more for ease of assembly.

bobbywalter · Apr 10, 2017

round here its a minute and a half with a grinder to keep the ranger unit. or cut and mod the 150 unit.

85_Ranger4x4 · Apr 11, 2017

The R2 lever I got with the trans was about 1.5" thick for about as long as the Ranger lever needs to be. That combined with the fact that at least part of it has a plastic insert inside (I suppose for noise/vibration dampening and I have no idea how far up in there it goes) makes it hard to cut it down and/or reshape it to fit in a Ranger.

And no matter what I intend to make the chrome FX4 levers work. :icon_thumby:

I thought about grinding the flats and I might yet, the angle is going to be touchy though because if you are off a little bit your shifter is way over there now. If I had access to the table grinders we had in college it be sweet. I know a guy with a mill, I was going to have him take a look at it when I get to that point.

I am not going to modify anything until I get the trans in the truck in case I do need to tweak things from the stock angle. After I get the trans in I am doing the D35 swap so it will be a dead horse for awhile anyway until that and the driveshafts are done.

Until Mac got me pointed in the right direction (that the wedge bolt orientation can vary) I found little to nothing about how a R1 lever interacts with a R2 trans and if the stub shafts can be swapped which is why I am documenting it on here for the next guy. :icon_thumby:

Ranger lever is nice and short and goes straight back:

Here you can see the odd angle for the R2 lever too, it kicks it over farther to the drivers side since in a F-150 the drivers seat is farther to the left from the transmission. I am pretty sure it would take more work to make this one fit than a Ranger lever.

R1 lever on a R2

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member

Mac

Well-Known Member

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member

bobbywalter

TRS Technical Staff

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Members online

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Latest posts

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

Latest Album Photos

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals