Bending transmission tunnel—How to round sheet metal?

Longhorn84

Longhorn84

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
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Houston
Going from manual to automatic for my LS swap. Bought a new transmission tunnel from Genright to mount my floor shifter. Tunnel is straight sheet metal and I need to curve it to fit the TJ floor board. I'm not a metal worker. I was thinking of using ratchet straps around a home depot bucket? Or does anyone know if I can take it somewhere to bend for free? https://genright.com/products/transmission-tunnel-cover-plate-for-jeep-tj-lj.html
 
I don't have an answer unfortunately, have you gave Genright a call? Hopefully someone on here has done it and chimes in. Short of ratchet straps and buckets, or just beating it to match the form with a hammer, I'd be interested myself.
I'll be following.
 
Longhorn84 said:
Going from manual to automatic for my LS swap. Bought a new transmission tunnel from Genright to mount my floor shifter. Tunnel is straight sheet metal and I need to curve it to fit the TJ floor board. I'm not a metal worker. I was thinking of using ratchet straps around a home depot bucket? Or does anyone know if I can take it somewhere to bend for free? https://genright.com/products/transmission-tunnel-cover-plate-for-jeep-tj-lj.html
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just go look for an HVAC shop that makes its own duct , and talk to the shop guy . im sure they would help you out . cant hurt to ask .
 
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How thick is the material? Being that it is aluminum you should be able to hand form it pretty easy, could you bolt down the middle and push the ends down to suit? I imagine that it would be hard for a metal shop to form it without knowing the bend radius and other details.
 
Finally a job your fat and lazy brother in law can handle! Just don't call him 'bucket' anymore. He doesn't like it. Its "Kenneth".😁
 
TDI Sahara said:
...could you bolt down the middle and push the ends down to suit? .
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After seeing it I was thinking just start at one end and work your way to the other end. Either way should work fine.

Now I'm thinking about getting this to replace the piece of aluminum siding that was used on my fiberglass CJ even though it has a pretty flat floor with a couple nice crisp angled folds used to raise the "tunnel".
 
TDI Sahara said:
How thick is the material? Being that it is aluminum you should be able to hand form it pretty easy, could you bolt down the middle and push the ends down to suit? I imagine that it would be hard for a metal shop to form it without knowing the bend radius and other details.
Click to expand...
Thickness is 1/16". I just called genright and they suggested what TDI Sahara said, just start either in the middle or on one side and bend it into place. I'm working from home during the craziness and trying to stay out of the garage until quitting time but this is one of the last things staying between me and a test drive as driveshafts came in yesterday!
 
So far so good, only one hole doesn’t line up and I cut the piece that goes over the tcase shifter

7B05BF8C-1BF2-4D9B-A49D-F3FD04ABCA9B.jpeg
 
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What's your final product look like with the GenRight cover and the Lokar shifter? I'll need to do the same thing. I purchased the Lokar shifter as well.
 
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How far off is that final hole? Can you loosen up all your other bolts a bit and shift it into place?
 
Final hole was in line, I think I just couldn't find the screw when I took the pic, I looked back at my videos and all screws are in. EDIT: I re-drilled a new hole for the last screw. Here's how it looks, the Lokar doesn't shift great out of park, maybe B&M or something else would be smoother, somebody even makes an electronic shifter if you want to be a true baller (its pricey!).

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IMG_2571.jpg
 
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Longhorn84 said:
Final hole was in line, I think I just couldn't find the screw when I took the pic, I looked back at my videos and all screws are in. EDIT: I re-drilled a new hole for the last screw. Here's how it looks, the Lokar doesn't shift great out of park, maybe B&M or something else would be smoother, somebody even makes an electronic shifter if you want to be a true baller (its pricey!).
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Thanks for the response. I think it looks great. But, I've heard Lokar is not the best which is unfortunate. I think they make the best "looking" product. I wonder if the linkage is the problem. I did have them send me a cable linkage instead of the rod linkage that comes standard with the shifter.

What is the electronic shifter you mentioned? I'd like to look into that. I've seen the B&M and the Art-Carr/Winters shifters. I just don't like the look of those.
 
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Can't find the electronic shifter now, maybe it was for a different trans. Park/Neutral switch was stock 4l60e and hooked up to the stock harness.
 
I just got the GenRight Trans Cover for the TJ. It also covers the transfer case linkage opening. Did you just trace the opening and cut it out? I see you are using the stock tcase shifter.
 
JeepTed said:
I just got the GenRight Trans Cover for the TJ. It also covers the transfer case linkage opening. Did you just trace the opening and cut it out? I see you are using the stock tcase shifter.
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Yes, I think I just eyeballed it since the tcase shifter doesn't allow you to lay it down flat and trace, it ended up being close enough and slide under the tcase mount slightly.
 
I have another question about the Lokar shifter:
Are you using the the threaded rod linkage or a cable linkage? You mentioned it's not great coming out of park. If it's the rod linkage, what is the angle like from the shifter to the transmission connection?
I am working on getting it connected, but I am using a cable linkage and it's a bear to get right. I wonder if the rod linkage would be better. Thanks.
 
JeepTed said:
I have another question about the Lokar shifter:
Are you using the the threaded rod linkage or a cable linkage? You mentioned it's not great coming out of park. If it's the rod linkage, what is the angle like from the shifter to the transmission connection?
I am working on getting it connected, but I am using a cable linkage and it's a bear to get right. I wonder if the rod linkage would be better. Thanks.
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I used the linkage but I bought longer linkage to try and fix the shift from park but it didn’t make a difference. There was no way threaded rod was going to work with the angles so I gave up on that idea. The shift from park is manageable but not smooth.
 
Longhorn84 said:
I used the linkage but I bought longer linkage to try and fix the shift from park but it didn’t make a difference. There was no way threaded rod was going to work with the angles so I gave up on that idea. The shift from park is manageable but not smooth.
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Gotcha. Any chance you have pics of how you ran the cable? Did you go around/behind the transfer case?

I'm also running cable linkage for the transfer case. With that, all the wiring, the driveshaft, and the bracketry, I'm finding it difficult to get the Lokar cable linkage to route properly. My cable is 4 ft. But, I think I need 5 or 6 ft to go around the TC.

Thanks
 
JeepTed said:
Gotcha. Any chance you have pics of how you ran the cable? Did you go around/behind the transfer case?

I'm also running cable linkage for the transfer case. With that, all the wiring, the driveshaft, and the bracketry, I'm finding it difficult to get the Lokar cable linkage to route properly. My cable is 4 ft. But, I think I need 5 or 6 ft to go around the TC.

Thanks
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I had the same problem, reached out to novak and they said it’s rare it doesn’t fit, I don’t see how that’s true. I bought the longer cable from summit but before that I had a funky bend in front of tcase, after the longer one I went behind the tcase.
 
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