Savvy or Novak transfer case cable shifter without body lift?

Squatch

Squatch

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I was curious to know if anyone has ever installed the Novak or Savvy TC cable shifter without having a body lift, MML, or having done a TC drop. That is to say, has anyone installed a cable shifter for no other reason than they felt it was a better way to go over the factory linkage? Will the necessary brackets even fit without a body lift? I would think so, but I don't know for certain. Requesting input from the masses... ;)
 
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Yes. I installed it without either on my old Rubicon (before I did all the other stuff). Everything fits just fine without a body lift.

Even on a completely stock TJ, it's a highly recommend upgrade, just because you can finally shift without everything binding up! The factory design is pitiful at best.
 
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Chris said:
Yes. I installed it without either on my old Rubicon (before I did all the other stuff). Everything fits just fine without a body lift.

Even on a completely stock TJ, it's a highly recommend upgrade, just because you can finally shift without everything binding up! The factory design is pitiful at best.
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Cool. Thanks for the quick response, @Chris. I just wasn't sure if making the switch without those other conditions was even a thing, or not.
 
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Put a Savvy on my '03 X, due to crappy shifting with the oem setup. Stock except for lift springs. No other mods. I installed mine without removing the skid, just took my time.
 
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Squatch said:
Cool. Thanks for the quick response, @Chris. I just wasn't sure if making the switch without those other conditions was even a thing, or not.
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Yep, and it’s worth it too! When you look at how that stock shifter linkage works and then compare it to the smooth operation of the cable. You’ll just shake your head in disbelief at the stock setup.

I put mine on without removing the skid like @glwood, but it would have been a lot easier without the skid, that’s for sure.
 
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@Chris , simple question. What are the advantages of the Savvy or Novak shifter? I see people replace them with tummy tucks and skids. What is the binding up you are referencing? Thanks.
 
dieselvrr said:
@Chris , simple question. What are the advantages of the Savvy or Novak shifter? I see people replace them with tummy tucks and skids. What is the binding up you are referencing? Thanks.
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It’s operation is smoother. You may not mind the stock, but if you ever intend to do a BL it causes the stock linkage to distort and bind. The cable is the way they should have been made from the factory. Imagine a road bike with a steel linkage set up for brakes. That’s something like the design. Works mediocre
 
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JMT said:
It’s operation is smoother. You may not mind the stock, but if you ever intend to do a BL it causes the stock linkage to distort and bind. The cable is the way they should have been made from the factory. Imagine a road bike with a steel linkage set up for brakes. That’s something like the design. Works mediocre
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Ah, I see. I dont have a BL right now so I guess that's why I dont mind the stock. Makes sense, thanks.
 
I never had an issue with my stock linkage. When I finally did the savvy tummy tuck I installed the savvy cable shifter that came with it. Wow, what a difference. Its very very smooth and quiet. I can grab it with my finger and put it in 4hi/low.
 
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I was having problems with mine until a couple of days ago. 2hi to 4hi and back were ok. 4lo was a fight. I took it to my shop and was intending on trying to adjust it as I didn't like the idea of spending over $150 on a new shift mechanism and was thinking about making a new one myself out of some adjustable linkage pieces (still might).

Keep in mind that my last Jeep was a '80 CJ5 with a Dana 300. So, I've been going back and forth in the grass in front of the shop, shifting the t/c while just creeping along in gear. This thing is fighting me enough that I was starting to worry about bending something. I put the transmission in neutral with the engine idling just sitting there. Without thinking, I pushed the clutch in and the t/c case shifted almost without effort. So I shifted back and forth a few minutes and it was working great. I took it up in the field behind the house, went all through all the t/c positions and in and out of 4lo is working great just so long as I'm at a stop with the trans is in Neutral and the clutch is in. Just like my old Jeep with the D300. As it's working great like this, I'm thinking to just leave well enough alone.
 
dieselvrr said:
Ah, I see. I dont have a BL right now so I guess that's why I dont mind the stock. Makes sense, thanks.
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Even without a body lift, you’ll notice how much smoother the Savvy unit is. It’s a night and day difference.
 
Squatch said:
I was curious to know if anyone has ever installed the Novak or Savvy TC cable shifter without having a body lift, MML, or having done a TC drop. That is to say, has anyone installed a cable shifter for no other reason than they felt it was a better way to go over the factory linkage? Will the necessary brackets even fit without a body lift? I would think so, but I don't know for certain. Requesting input from the masses... ;)
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Yes.

Yes.

The Savvy cable shifter is a significant improvement over the factory linkage in terms of smoothness.
 
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Go for the Savvy, it has a couple improvements over the Novak design. Don't ask me what they are, the Savvy designer has explained them several times but that has been long enough that I don't recall enough about them without doing a search for it.
 
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Thanks to all for the replies. I'll be ordering the Savvy unit, rather than the Novak. As the year winds down, so will the spending on the Jeep (self-imposed limit), so I may as well get it while the getting's good. ;)

*Just ordered it directly from Savvy. Thanks again, all!
 
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I installed mine with the skid and drive shaft still in, as a previous poster noted, a stubby wrench is a big benefit (I just cut down an old crescent wrench). The other thing is proper adjustment, this takes some doing and since there is zero instructions with the shifter I will tell you what I found and hopefully that will be of some assistance for you.
I screwed both "ball joints" all the way on to the ends of the cable, I mounted the cable to the brackets and made the cable as short as possible by screwing the stop nuts all the way on then the bracket and washers. I then proceeded to mount it all up (it is way easier to mount the cable to the bracket when the bracket is not mounted to the jeep). I then proceeded to attempt to shift the t-case into it's different positions. It is easier bolting on the ball joints to the previously installed ball studs if the T-case is in 2-Hi, but the true test of adjustment is if the t-case shift "solidly" into 4-lo. Once I had it shifting somewhat reliably into 4-lo by adjusting the big stop nuts I made final adjustments by screwing out the ball joints. This does not take very much movement to make a difference. I ended up unthreading the ball joint at the t-case end one and a half turns, this yielded a very solid engagement into 4-lo.

Hope this makes sense and helps, good luck, it is most assuredly worth the time and effort!
 
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Just ordered my Savvy and waiting for it to show up. I have a 2" body lift. Was told it would work just fine.
 
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