Teraflex hand throttle adjustments

[sierradmax]

So, I made my own hand throttle using the same Sunrace friction shifter Teraflex uses, some jacket, cable, ferrules and so on. I followed the instructions on Terfalex's site and I'm not pleased with the results. The routing of the cable is in line with the factory throttle cable & cruise control cable. What I don't like is on the first detent of the friction shifter, engine RPM's jump to 2,000. 2nd, 3,000. I'd like to get 200-250 rpm increase per detent position. Has anyone adjusted and if so, how did you do it?

My thought is to adapt the throttle body to move the cable connection point further from the axis of the throttle body.

 

[Jeffseven777]

Hand Throttle? lose your legs in the war?

 

[sierradmax]

Hand Throttle? lose your legs in the war?

Negative. Looking to retain some clutch/brake functions on the rocks from a 3-pedal rig.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Hand Throttle? lose your legs in the war?

A hand throttle is extremely helpful for low-speed crawling on extremely bumpy/difficult trails. It allows the rpms to be far more easily controlled on such trails that could cause a foot to bounce on the gas pedal and cause shock-loading of the drivetrain with a greater potential for breaking something. Its key benefit is better/finer control of the throttle. Not to mention it can hold the rpms up to help keep the battery charged for things like winching.

I have had a hand throttle on my TJ both with its original 5-speed manual transmission and later automatic.

 

[LieutenantJohnson]

Negative. Looking to retain some clutch/brake functions on the rocks from a 3-pedal rig.

this is why I bought the Teraflex hand throttle kit. It has been sitting on the shelf collecting dust, really need to get it installed

 

[Jerry Bransford]

So, I made my own hand throttle using the same Sunrace friction shifter Teraflex uses, some jacket, cable, ferrules and so on. I followed the instructions on Terfalex's site and I'm not pleased with the results. The routing of the cable is in line with the factory throttle cable & cruise control cable. What I don't like is on the first detent of the friction shifter, engine RPM's jump to 2,000. 2nd, 3,000. I'd like to get 200-250 rpm increase per detent position. Has anyone adjusted and if so, how did you do it?

My thought is to adapt the throttle body to move the cable connection point further from the axis of the throttle body.

My bike lever was a friction-lock without detents which is easily found in any bike shop. I can't imagine detents making it anything but unpleasant to use. Make sure the cable passes straight down the shift lever and that you maximize any bend radiuses so the cable doesn't bind.

 

[Lou]

Try a lever without detents. I had the Teraflex kit and found it was really difficult to control.

 

[srimes]

How many clicks does it do through the range of motion? It should sound like you're spinning a ratchet.

Try loosening the cable so that the 1st click or 2 just take up slack.

 

[sierradmax]

Forgive my ignorance but perhaps what I'm describing as "detents" is perhaps friction. I purchased the Sunrace SLM10

https://www.ebay.com/p/1530112334
I can feel positions that the lever rests throughout it's full range.

 

[Lou]

Forgive my ignorance but perhaps what I'm describing as "detents" is perhaps friction. I purchased the Sunrace SLM10

https://www.ebay.com/p/1530112334
I can feel positions that the lever rests throughout it's full range.

Looks identical to the POS teraflex included in the kit which had detents. If it “clicks” it has detents. I think you want one that moves smoothly but with resistance IE friction.

 

[Sj's TJ]

You might need to put a little slack in the cable. My shifter is a no-name completely friction based shifter. No clicks at all.

 

[pc1p]

Having used cables with and without detents, I much prefer the cable with a detent... In my past use, each detent click (on the TeraFlex kits) will result in ~500-600 RPM bumps. I could feel and oftentimes hear the "click" and could rapidly bump idle speed as needed to my desired RPM just by the number of clicks (adjusting the idle and returning my hand to the wheel even before the engine fully came to new idle speed). I can't think of anytime during my use of a hand throttle where I felt that I needed to be between a detent.

@sierradmax - post a pic of what your lever looks like. Unlike Jerry's setup, I kept mine parallel with the shifter handle itself. I tried it on many sides and configurations, ultimately ending up with it on the driver-side of the stick, allowing use with my thumb (RPM up) and pointer-finger (RPM down). I'm not sure if the lever travel is linear with cable movement or if there is a cam/eccentric inside, but this may be something to look at.

 

[JMT]

I think you can remove the detents so its perfectly smooth by loosening the screw in the center of the SunRace Shifter. At least that's what the Teraflex video I used for install said.

I like the detents though. I had to adjust about 4 times to get it just right. It only bumps up my RPM's about 400-500/detent, and I do get some additional rpms between detents.

I personally never understood putting your own together. It's only $40, but to each his own, and at this point, I'm sure you want to make it work.

Literally the best $40 I ever spent on the Heep.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

Lots of talk about detents but what you need is to put some slack in the cable. I wanted mine to not do anything with the first 2-3 detents.

 

[Jamesval035]

My teraflex cable stretched a little and now after the 1st detent it gives some throttle. I like it with my manual for those sticky situations and do like the detents

 

[Lou]

$40 is a waste when you can just do an auto swap for $2k+...

 

[notnsuv]

Lots of talk about detents but what you need is to put some slack in the cable. I wanted mine to not do anything with the first 2-3 detents.

Just did the Teraflex today. I faintly hear detents if I hold it close but it feels linear when I tested it, much like a friction might. No action for the first several degrees of pull. And I got lucky, I left just enough slack in the loop so it can be slid off the nipple when throttle is fully closed. Didn't max it out for rpm but got it well above 2k at a standstill with plenty of paddle remaining.
Off road testing will wait until I determine suspension changes and button that up.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

$40 is a waste when you can just do an auto swap for $2k+...

Apples and oranges. Not to mention my auto swap was under $1k.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Apples and oranges. Not to mention my auto swap was under $1k.

Based on the date I'm gonna guess that was a sneaky reference to the Charlie foxtrot disaster geometry correction thread of 2021.

 

[Lou]

Apples and oranges. Not to mention my auto swap was under $1k.

It can certainly be done cheap if you get lucky. A mopar radiator, a Wranglerfix pcm, and a used unknown history 32rh is going to be over $1k and that doesn’t even scratch the surface at what’s all needed.