twin stick good or bad

towpainter3

Member
Well im slowly getting this Scout 2 where I want it [drive train wise] Thinking of changing the transfer shifter to a twin stick . Tell me what yall think!!!!! Thanks brad
 
Last edited:
I definitely like my twinstick, but I could easily do without it. I occasionally use 2wd low, but I could do that just as well without locking the hubs and using a single stick. I've really found it to not be a useful "upgrade".

I have found that shifting into and out of 4wd is much easier. I always found shifting into 4wd was a crapshoot, sometimes it was smooth and easy, sometimes it was tough, occasionally it would grind. I'm thinking it's because a single stick is trying to engage both sides of the transfercase at once. With the twinstick, its just smooth and easy every time.
 
Twin stick all the way. In fact when I get the cash together I am going to twin stick my daily driver as well. It see little off road, but I like it so much I don't see any reason no to. It's better to have and not want then want and not have!
 
To add what others have said twin stick setups are more suited for the offroad rigs. The idea is to allow front axle engagement only in order to perform what is better known as a "front dig". For the daily driver rigs it is nice to have the twinstick feature if you have the auto locking hub option on your Scout this way you can use low range without engaging the front axle. I use my twinstick for moving trailers around the yard as its easier to pop it in and out of low range.
 
O.k. Jeff, you have piqued my curiosity. What is "front dig"? I have been four-wheeling since I got my cj3a in 1956, and I have been over the mountain, as they say. But I have never heard that expression. I guess you are never too old to learn.

Pineneedle john
 
o.k. Jeff, you have piqued my curiosity. What is "front dig"? I have been four-wheeling since I got my cj3a in 1956, and I have been over the mountain, as they say. But I have never heard that expression. I guess you are never too old to learn.

Pineneedle john

A front dig is where you engage your front axle only and use it to spin your vehicle to the left or right while the rears stay put. It allows you to turn in a very tight radius. Having cutting brakes makes this option more viable as then you are rotating on one rear wheel. Does this make sense or did I confuse you even more?
 
a front dig is where you engage your front axle only and use it to spin your vehicle to the left or right while the rears stay put. It allows you to turn in a very tight radius. Having cutting brakes makes this option more viable as then you are rotating on one rear wheel. Does this make sense or did I confuse you even more?

I too had never heard this concept regarding the "use" of a twinstikker in this regard!!! How come ya ain't ever ejamakated me son???

And for stickin' trailers in tight spots fromma front receiver it makes even more sense!

So from now on, all the d20 builds I do will git twinstikked! Got two in progress now! And the next time I take the beater truck with the 205 offline, I'll do it also! From about mid-October thru the end of May, the beater truck has tha hubs locked in all tha time.

Ain't it great john when we find out these dam kids know stuff????
 
a front dig is where you engage your front axle only and use it to spin your vehicle
Whaddya call it when you do it for the rear axle? Rear dig?
Years ago I had to do a 180 in a trail, I wasn't back'in up for 2.5 miles with a mountainside on one and a rock wall on the other. With the front end in a thicket, and a slight down hill angle, I was able to twist her around within the trail width using 2hi. The leaves and snow kept me from tearing up stuff too bad so the trail was left ok.
 
Since your avitar show 4x4 use, go twin stick like carl said.

By not having the rear wheels pushing you forward, and the front wheels turning they will dig in and pull you around.
Now you can make really tight turns with a cutting brake like Jeff said, (think anchor for one rear tire so you can pivot on that tire)


youtube - Brian's front dig
 
The only advantage twin sticking a d18 or d20 gets you is (rear only) 2wd low. (you must remove a detent safety ball in the case to do this).

Twin sticking a Dana 300 (I know the Jeep version does, but I'm not 100% sure about IH) or NP205 gives you independent control of each axle. Ie one lever controls the front axle, one the rear.

This is good for front digs, because you can put the front in hi or low, while the rear is in "n".

The danger hear is that the one or the other axe could be in "high" while the other is in "low"= something going boom!
 
the only advantage twin sticking a d18 or d20 gets you is (rear only) 2wd low. (you must remove a detent safety ball in the case to do this).

Twin sticking a Dana 300 (I know the Jeep version does, but I'm not 100% sure about IH) or NP205 gives you independent control of each axle. Ie one lever controls the front axle, one the rear.

This is good for front digs, because you can put the front in hi or low, while the rear is in "n".

The danger hear is that the one or the other axe could be in "high" while the other is in "low"= something going boom!

I disagree. Twin sticking a dana18/20 and removing the detent pills will give you independent control of each axle.
 
I disagree. Twin sticking a dana18/20 and removing the detent pills will give you independent control of each axle.

Jeff,
I ask this beause I have never done this or thought about it for that matter and not as a argument but because I like to learn stuff.:gringrin:

one stick controles the range h/l and neutral.
The other controles front axle engagment. In or out

how would you disengage the rear axle.

My under standing is that the pill or interlock ball prevents low range lever from going into low if the front axle is out.
Would more changes be needed to make the "dig" arrangment?

Padowyn Robert
 
Jeff,
I ask this beause I have never done this or thought about it for that matter and not as a argument but because I like to learn stuff.:gringrin:

one stick controles the range h/l and neutral.
The other controles front axle engagment. In or out

how would you disengage the rear axle.

My under standing is that the pill or interlock ball prevents low range lever from going into low if the front axle is out.
Would more changes be needed to make the "dig" arrangment?

Padowyn Robert

Let me look at things again and make sure I'm not dishing out bad advice myself. If I did then I will slap myself with a penalty point and give mocha a bonus point.:smilewinkgrin:
 
After tearing open both a 18 and 20 transfer case and refreshing my memory on both of them you can perform front digs on a 20 transfer case but not the 18. Sorry about that guys. I'll try to drink more coffee and be more alert before opening my big mouth next time.
 
Ok...we need to do a definitive d20 twinstik conversion writeup (ihon version) and have it available for "training" purposes here in the forum. I have one now torn apart on the bench (I think it'sa '77 vintage or so) but haven't done anything except the preliminary cleanup. This one is a Scout II app with the 17.5* intermediate gear (23 spline bull gear). So it's "typical" of a Scout II/727.

I also have a d20 oem twinstik on the dolly. This one was behind a Scout 800 t18 tranny and has the 20* intermediate gear (6 spline bull gear). I don't plan to use it in any of my stuff at this point, but I will tear it down and rebuild so it's available onna exchange basis.

The oem twinstik d18 I have is currently installed in the s80 and I plan to mount it to the t-18 once the driveline package is removed for the stroker motor install. So it's not currently available for teardown.

I know there is already tons of crap on the I-net regarding twinstikin' stuff...but we need our own here for reference purposes. Much of that other stuff is junkyardawg kinda mess and certainly not the proper way to do things!

Robert...we "think" there is a d20/twin at Todd's place that was behind that bw tranny for the Scout 800 we talked about that I have for ya. But I need to get both of the units he has here to my shop for checkout. I've seen 'em many times but paid no attention to 'em other than tripping over 'em once!

So if that aristocrat project has a "centered" d44 rear axle, then I/we May have a whole package. And, the twinstik d20 I have here will work also.

Are we all confused yet??
 
Robert...we "think" there is a d20/twin at Todd's place that was behind that bw tranny for the Scout 800 we talked about that I have for ya. But I need to get both of the units he has here to my shop for checkout. I've seen 'em many times but paid no attention to 'em other than tripping over 'em once!

So if that aristocrat project has a "centered" d44 rear axle, then I/we May have a whole package. And, the twinstik d20 I have here will work also.

Are we all confused yet??

Shoot! By the time I make it up to orygon I'll have the bed o' my f350 packed full a shizz. But shizz in a good way. :gringrin:

I was going to do a basicly stock resto on the aristo. Scout so I would have to aquire a 3rd project from Mike. He has a nice 266 / 4speed 69 or 70 800 that he began to redo 10 years ago that we talked about. May I should do that one first?:icon_eek:
..................now I am cornfuzed:crazy: :idea: :arf: :eek6:
 
Last edited:
When I had rebuilt the d20 in my 72 Scout, I had left out those detent units for the sole purpose of twin sticking the transfer case. One shifter controling the rear drive and second shifter contoling the front drive. Both shifters having options of nuetral, high range, or low range independantly. I have attached a photo for the hopes that it May help in what the shift patterns look like

also, during the rebuild of the transfer case, I replaced all the gears with the tera low kit to change the low range to 3.15. Instead of the stock low range of 2.1

if I have repeated anything from prior posted replies, sorry. I haven't gone through all the posts yet
 

Attachments

  • Shifte Pattern.jpg
    Shifte Pattern.jpg
    40.9 KB · Views: 8,211
Front dig on the trail is a risky move,you need to have both axles sharing the load. On pirate4x4 there is a thread titled "let's see you biggest breaks". There is a picture of a rig that broke an inner c doing front dig.

The only reason I ever wanted a twin stick was because of a front detroit locker that made it really hard to turn. I wanted to do the easier sections of the trail in 2wd low range. Getting out and unlocking the hubs and then locking them in again is annoying.
 
Back
Top