Diesel Freak Twin Stick Installation

[USMC]

I finally installed the Diesel Freak Twin Stick setup in my Roxor.

It took me 30 minutes to remove the old stick and install the new sticks.

Removing the shift rod poppet spring and ball and then the front bearing cap was also about 30 minutes, just to take out the interlock pill. I had a 5/16 diameter magnet to remove these items.

I did pull my transfer case to do the work because I do not have a lift or a pit. Actually I pulled the transfer case because the poppet plug became deformed due to the shavings being in the threads. But, the 14 mm crows foot would make it faster to remove the bearing cap.

Takeaways:

1. Use a lift or pit with a transmission jack. I almost had a face full of transfer case on re-installation.
2. Remove the transfer case skid plate. Removing the skid plate and using a jack will ensure that you do not mess up your Loctite sealant upon re-installation.
3. Have steel poppet plugs available. I had to use a hammer and center punch to get the aluminum poppet plug out. After disassembly I found metal shavings in the threads from when the threads were originally cut. Torque King offers the Poppet Plugs in steel. Part # QU15525 they are also supplied in the Master Overhaul kit listed below.
4. Have a crows foot available in the metric size (14MM) for the front bearing cap bolts.
5. Have a 9/16 available for the rear driveshaft flange nuts. They are supposed to be 14 mm but the 9/16 is much easier to use. (in the repair manual it states use a 14mm wrench, in the parts manual is says that the bolts are SAE, which would suggest the 9/16 inch wrench).
6. Make sure that you torque your twin stick bolt and linkage bolts prior to installing the front driveshaft, it is just easier without the driveshaft in the way.

The twin sticks shift very hard because of the stock poppet spring setup. As Wade Lalone at Diesel Freak, states, place a washer on the poppet plug for less spring pressure. I will be doing that today. Hopefully the mode stick poppet plug comes out easier than the Hi Lo poppet plug did.

Overall the set works fine and looks awesome. If you are a casual 4 wheeler this will work well for you. I think the KaiserWillys setup would be better for the hard core 4 wheelers. The Kaiser Willys sticks are positioned back by the seats.

But, I will be putting the KaiserWillys Twin Stick system in in the near future (I purchased this kit before Diesel Freak came out with theirs). Since Diesel Freak came out with this quick setup I thought I would try it out. I will also be rebuilding my transfer case with the Torque King Kit. TK2034 Mahindra Roxor Transfer Case Master Overhaul Kit (the kit includes Timken bearings which are probably made in the USA. Timken does source bearings from China, Canada, and Mexico, so I would check the source stamp on the bearings; no sense in changing Chinese bearings for new Chinese bearings)

March 27, 2026

I went to Ace hardware and picked up two 10mm x 3/16" thick washers and two 3/32" thick washers. I used one 3/16 inch washer on the HiLo shifter poppet plug and it did wonders for being able to shift from Hi to Lo and back with ease.

Tomorrow I will install the same thickness washer on the mode stick poppet plug.

March 28, 2026

Just installed the 3/16" thick washer on the mode poppet plug. Not really happy the way it feels on initial drive but I believe that I need to drive it more to get the real feel. This poppet plug took a bit of work to get out but definitely not like the Hi Lo poppet plug.

 

[Bob R1]

Great Write up. Keep us posted on your progress getting it to shift better.

Bob R

 

[Bob R1]

USMC

Did you drain the Transfer Case before starting work on the Transfer Case? Do you need to?

What did you use to seal back the Transfer Case to the Transmission.

What did you use to seal back the Front Output Shaft Housing on the Transfer Case?

With your gained experience working on the Diesel Freak Twin Stick Kit. Other than your problem with the Poppet Plugs not wanting to come out. If doing this over with the Diesel Freak Twin Stick Kit, would you still take the Transfer Case out to do the work on a bench?

More details on the Transfer Case Poppet Shift Rail Plug (PILL) and associated parts would be very good also. I am sure that lots of readers are not up to speed on any of this.
Do you need to shim both Plugs with Washers?
Lots of readers could use more details on what needs done with the:
Removal of the Shift Rod Interlock (Pill)
Poppet Plug's
Poppet Spring's
Poppet Ball's
Exactly how to improve the Transfer Case Shifting, when it shifts hard. Do you need to automatically install the 10mm Washer under the Poppet Plugs, or see how hard it shifts first before installing Washers? Did you look into the Kaiser Willys Adjustable Poppet Shift Rail Plug Kit Part # A9600? That might be a better option than just installing new Steel Plugs.

A link to Diesel Freaks Twin Stick Installation Video and also the Diesel Freak Video on improving the Transfer Case Shift Lever movement with Washers would be very helpful to those who have not done the research on this.

Great Job by the way. I am looking forward to your Kaiser Willys Twin Stick Conversion write up.

Bob R

 

[USMC]

1. Drained the Transfer Case Oil (the drain plug was cranked in and it took effort to remove it)(you need to remove the oil unless you want a mess)

2. Disconnected front and rear drive shafts (on the rear drive shaft I used a 9/16 wrench because the 14mm was so tight it was difficult using it)(Repair manual says to use 14mm but the parts manual says it is an SAE bolt)

3. Removed the shift lever linkage

4. Removed the shift lever knob (twist and pull up)

5. Removed the shift lever boot

6. Removed the shift lever shoulder bolt (retained the shift lever nylon shims)

7. Removed the shift lever from below the vehicle

8. Removed one bolt from the shift lever pivot bracket and grommet retainer (installed one bolt through the new grommet retainer and into the pivot bracket loosely)

9. Removed the 3 remaining bolts and slid the new grommet retainer in position and bolted down (if you have a helper you don’t need to install it this way)

10. Installed the nylon shift lever shims into the new shift levers

11. Installed the new shift levers from underneath the vehicle

12. Installed 3 washers in between the shift levers, slid levers into position and installed the shoulder bolt and nut and torqued it down 11 ft lbs

13. Installed the shift lever boot

14. Installed the shift levers knobs

15. Removed the Transfer Case mounting nut (Note: I removed the transfer case from the vehicle because the aluminum poppet plug became deformed and I could not get it out while the transfer case was on the vehicle)

16. Removed the Transfer Case bolts from the transmission adapter

17. Used a pry bar to pop the Transfer Case loose from the transmission (this only took 3 shakes of the Transfer Case)

18. Removed the poppet plug from the Hi Lo side of the bearing cap (this was a PITA because I had to use a punch to remove it (aluminum plug) and I destroyed the plug) (on reassembly I found that there were steel shavings in the threads from when the cap was threaded, it was really strange for shavings to be there)

19. Removed the shift rod poppet spring and ball with a 5/16 inch magnetic pickup tool (they come right out)

20. Removed the transfer case front bearing cap

21. Removed the Interlock pill (slug) using the 3/16 inch magnetic pickup tool (inserted @ 1/2 inch for the spring, just over an inch to remove the ball, and @ 1 ½ inch to remove the interlock pill)

22. Cleaned gasket from the Transfer Case and the bearing cap using gasket remover and gasket scraper

23. Re-installed the bearing cap with a new gasket (Torque King QU15141) and a new poppet plug which was made of steel (from Torque King Part # QU15525)

24. Cleaned Transfer Case mating surface and adapter surface with gasket remover and applied Permatex 51813 Anerobic Gasket Maker

25. Reinstalled the transfer case (If you remove the transfer case skid plate and use a transmission jack this step would be easier)

26. Connected the shift lever linkages from the transfer case to the shift rods and torqued to 11 ft lbs

27. Reconnected front and rear drive shafts and torqued them to 41 and 18 ft lbs respectively

28. Filled transfer case with gear oil (Mahindra calls for 80W – 90 GL4 but I used STP 80W-90 GL5)(I typically use Luca Oil)(GL5 is for higher pressures but you can use it)



Tools Required:

1 - Needle Nose Pliers Shift Linkage

1 - Flat Blade Screwdriver Shifter Link Clip

1 - 10mm wrench Shifter Boot Plate

2 - 14mm wrench Rear Driveshaft (I used a 9/16 on the nut side)
1 – 9/16 socket or crows foot to torque the driveshaft flange bolts

1 - 13mm & 17mm wrench Shift Lever Shoulder Bolt

1 - 13mm wrench Front Driveshaft
1 – 13 mm socket or crows foot to torque the driveshaft u-clamps

1 - 8mm square socket TC Oil Drain Plug

1 - 18mm wrench Transfer Case Mount Nut

1 - 17mm & 18mm wrench Transfer Case to Transmission

1 – Gasket scraper

1 – Pry bar

1 - 5/16 magnet inserted @ 1/2 inch for the spring, just over an inch to remove the ball, and @ 1 ½ inch to remove the interlock pill

1 – Case of Beer

Takeaways:

1. Use a lift or pit with a transmission jack.
2. Remove the transfer case skid plate.
3. Have steel poppet plugs available.
4. Have crows feet available in the metric sizes.

 

[Bob R1]

Great Job USMC, you covered several more important details.

The Twin Stick Modification is not something that all of us Roxor owners need, or would use. For those who seldom if ever use or have a need to use Low Range, the Twin Stick Modification is more than likely a waste of time and money for you.

IF HOWEVER you would use Low Range if it were not a pain to use, the Twin Stick Modification will make using Low Range much handier. With the Twin Stick you have One Shift Lever for Two Wheel Drive / Four Wheel Drive, and the Second Shift Lever is for Hi Range / Low Range.
Also mentioned above is removal of the PILL. Better known as the Shift Rod Interlock. This PILL is located between the Hi/Lo Shift Rod and the 2WD/4WD Shift Rod. It's function is to prevent using Low Range while in 2 Wheel Drive. I believe that I read somewhere that this Shift Rod Interlock was installed to prevent parts breakage due to applying too much power to the rear end when in Two Wheel Low Range.
So why would you ever want to be in Two Wheel Drive Low Range? Well you might want to have your Roxor all decked out in a parade, and you would like to be moving extremely slowly. In this situating being in Four Wheel Drive Low Range is not real handy. Not having the front end engaged in this situation would be preferable. The ability to drive around at a snail pace, without the front end engaged would be very handy.

In my situation I drive around on some rough trails that wash out from time to time on the Hunting Lease. I do not need to be in Four Wheel Drive all the time, however going very slow in Low Range makes for a lot smoother ride. If I do need Four Wheel drive while creeping around in Low Range, pulling the Shifter into Four Wheel Drive only takes a second. And shifting back into Two Wheel Drive is just as quick and easy.
I would use Low Range a lot more if shifting in and out of Low Range was not such a pain in the tail with a single shift lever. Having a shift lever just for Hi / Lo Range with out the need to be in Four Wheel Drive makes using Low Range much easier.

USMC has mentioned his intentions of Installing the Original Kaiser Willys Twin Stick Conversion Kit in his Roxor. The CJ5 Jeep had a Twin Stick until around 1971 if memory serves me correctly. Apparently Jeep realized that a lot of CJ5 owners were not impressed with the Single Stick Shifter, and made the parts kit available to convert the CJ5 back to a Twin Stick. What advantage would using the Kaiser Willy Kit have over the Diesel Freak Twin Stick Kit? The answer to this question would mainly be the Shift Lever location. The Diesel Freak Kit ends up with the Twin Stick Levers in pretty much the original shifter location. Way Forward and to the Right. My wife finds this location very unhandy for her to use the shifter. The Kaiser Willy Kit having the Shift Levers mounted on the front output nose of the transfer case positions the Shift Levers much further back towards the seat, making them handier to reach, and to operate. The shift lever linkage being more inline, and closer to the Shift Rods should also make the Kaiser Willy Kit easier to shift smoothly. We should have a better handle on this after USMC gets the Kaiser Willy Conversion completed. I for one am looking forward to his Kaiser Willy Conversion experience.

Bob R

 

[ADEggman]

Great Job USMC, you covered several more important details.

The Twin Stick Modification is not something that all of us Roxor owners need, or would use. For those who seldom if ever use or have a need to use Low Range, the Twin Stick Modification is more than likely a waste of time and money for you.

IF HOWEVER you would use Low Range if it were not a pain to use, the Twin Stick Modification will make using Low Range much handier. With the Twin Stick you have One Shift Lever for Two Wheel Drive / Four Wheel Drive, and the Second Shift Lever is for Hi Range / Low Range.
Also mentioned above is removal of the PILL. Better known as the Shift Rod Interlock. This PILL is located between the Hi/Lo Shift Rod and the 2WD/4WD Shift Rod. It's function is to prevent using Low Range while in 2 Wheel Drive. I believe that I read somewhere that this Shift Rod Interlock was installed to prevent parts breakage due to applying too much power to the rear end when in Two Wheel Low Range.
So why would you ever want to be in Two Wheel Drive Low Range? Well you might want to have your Roxor all decked out in a parade, and you would like to be moving extremely slowly. In this situating being in Four Wheel Drive Low Range is not real handy. Not having the front end engaged in this situation would be preferable. The ability to drive around at a snail pace, without the front end engaged would be very handy.

In my situation I drive around on some rough trails that wash out from time to time on the Hunting Lease. I do not need to be in Four Wheel Drive all the time, however going very slow in Low Range makes for a lot smoother ride. If I do need Four Wheel drive while creeping around in Low Range, pulling the Shifter into Four Wheel Drive only takes a second. And shifting back into Two Wheel Drive is just as quick and easy.
I would use Low Range a lot more if shifting in and out of Low Range was not such a pain in the tail with a single shift lever. Having a shift lever just for Hi / Lo Range with out the need to be in Four Wheel Drive makes using Low Range much easier.

USMC has mentioned his intentions of Installing the Original Kaiser Willys Twin Stick Conversion Kit in his Roxor. The CJ5 Jeep had a Twin Stick until around 1971 if memory serves me correctly. Apparently Jeep realized that a lot of CJ5 owners were not impressed with the Single Stick Shifter, and made the parts kit available to convert the CJ5 back to a Twin Stick. What advantage would using the Kaiser Willy Kit have over the Diesel Freak Twin Stick Kit? The answer to this question would mainly be the Shift Lever location. The Diesel Freak Kit ends up with the Twin Stick Levers in pretty much the original shifter location. Way Forward and to the Right. My wife finds this location very unhandy for her to use the shifter. The Kaiser Willy Kit having the Shift Levers mounted on the front output nose of the transfer case positions the Shift Levers much further back towards the seat, making them handier to reach, and to operate. The shift lever linkage being more inline, and closer to the Shift Rods should also make the Kaiser Willy Kit easier to shift smoothly. We should have a better handle on this after USMC gets the Kaiser Willy Conversion completed. I for one am looking forward to his Kaiser Willy Conversion experience.

Bob R

I installed the Kaiser twin shift kit and am very happy with it. I use the 2WD/LOW application when backing up to hook up a trailer. This helps tremendously as I can creep up on the trailer slowly. I also like the fact that the shifters are further back and much easier to reach when I have my shoulder belts on.

 

[USMC]

ADEggman, Bob R1 mentioned the Kaiser adjustable poppet plug. I have a set on the way for my Kaiser setup. I will like that since I will be able to get the shifter feel that I like.

Kaiser Part # A9600