help!

[dstanczak1]

i have a 59 chevrolet apache it is three on the tree... it is really hard to shift it (the linkage is off) is there anyway to convert that three on the tree to a floor stick shift?? and if i cant is there anything i can do to make it shift easier? thanks

[hotrod_chevyz]

Originally Posted by dstanczak1

i have a 59 chevrolet apache it is three on the tree... it is really hard to shift it (the linkage is off) is there anyway to convert that three on the tree to a floor stick shift?? and if i cant is there anything i can do to make it shift easier? thanks

When a tree shift works properly and the linkage is nice and tight, the hardest part is pushing the pedal to the floor. You should have no difficulty shifting from gear to gear other than the clutch.

Ive seen in a few cases where all they need is a shim or some grease somewhere along the linkage. Ive also seen the linkages bend. Usually the problem is wear at the end of the linkage. If its a very hard part to find, you can use a ARC welder and a specific type of welding rod to replace the worn off metal, and smooth the area where the new metal was added with a small dremel. Another thing you can do is cut off the bad end of the linkage, and weld a new end to it. A few other things could be the problem but ive ran into these more than anything else. If you are not equipped to do any of this ( D.I.Y) any shop with some sense will be able to find whats bad and fix it.

Depending on the options the truck had original you might not want to do too much cutting or modifying to it. Im sure somewhere you can find an aftermarket shifting system for it. Unless you have a dislike for the tree shifts you might as well leave it how it was made. Thats a feature that it came with and is quite unique. Good luck with it.

[dstanczak1]

thanks alot for the help... i am not sure if i made this clear in the first post... but like the hard part is finding the gear... its easy to push up and down its just going from like third to first is difficult... i am not sure if that makes sence...