MTFCA Forum

I am looking for ideas to build and install a lefthand Ruckstell shifter on a 26-27? The vendors say that the one that they sell will not work on 26-27's.

Take a spare parking brake unit. Mount the pillow blocks right behind, in line with the car's parking brake.
Remove the clutch cam. Remove the brake ratchet disconnect lever, pawl & rod. Weld up the holes.
Get fancy & do some shaping to the handle base until it looks like the second lever off an early 09.
Bend outward to clear the parking brake lever.(optional)
On the cross shaft, you will need to add a length of 1/4 x 3/4 iron stock to connect to the Rux shifter rod.
Direct will be back on the lever toward the seat.
Makes for a cleaner looking set up than the available kits. Rux shifter.jpeg[/attachment]
Note the shifter rod has an adjustable clevis to fine tune the lever's location. The bar it attaches to has multiple holes to set/change the lever's throw.
The rod has a fixed clevis in the Rux end & is made from 1/2" thin wall conduit.

What's wrong with the original Ruckstell design?

Original Smith wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 20, 2026 12:20 pm

What's wrong with the original Ruckstell design?

1) Its in the way.
2) Its much more difficult to center shift unless you have a foot throttle to sync motor speed.

Not really, John - that's your opinion. My three shifters are original - Racer has the only foot-feed.

I just finished building a Ruckstell to replace the stock rearend. I do not have a shifter yet, so I am open to options. I want to decide which way to go before I install the axle into the car. I kind of like the idea of shifting with the lefthand, plus not having a shifter in the middle of the floor.

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 20, 2026 1:04 pm

Not really, John - that's your opinion. My three shifters are original - Racer has the only foot-feed.

I guess I am not coordinated enough.
I friend center shifts by using his left hand around the steering wheel to get to the throttle.
Looks a bit unsafe & not conducive to frequent or quick down shifts. I have 2 center shift T's, both with overriding foot throttles & 2 left side shifts.
Very easy to shift.
Maybe I need to practice more without using my foot throttles.

Whichever is the most comfortable for oneself. Tom Carnegie from the Spokane, WA Club made a dandy L.H. Ruckstell conversion from an extra, stock H.B. assembly & some steel plates - something along John's description.

Do you remember Stan Howe? My first 3 Ruckstell rear ends came from him - Rebuilt. He sold many back then. And this was before Chaffin's got so big. Anyway, all 3 that I bought from Stan had the left hand shifter, and had the lever that "speedytinc" is describing. They sure do shift easily because your right hand is able to sync the throttle lever & engine speed by finger adjustment, while your left hand shifts the Ruckstell. Easy as pie!
After Stan went to Model-T-Heaven I purchased several more Ruckstells, but all I could buy came with the Right hand shifter. Not bad, but shifting would be much easier if I have an extra arm and hand on my right side because it takes some skill and practice to operate the throttle and the shifter at the same time using only one hand. I'm not knocking it either because I love 'em both- it just takes a little practice.
I actually prefer the LH shifter on cars with no driver's door, and I prefer the RH shifter on cars that have a driver's door due to ease of getting my butt and legs in and out the car.

At one time there was a thread on how to make one from a brake lever. I think it is still on this forum somewhere.
Happy hunting.?

I believe that was Tom Carnegie's design.

First time doing a response. I am looking at two vendors catalogs right now. Both are a couple years old but both show fitting up to and including a 27 T. Years back I purchased a left hand shifter from the one vendor for my 23 touring. I did have to drill two holes on each frame rail for mounting it. Worked great until one day shifting it and the rod going through the emergent brake rod hole broke off. (If buying one today I would check all welds.) if your Model T has a drivers door would be an issue getting in the car like the emergency brake lever is.

I saved this PDF years ago. It's a Montana 500 newsletter from 2005. In it Tom Carnegie explains how he made a left hand Ruckstell shifter.

Simple, easy to build left side shifter.

With a RHD car, nothing is as simple as a direct rod connection from a foot throttle to an over ride adaptor on the carburetor. On your LHD cars a throttle cable should work just as well.

Allan from down under.

I made one several years ago from an extra em brake just as described by speedytinc above for my 21 touring. Works quite well. Much easier to get in and slide across with my big feet. Safer shifts, keeping one hand on then wheel. On my 27 Tudor I opted not to move to the left since I have a door and I have a foot feed.

I saved this picture some time ago, can't remember where from, says it was drawn by Verne Shirk so obviously not my work. Was going to try and make a similar shifter when time permits.

I'm running two center shift and one left hand shift Ruckstells. As stated above, the left hand shifter makes it easier to steer throttle and shift.