Transfer case woes

[JApol]

This spring I removed my front drive shaft for vibrations and put new amsoil in the x-fer case (less than 12k ago). I tried a couple of times over the summer to rebuild the double carden joint with no joy. I bit the bullet and bought a new drive shaft and installed it a couple of days before thanksgiving.



Over the thanksgiving weekend I used 4 wheel drive for the first time on the new shaft and fluid. Going up a short steep grade, about two truck lengths at about 8% with a 20 foot trailer on gravel. I had 4x4 engaged to keep the tires from spinning. The front drive-shaft would catch and the transfer case would slip.

I pulled the fill plug last week and could not feel the fluid level but the fluid on the inside of the case was dirty. The next day I bought some Mopar ATF+4. My plan was to drain, service, short drive, drain and re-service.

I drained out almost 3 quarts of dark red metallic fluid that did not smell burnt. I re serviced and on the short drive the transfer case was slipping again. My truck goes into the dealer in the morning.



My question to the transfer case and AMSOIL gurus is, What happened to my transfer case?





I request that brand bashing posts not to be posted

 

[oneshotkyle]

what do you mean your transfer case is slipping? it doesn't have any way to slip?

 

[CarlsonR]

your transfx case is chain driven,it won't slip,your chain will break or teeth will break off the chain sprockets(gears) causing the chain to break,either of which will stop you completly,sounds like your not too sure whats happening,hopefully you have decent dealer who can help you out,

 

[HOBrian]

Sounds like you took off the driveshaft for vibration issue when it might have been the t-case with the original issue. Just a thought.

 

[Bob4x4]

This spring I removed my front drive shaft for vibrations and put new amsoil in the x-fer case (less than 12k ago). I tried a couple of times over the summer to rebuild the double carden joint with no joy. I bit the bullet and bought a new drive shaft and installed it a couple of days before thanksgiving.



Over the thanksgiving weekend I used 4 wheel drive for the first time on the new shaft and fluid. Going up a short steep grade, about two truck lengths at about 8% with a 20 foot trailer on gravel. I had 4x4 engaged to keep the tires from spinning. The front drive-shaft would catch and the transfer case would slip.

I pulled the fill plug last week and could not feel the fluid level but the fluid on the inside of the case was dirty. The next day I bought some Mopar ATF+4. My plan was to drain, service, short drive, drain and re-service.

I drained out almost 3 quarts of dark red metallic fluid that did not smell burnt. I re serviced and on the short drive the transfer case was slipping again. My truck goes into the dealer in the morning.



My question to the transfer case and AMSOIL gurus is, What happened to my transfer case?





I request that brand bashing posts not to be posted

What amsoil did you put in it and are you sure you filled to proper level?



Bob

 

[Edgemann55]

Been using Amsoil atf in my transmission and transfer case with no problems. I think your transfer case is the problem not the fluid used. Plus the Amsoil atf fluid is a dark red in the bottle-not purple like the Mopar stuff.

 

[05mxdiesel]

Been using Amsoil atf in my transmission and transfer case with no problems. I think your transfer case is the problem not the fluid used. Plus the Amsoil atf fluid is a dark red in the bottle-not purple like the Mopar stuff.

Same here...

 

[JApol]

your transfx case is chain driven,it won't slip,your chain will break or teeth will break off the chain sprockets(gears) causing the chain to break,either of which will stop you completly,sounds like your not too sure whats happening,hopefully you have decent dealer who can help you out,

That was my thought also. when you are moving in 4 wheel drive and move the steering wheel to far to the left or right the steering wheel with jerk around as the steering u-joints move. On my truck the drive shaft will bind, the x-fer case will POP and the drive shaft will move about another 1/4 rotation and rebind followed by another pop from the x-fer case. This will continue till the steering wheel is moved from full left or right. When I went up that short hill the steering wheel was straight, but when a load started to be applied to the front wheels the x-fer case would again bind and pop.



I forgot to mention in my original post that the fluid that came out of the x-fer case was full of metallic particles. It looks like metallic paint.

 

[JApol]

I just got off the phone with the dealer and they said that they will replace the x-fer case under warrenty

 

[HOBrian]

Good to hear, thanks for letting us know what happened. Oo.

 

[Cattletrkr]

That was my thought also. when you are moving in 4 wheel drive and move the steering wheel to far to the left or right the steering wheel with jerk around as the steering u-joints move.

That "jerk" isn't the ujoints, it happens because there's no differential in the t-case. When turning, the front end and the rear end are traveling different distances. Sounds like your t-case was "popping" or "slipping" instead of your tires.

 

[sag2]

The weakest link is the one that will either slip or fail. If you have enough traction (weight in truck) the tires can't slip and you still have two drive shafts spinning at different speeds. Something has to give. That's why you don't want to use 4x4 on hard surfaces.

The transfer case in our trucks is plenty strong for normal use. If your new one snaps and pops, your driving under conditions it was not meant to be driven in.

 

[JApol]

The most weight I have ever had on the frame of the truck was with a 1000 lb round hay bale in the bed last weekend and I never used 4 wheel drive and I was really hoping I wouldn't have to.



My truck is not a hiway queen, I do take it through the mud pit or sand dunes on occasion but nothing airborn or 4 wheel drive boost launches.

My new x-fer case should be here in a couple of days and I am going to ask the tech what went wrong with it.

 

[Bob4x4]

My truck is not a hiway queen, I do take it through the mud pit or sand dunes on occasion but nothing airborn or 4 wheel drive boost launches.

My new x-fer case should be here in a couple of days and I am going to ask the tech what went wrong with it.

:-laf I remember at Glamis you were afraid to take it it out the second day



Bob

 

[JApol]

3 weeks before training ended, 3000 miles from next duty station, Murphy, 2 busted drive shafts and 1 ventilated x-fer case, watching firewall insulation catch fire and burn, getting airborn in Bob4X4's truck, Bob loosing his tailgate and tail light, having the guy behind me come up to me and hand me my front airdam and liscence plate. yea I was a little nervous about my truck.



But, I WANNA DO IT AGAIN!!!!

 

[Bob4x4]

3 weeks before training ended, 3000 miles from next duty station, Murphy, 2 busted drive shafts and 1 ventilated x-fer case, watching firewall insulation catch fire and burn, getting airborn in Bob4X4's truck, Bob loosing his tailgate and tail light, having the guy behind me come up to me and hand me my front airdam and liscence plate. yea I was a little nervous about my truck.



But, I WANNA DO IT AGAIN!!!!

:-laf:-laf Just another week end get away... ... ... ... ... ... .



Bob

 

[JApol]

3 days drive to CA, sleep in truck for 2 nights 3 days back to VA. thats one hell of a weekend. :-laf