Opinions on transfer cases?

[eridenour]

Buying new '06 CTD Quad Laramie, Auto 4x4, 4. 10 but wondering if I should opt for the manual t-case over the electric. City and off-road use. Any problems with the electric?

 

[RonCar]

I chose the electric because I didn't want the extra lever on the floorboard...

 

[Bertram65]

Can't go wrong with the manual, there have been a few problems with the electric ones reported here, I would rather have the manual, no guessing if it is in 4WD and no motors or actuators to fail.

 

[DodgeBoy]

As long as you are not going to opt for the Laramie pkg. I would get the manual. With the Laramie pkg. I don't believe you have a choice. I have the elec. and it really is a pain if you find yourself hung up in 2wd. There have been a few situations where I could not get the case to engage because it requires you to be rolling to engage. If your stuck that could be a little difficult.

 

[klenger]

If you're going to get the auto trans, you might as well get the electronic xfer case control and have a clean floor. For those of us that row the gears, the manual control makes more sense.

 

[RonCar]

I have the elec. and it really is a pain if you find yourself hung up in 2wd. There have been a few situations where I could not get the case to engage because it requires you to be rolling to engage. If your stuck that could be a little difficult.

It's funny you put it that way because I have used 4lo an uncountable amount of times and have NEVER been rolling to engage it, I usually stop, put transmission in N and click form 4hi to 4 lo, NEVER had a problem. Maybe someone else can chime in with there experiences???

 

[HParfitt]

I am of the pretty 'un automated' mentality. I also feel if you get the auto go with an elect actuated XCase and a clean floor. I have a 6 spd and went with manual engagement. I like being able to feel it go into 4X and in the event it's not slipping in easy I can back off and try again. That said it's rare to hear of an electric actuated case failing to go into 4X but I've never heard of a prob with the manual. Why pay extra for something you really don't want.

 

[klenger]

... Why pay extra for something you really don't want.

That's how I feel about an automatic transmission. :-laf

 

[eridenour]

Laramie "H" package for '06 is electric transfer case, "J" package is manual transfer case.

 

[swexlin]

I have the elec. and it really is a pain if you find yourself hung up in 2wd. There have been a few situations where I could not get the case to engage because it requires you to be rolling to engage. If your stuck that could be a little difficult.

I would say you might have a problem that you might want to have the dealer look at. It should not HAVE to be rolling to engage.



I have had no problems at all with my electric case. When I am in a parking space at home, and it snowed over night, I have out it into 4HI when the truck is parked, and no problems(i. e. - the truck is not moving), nor has it ever failed to go into and out of 4x4 at any speed, and MORE quickly than the manual cases on my 01 PSD, and 97 Ram V10. And, I switch it alot too, because the way they plow our roads, it will be dry for 1/4 mile, then SUDDENLY all snow, then dry, etc.



So, whatever your pleasure, both equally reliable, IMO.

 

[jwduke]

I dunno. I like a manual shifter with a auto.

 

[BHolm]

I've had a couple now with the elec switch. I haven't had any problems with them. I also do not find that the truck has to be rolling to get 4hi. Many times I have turned the knob in a steep parking spot and backed right out. it engages before I even move the truck. To get to 4lo you MUST be stopped or you are going to hurt something. Again, no need to move at all and never a problem getting 4wd exactly when I want it. I think that stems back to older systems that had to lock the front hubs too. On our trucks the front axles turn all the time so all you are doing is engaging the t-case.



Has anyone ever looked to see if an elec t-case could be manually engaged from under the truck? If for some reason the electrics failed could you still engage the 4wd by hand, even if you had to get a little dirty to do it?

 

[Dieselnerd]

My electric works great. You do not have to be rolling to engage.

 

[evldsl]

Buying new '06 CTD Quad Laramie, Auto 4x4, 4. 10 but wondering if I should opt for the manual t-case over the electric. City and off-road use. Any problems with the electric?

Once you go electric you will not go back to manual

 

[Hercules130]

I love my manual, the only thing i don't like about it is all the crumbs that collect in the boot

 

[Cattletrkr]

I love my manual, the only thing i don't like about it is all the crumbs that collect in the boot

Ditto. Same goes for that whole horribly impossible to clean cup holder/shift lever/4x4/stupid little worthless hole/power outlet area. :-laf :-laf

 

[burnin oil]

I hate to disagree with the once you go electric statement. I have never owned an electric case but my parents have. Their opinion is the same as mine. Never again. Nothing worse than popping a button and waiting and hoping the thing goes into gear. This is just one more thing to break that will sooner or later. Go with the KISS statement. If you manage to break a shifter lever you have bigger problems. Also your truck is supposed to be moving at a slow speed to engauge the 4x4. Read your owners manual.

 

[RMachida]

Maybe DC has a better system but on our Suburban, the 4wd buttons are merely a request and sometimes it takes several minutes before you have 4wd. A lot of that delay has to do with the front axle disconnect than the transfer case. This was one of the reasons why manual TC was a requirement not just desireable.

 

[rbattelle]

I love my manual, the only thing i don't like about it is all the crumbs that collect in the boot

Just extend the shift lever and pull the boot up! That's what I did.



-Ryan

 

[EHerrling]

Does anyone know if you can convert an electric transfer case to a manual? I am getting a MC this summer and want the manual, but they only offer the MC with an electronic T-case.