Competition Who hear has busted a transfer case? symptoms?

[jwilliams3]

For about a year and a half or so I have been getting a decent one time pop or clunk sometimes. The pop which is very pronounced sometimes feels like its coming right from under the drivers seat.

I can really get it to pop loud if I put the truck in reverse then back out with the wheels turned then it will give a good pop.



So far the front driveshaft looks great. The u joints look tight and the cardan joint does not have any play that I can see or feel (I am going to be installing a new front driveshaft any ways for this season).



My gut feeling says it the transfer case skipping or something to that effect.

I am not too familiar with t-cases... . what do you guys think? opinions?

 

[hemic67]

Hopefully just the famous driveline slop?

 

[TJSHOTROD]

I knew mine was broke when the output shaft came out of it.

 

[massdiesel]

I would pull it apart to see for peice of mind. They are not difficult at all just take your time

 

[PToombs]

I'd check the front end suspension components. I had an annoying clunk when I backed up I had a hard time locating. I changed the ball joints and the A-arm bushings, much better! Just remember, noise travels.

 

[seriousdiesel]

my dads 03 had the same symptoms a couple years ago, dodge replaced the whole case under warranty, not sure what part of the case was causing it though.

 

[bighammer]

I keep hoping to find a trashed one just to take apart and try a little experiment with. If you hear of one available, let me know.

 

[wildmanben]

My case busted when the case broke in half and all the fluid landed on the road and the front driveshaft flew off and broken the center hub in my clutch...

 

[BigBadDodge]

I snapped a frunt u-jount and the drive shaft bounced of the bell a few times the vibration at the other end cracked the t-case.



Justin, have you drained the oil and looked for any metal shavings?



BBD

 

[jwilliams3]

Scott,

Well it kind of drained itself on the way home last year when I broke the rear driveshaft/yoke/ujoint etc. I duct taped it up for the 100 mile drive home. The good thing is there was still about 1. 5 quarts when I finally did fill it back up.



This pop/clunk issue was present before the break though by about a year or so.



I think I have some what of a plan of attack for this issue. I am going to remove the front driveshaft and maybe replace with a new unit I already have. I also might just leave it off and see if the problem persists. If I cant expose the problem there, I'll install the new transfer case I have sitting around.



If all that doesnt work then I'll go to plan B.

 

[LowFly]

Eye that carrier bearing... ... i have done 2 in Dodge trucks... . and that is 2 more than any other truck i have worked on.

 

[paulb]

I had what sounds like the same noise you do. It ended up being the front double cardan u-joint. The only way I found it was to take it and drive it, and then brought it back to the shop, and when I grabbed the u-joint, it was pretty warm. Mine also didn't have any play in it.



Oh, yeah... I had a transfer case go bad too... but it died a silent death...



Paul

 

[dan shss]

I would suggest to take the front driveline out and drive it like stated above. . Just stop hocking to the sled these trucks arent made for that abuse

 

[WUnderwood]

not to hi jack the thread, but what is a cardan joint?

 

[JGheen]

Not sure what busted my 241HD, but I had a similar noise when running in 4x4 and it turned out to be the t-case. Drained it and nothing but black fluid and metal shavings came out. I thought it was my front driveline at first but after removing it and driving it without the front shaft it still made the noise. I haven't taken the 241 apart yet but since then I have installed a 271 t-case and it has worked much better than what I had before. The 271 case is rated at almost double the load capability of the 241HD.



Joe



P. S. - My 241 case was the original and had over 150K miles of good/hard use before it just gave up.

 

[jwilliams3]

I would suggest to take the front driveline out and drive it like stated above. . Just stop hocking to the sled these trucks arent made for that abuse

I dont think sledpulling has anything to do with driveline parts failing on my truck :-laf (yah right!)

not to hi jack the thread, but what is a cardan joint?

Will, climb under your truck and on the front driveshaft right where it comes out of the transfer case there will be 2 u joints that are married together with a joint between them. That joint is the cardan.

my dads 03 had the same symptoms a couple years ago, dodge replaced the whole case under warranty, not sure what part of the case was causing it though.

Thanks for the info!

 

[jwilliams3]

Update!!

I think I just found the issue. I removed the front driveshaft @ the front differential. I then shifted into 4hi.

I got back under the truck and move the front driveshaft back and fourth. I can literally feel the chain inside the transfer case tension up (take up slack) like it has been stretched.



My new tcase I have as a spare has the allowable play back and fourth like any other transfer case but I feel no chain stretching when I do the same with it on the floor. It is tight and stops when out of play.



Of course here I go to change the transfer case... . :-laf

 

[Redram 1]

re

It may just be the main shifting fork in the case,it has a couple litle plastic tabs that snap onto it,when theese break off it lets the main gear bind sometmes,if the case took a sudden shock this may be your problem,similiar to the plastic tabs on the fork for the cad.

 

[jwilliams3]

Well... .

After more parts changing I have fixed the clunking...

The traction bar cross bolts had worn threads causing enough play to make a clunk while loading or unloading the drive train when the truck was powered from a dead stop or thrown into reverse. I replaced the old worn bolts with some new shiny ones applied some grease to them as well.

The clunk is gone.



R. I. P. driveline slop!

 

[BigBadDodge]

Excellent, that's the cheapest fix your gonna have all year :-laf



BBD