'96 Fried Transfer Case - Lemon?

[funcrew]

Right at 100K miles, the transfer case on my '96 6-cyl 4X4 started screaming on the downslope from Pahrump into Las Vegas. It would scream while unloaded, but work perfectly when under load. So I limped it home by riding the brakes and giving it a little gas.

Called around and took the Explorer to Adams' Driveline in Henderson. The transfer case pan was full of metal shavings. They put in a rebuilt (not my core) transfer case and replaced all 4 u-joints (my request) for $1500. Up to this point, the vehicle had required absolutely zero repairs in 7 years and 100K. The vehicle is 100% factory stock, and I do quite a bit of moderate-level dirt roading. I have never shifted into 4X4 on-the-fly. I was pretty upset about this repair - My wife guessed that the bean-counter engineers at Ford probably didn't figure that the soccer moms would be crawling the exp over piles of tennis-ball-size gravel in 4-low every other weekend.

What do you think - was my transfer case a lemon, or is this pretty typical?

 

[section525]

Your Explorer is far from a lemon. If you have zero maintainence from 0k till 100k you did awesome. That's not just for Explorer either. Thats any car any manufacturer.

Had you ever serviced the tcase and how fast were you going down these gravel roads in 4low?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Yeah I wish any of the vehicles I have had, or will ever get will go 100k with no work. Did you ever service the old one? If you use it every weekend I'm sure it needed a fluid change for a while. My TOD clutch is slipping in mine, or I have a streched chain. I'm pretty sure it's the clutch tho. I've got 111k on mine right now. I don't blame the t case. I use it. I mean abUSE it. I will probobly get a new one before next winter. 1500 seemes like WAY too much, especiallys rebuilt. A junkyard around here has on with 65 miles for $575. I'll prob snag that up.

 

[Doug]

my t-case went aroud 100k miles as well. i went out and bought as used borg warner 1354 manual shift from a ranger and have been pleased ever since. I think its the best mod i have done on my truck.

 

[funcrew]

Yep, the $1500 was a lot. Ford Dealer wanted $2400. The rebuilt unit has a new clutch-pack and new planetary gears, each of which would have been $700 separately. Going to the manual TC from the Ranger sounds great, but I needed to drive the exp to work the following Monday, know what I mean?

 

[Doug]

Well you may be SOL to you can either fix your current one or get a new one. my truck is my DD as well so i know where youre coming from. check out www.car-part.com you should be able to find a used t-case there. i got my manual t-case for 350.