BW1354 vs BW4405

[CDW6212R]

FYI, my rear shaft with the DC joint is 36" from flange to front u-joint. I thought that it looked fairly short, but others have mentioned their shaft to be 34" between u-joints. I agree that the DC joint will be helpful. Regards,

 

[gijoecam]

Joe...when I say syncro, I mean like is used in a manual transmission. There is NO drag whatsoever when not being used. When you shift to 4WD, it would simply shove the ring into the front output side and spin everything up to speed. Perhaps the mass of the entire front end is too much for that set up. However, there ARE syncro transfer cases out there. I've got this one apart and I think there's more to it than we think. But I'm still looking at it.

I understand what you're saying, but there is still a moment during the shift where the mechanical synchros would make contact and while they're spinning up the front driveline, the motor would be stalled at that position trying to put pressure on the system to get it to mesh. The shift motors just aren't designed to do that... Doing so would burn them (the shift motors) out in no time.

Spinning up the front drivetrain to match the rear at 55 mph is no small feat. In the f-series trucks with the manual transfer case, the electromagnetic clutch takes about a second or a second and a half to do it. A mechanical synchr wouldn't be any faster. There's a lot of mass there that needs to go from zero to real-fast in as short a time as possible. It's not like speeding up or slowing down an already-turning countershaft inside a transmission; there's a lot of rotational inertia to overcome in the driveshaft and front differential.

I suspect that the synchr transfer cases you mentioned aren't necessarily designed to shift on the fly up to 55 mph, or aren't electronically shifted. Keep in mind that the same 44-06 case was used by ford in both a manual shift and electric shift, with the same internals. It's cheaper for them to make two cases identical inside, one with a lever and one with a motor than it would be to make two mechanically different transfer cases. From the business side, that just makes sense.

 

[Cobraguy]

Ok...I have my 4406 put back together after freshening it. I applied power to the clutch while it was on the bench and spun the output shaft at the same time. What happens is the front output begins to turn. However, if it were in a vehicle, it wouldn't turn as any resistance at all stops it from spinning. My guess is the gap between the plates is too great to pull them together and engage 4WD. Bummer. I also suspect that they use this electromagnetic clutch just like we talked about...as a synchro. As the manual lever pushes the slider towards 4WD engagement, it does indeed spin up the front driveline as it engages. I'm bummed. I was hoping it would be strong enough to actually engage the slider. Back to plan B and a cable operated 4WD lever...

 

[chriswells78]

It takes a decent amount of force to shift the case. How do you plan on using a cable? About the only way I could see that working is with two cables and one pulley so you would have the ability to push and pull on the lever with the pull of a handle

 

[gijoecam]

A push-pull cable will do the trick. Then you can mount just about any kind of lever in just about any position you want.

As for the clutch, it should come as no surprise that it's a synchro, just as I already explained. Keep in mind that it doesn't take much force to spin up the front driveline either. It works and works well every time I engage the 4wd on the fly in my F-150. The system in the manual 44-06 out of an F-150 isn't designed to lock it on-demand. Now, they also make a 44-06 that is an on-demand case. It was installed in all the Expeditions from 97 to 2000. It's essentially a super-sized 44-05, but is functionally identical. (the schematics are almost identical to a 95-96 Explorer's, save for a 4th position on the switch) They are a ball-ramp torque-on-demand system just like the V-6 Explorers.

 

[Cobraguy]

I know Joe...but I was hoping. I really thought I could slice a fat cat in the butt on that one! But not to be.

You are correct on the push/pull cable. Just like the trans shifter cable. It will have to be a high quality one. But I think it can be done easy enough. Not hard...just a lot of time coming up with the right brackets, etc. I wish I could drive one of yours with the shifter so I could see if it's going to bother me at all and hit my leg. I sit kind of weird, so it might. I also just ordered brand new carpeting for it and it would kill me to cut that expensive rug up!

 

[chriswells78]

take a 7" (I think that's about how tall it is but I never really measured it) piece of broom handle and stand it on the edge of the transmission hump right about where the middle console compartment is (or message center buttons if you have them). That is exactly where mine sits. If you have a body lift, it will be even shorter.

You also might be able to cut the shifter down some too if it is too tall for you.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Now, they also make a 44-06 that is an on-demand case. It was installed in all the Expeditions from 97 to 2000. It's essentially a super-sized 44-05, but is functionally identical. (the schematics are almost identical to a 95-96 Explorer's, save for a 4th position on the switch) They are a ball-ramp torque-on-demand system just like the V-6 Explorers.

And the system works sooooo nice in the snow, on the road.

 

[fd morgan]

Even if they mount the same, getting the system to work properly behind the V-8 could prove to be a huge challenge. However, I believe you may be neglecting the fact that the transmissions are different between the 4.0 and the V-8, and, therefore, so are the t-cases. While the 44-05 and 13-54 may both bolt up to the 4R55 trans behind the V-6, I don't think either of them will bolt up to the V-8 trans (forget the model... Brain fart).

Now, even if you could get the proper adapter to mate the 44-05 with the V-8's trans, I wouldn't recommend it. Getting the GEM from the V-6 to play nice with the PCM from the V-8 is going to be enough of a challenge as it is...

if your using the 5.0 +transmission+4405 transfer case it will bolt right in. i'm swapping from a late model 98 EB to my 01 ranger 4x4. already have the 31 spline disc brake rear end transferred. just had to match the 4.10's to the front drive train. running 33x12.50x15's

 

[fd morgan]

Even if they mount the same, getting the system to work properly behind the V-8 could prove to be a huge challenge. However, I believe you may be neglecting the fact that the transmissions are different between the 4.0 and the V-8, and, therefore, so are the t-cases. While the 44-05 and 13-54 may both bolt up to the 4R55 trans behind the V-6, I don't think either of them will bolt up to the V-8 trans (forget the model... Brain fart).

Now, even if you could get the proper adapter to mate the 44-05 with the V-8's trans, I wouldn't recommend it. Getting the GEM from the V-6 to play nice with the PCM from the V-8 is going to be enough of a challenge as it is...

-Joe

I had the same concern as you before I did the 4406 swap. I saw 97V8's in person and didn't like where it was located. Finally, when I did the swap I decided leg room wasn't as important as a bigger fuel tank and all the extra work of an electric case. Now that I have it in there, I hardly notice it. My leg has never touched it that I have noticed.

As far as the 99 versus 95, I would do the 99. Who cares if the title is not clean, your going to drive it, not sell it for a profit. Correct? If the 95 interior is better, swap it in to the 99. Swapping interiors is 300x easier than swapping drivetrains. Just my $.02.

i would recommend getting the vehicle assembly # that it's coming out of from a ford dealer to match-up transfer case to tranny. (wire harness)