SO; do transfer cases just suddenly go bad?

[femurphy77]

The story; my '00 Eddie Bauer V8 Automatic died on me at lunch last Friday, I came out of the restaurant and it wouldn't start. Never any indication prior to that of pending doom. I hitch a ride back to work and after work take a few minor tools and a meter to do some rudimentary troubleshooting whilst waiting on my ride home.

During this time I determine that the starter is toast (original 250,000 mile starter) and call the wrecker service to haul it the 20 miles home. I'm scheduled to meet with someone at approximately the same time the wrecker is scheduled to show up so throw the driver my keys and head to my meeting.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon, I jack up the front end to change the starter and notice that I'm EASILY able to spin the front tires with the rears still on the ground, odd I think but I'm more concerned with crawling around on concrete in 40 degree weather changing a starter.

Upon finishing the job I jump in, fire it up and head to the parts store to return the core. On the way the right front tire hits a minor bump and the whole front end starts shaking like a tire is about to fall off so I stop and give everything a quick once over. On the drive home there is a noticeable vibration and I get the "death shake" a couple of more times before pulling in the driveway.

Putting two and two together I've come to the conclusion that the viscous clutch is suddenly toast where prior to the tow there wasn't even a slice of bread, toaster, etc. In other words all was well with the Ex! I was not there when it was loaded or unloaded and the tow company said the rig they sent out doesn't even have a wheel lift on it hence my question: can a transfer case, with zero signs of failure SUDDENLY die?

I'm going to check with the bank next door to where I had lunch and see if they have any outside footage of the time frame so I can see for myself that my Ex was indeed loaded on a flatbed and not towed 2 down. At this point I'm having a hard time believing it.

 

[Macgiobuin]

If your Ex is an all time AWD, or if it is set on 4WD hi or 4WD low, then it is NOT supposed to be towed with one set of wheels on the ground. That's why the popularity of crawlback flatbeds. I think you have a cause of action to sue the tow truck driver for not putting the road tracking wheels on dollies, because those wheels are NOT supposed to be rotating while the other axle wheels are still. Towing instructions are in your owner's handbook.

 

[femurphy77]

Update: I spoke to the tow service and the said they loaded it on the flatbed and did not tow it two wheels up. I have a witness at the restaurant that confirms the story so the apparent transfer case problem can't be related to improper towing procedure.

Just grasping at straws here; they would have loaded it on the flatbed rear end first so is it possible the transfer case is simply low enough on fluid that it all drained out of wherever it is supposed to be? It would have been pulled onto the flatbed at a pretty steep angle (relatively) so perhaps all the oil drained out of the viscous coupling causing it to slip and do weird things. I don't know, I've looked at several transfer case rebuild threads trying to determine what could be causing the issue. The only thing I've figured out so far is that I can't just pull the front drive shaft and drive it like a two wheel drive.

 

[Turdle]

The front wheels should easily spin when off the ground, this is the front differential doing it's job
Note when you do this the tires will spin in the opposite direction of each other.



Now, if the font drive shaft itself was turning, this would be a problem.

 

[Flash]

I've read on this forum that you can pull the front shaft to drive it, just the Park won't work.
You can still use the park brake though.

The front end shaking is usually a symptom of air getting into the power steering caused by turning the front wheels with the engine turned off.

The way to bleed the steering is to cycle the steering back and forth a few times, do a few figure 8s in a big car park.

It's my understanding that when a viscous coupled transfer case gets "cooked" fluid that the fluid gets very thick and the case locks up; but I really know nothing about the Ex viscous coupling.

 

[1997XLTRollover]

As Flash said, you turned the wheels when the truck was off. Go bleed your PS system and I bet all will be well.

 

[SWIGIN]

I've read on this forum that you can pull the front shaft to drive it, just the Park won't work.
You can still use the park brake though.

My 98 had no front driveshaft when I bought it and park worked just fine.

I have heard it repeated over and over again online that park wont keep the vehicle from drifting when parked. This was not case for me, I drove it like that for months and the parking pin would hold the vehicle anywhere I parked it.

It must have happened before but it does not always happen apparently.

 

[XLTrunner]

As I understand it, the "drifting" with front drive shaft removed pertains to the AWD vehicles...not Control Trac.

 

[femurphy77]

After further investigation and with the insight provided by Turdle and Flash I have to concur that the violent shaking was indeed a result of air in the power steering system due to moving the steering wheel with the engine not running. As to the front wheels being able to turn with the rears on the ground; I'm pretty sure that I have had the backs in the air and couldn't turn them with the fronts on the ground so assumed it worked in the opposite situation. Of course I've slept since then and may have dreamed it all up. Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and solutions I'm now back on the road in my Explorer.

 

[Flash]

I'm now back on the road in my Explorer.

Good job.

 

[1997XLTRollover]

After further investigation and with the insight provided by Turdle and Flash I have to concur that the violent shaking was indeed a result of air in the power steering system due to moving the steering wheel with the engine not running. As to the front wheels being able to turn with the rears on the ground; I'm pretty sure that I have had the backs in the air and couldn't turn them with the fronts on the ground so assumed it worked in the opposite situation. Of course I've slept since then and may have dreamed it all up. Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and solutions I'm now back on the road in my Explorer.

Front diff is an open diff, rear is quite possibly a LSD. That's why front moves and rear doesn't. Turn your rear wheels really hard when off the ground and they'll spin. You just have to overpower the clutches in the rear.


Far as front driveshaft removed, as said above an AWD (4x4 is different) with the front driveshaft removed WILL ROLL IN PARK. Now some people may never experience this if they do not park on a hill, but park it on a hill, walk away for an hour and come back and your truck will be gone. It will seem like it's holding but in reality it is slowly slipping and rolling away.

 

[masospaghetti]

Far as front driveshaft removed, as said above an AWD (4x4 is different) with the front driveshaft removed WILL ROLL IN PARK. Now some people may never experience this if they do not park on a hill, but park it on a hill, walk away for an hour and come back and your truck will be gone. It will seem like it's holding but in reality it is slowly slipping and rolling away.

^ +1, this. It rolls so slowly you won't notice until it ends up in the neighbor's yard.

 

[Lazerskull]

The story; my '00 Eddie Bauer V8 Automatic died on me at lunch last Friday, I came out of the restaurant and it wouldn't start. Never any indication prior to that of pending doom. I hitch a ride back to work and after work take a few minor tools and a meter to do some rudimentary troubleshooting whilst waiting on my ride home.

During this time I determine that the starter is toast (original 250,000 mile starter) and call the wrecker service to haul it the 20 miles home. I'm scheduled to meet with someone at approximately the same time the wrecker is scheduled to show up so throw the driver my keys and head to my meeting.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon, I jack up the front end to change the starter and notice that I'm EASILY able to spin the front tires with the rears still on the ground, odd I think but I'm more concerned with crawling around on concrete in 40 degree weather changing a starter.

Upon finishing the job I jump in, fire it up and head to the parts store to return the core. On the way the right front tire hits a minor bump and the whole front end starts shaking like a tire is about to fall off so I stop and give everything a quick once over. On the drive home there is a noticeable vibration and I get the "death shake" a couple of more times before pulling in the driveway.

Putting two and two together I've come to the conclusion that the viscous clutch is suddenly toast where prior to the tow there wasn't even a slice of bread, toaster, etc. In other words all was well with the Ex! I was not there when it was loaded or unloaded and the tow company said the rig they sent out doesn't even have a wheel lift on it hence my question: can a transfer case, with zero signs of failure SUDDENLY die?

I'm going to check with the bank next door to where I had lunch and see if they have any outside footage of the time frame so I can see for myself that my Ex was indeed loaded on a flatbed and not towed 2 down. At this point I'm having a hard time believing it.

Sorry to regurgitate an old thread. But the answer is Yes and. No.

After experiencing this firsthand. And replacing mine. It took a bit of Sherlock investigative deductive reasoning to theorize a step by step of my TC's demise.


It goes something like this.
First.
FLUID was bad.
Still drove 4x4 all year snowy roads no issue. Limited slip etc performing beautifully.
Always took care to turn off 4x4 if for example a snowy road turned to just a rainy one. Etc. And never drive over 55 mph in 4x4 high.


Second.
Hit an ice block in a snowbank while in 4x4 and doing a left turn. It blew out my lower ball joint and shook loose the top control arm.

At the time it was a jarring hit and run but driving away didn't notice any symptoms.

Third.
Same day was leaving summit on snowy roads had 4x4 engaged started highway Downhill going from 7k, to 5.5 - 6k snowy roads turned to rain wet. Was going way too fast for 4x4.

Hit speeds over 60mph. Got off highway turned off 4x4 but not after a few miles of higher speeds on a wet not slippery road.

Driving this fast in 4x4 with a sudden change to no slippery roads... On a blown out drivers side front suspension... Probably caused "something to happen."

But I drove down the hill again noticing no symptoms.

(and let's remember... Fluid is dirt black and horrible this whole time)


I go down the hill and get my tires rotated.
Fronts to backs.

At this point it has been driving fine.

At this point I am not sure if they left one tire (rear passenger) under inflated. I wouldn't come to discover it months later. Being 25 psi and the rest are 40 psi.
I won't know for awhile if that tire just has a leak or if they royally blew it.


Point being that kind of imbalance in PSI could exacerbate the AWD causing it to flip in and out.

Driving down the highway from 3k to 100ft a regular commute, no longer using 4x4 but once every 60 seconds or so I hear a THUD
under the driver front side.
Like a U bolt or something.

Just seems to come every min. THUD.

More of a thud than a bang.


I make a mental note "get this thing to the tyranny shop ASAP."

Next day I am going toward the tyranny shop. The phantom THUD is now every 10 seconds.


Basically something is on its last legs and about to blow up.

I pull over to get some groceries.

Leaving the parking lot BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG grrrrrrrrr (grinding sound) I got first lt gear I limp into a gas station across the intersection.


It gets towed to the tyranny shop he says Tcase is blown.


It wasn't until hunting down a new /used one. That I could recall all these events and deduce a possible scenario of why the TCASE "suddenly blew up."

When replacing my front brakes and rotors also my driver side had fully totally seized caliper pins and uneven brake wear... Also not helping the transfer case probably.

The irony is their application is for a supposedly "rugged" 4 wheeling right? The reality is they are super sensitive and need constant attention or, like I experienced, they will slowly disintegrate and blow up.