Unbelievable morning,
1999 4.0L Auto, Electric transfer case. #?

Son was on his way up from Eugene for Thanksgiving dinner. Calls and tells me that he's sitting on the side of the road. The transfer case just fell off.
What ???





Any ideas? Looks like the transmission extension broke off. Front drive shaft torn off. Rear drive shaft came off.
Transmission was just rebuilt 4 months ago. Maybe 3000 miles.

Worst part. He left the transfer case on the side of the road. Two hundred feet back up the road.
I kind of doubt it will be there tomorrow when we go and get the truck.

 

The rear driveshaft is bolted to the transfer case, I don't see the bolts or the flange. The bolts could be sheared off, I can't see from the pics.

My first thought is that the rear driveshaft bolts fell out and this could have caused a huge vibration that could have broken the extension housing causing the whole thing to come out, its just a guess.

I bet that made a hell of racket coming apart like that, good thing he is ok, it could have been nasty.

 

well the extension housing looks like it broke. but did something hit it? did front axle break and swing around and wack it a few times. did rear axle fall off or become majorly out of balanced. did you son beat the hell out of it, off roading or what not (I know everyones kid is perfect and they would not think of doing anything other than get good grades in school and do everything parents say).


its kinda like at this point what came first chicken or egg...... but you do know one thing if the transmission was rebuild recently they were the last ones to touch it so I would start there.


Another thing to ponder, if the transfer case fell out he would have had to run it over with the rear end how did he make it 200 feet further with no drive line????

 

Took it back to the shop the did the rebuild. He was very embarrassed. He's just glad no one hit the transfer case and had a wreck.
His fault, no questions asked.
Haven't got it back yet. Probably looking for a gas tank.

Can't tell what the sequence of events was. He did run over the transfer case with the right rear tire.

 

Wow,


guess the rebuild guy left a few pieces out.


Shame that nowadays you need to go behind them and just have a look.

 

Best I can tell. They didn't go back and torque the bolts on the rear driveshaft.
It took 9 months and 6000 miles for them to come loose.