Transfer Case Failure
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Transfer Case Failure
Co-worker has a 2018 F250 4x4 with 30,000 miles. Pulled away from a light the other day and transfer case split open and driveshaft hit exhaust. Took 2 weeks to get truck back but no explanation of what caused failure. Makes me a little nervous as I have the same truck with less miles. His truck was never driven off road and is clean. Ford said must have been a bad transfer case.
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Co-worker has a 2018 F250 4x4 with 30,000 miles. Pulled away from a light the other day and transfer case split open and driveshaft hit exhaust. Took 2 weeks to get truck back but no explanation of what caused failure. Makes me a little nervous as I have the same truck with less miles. His truck was never driven off road and is clean. Ford said must have been a bad transfer case.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 902
Likes: 51
From: Clark, WY
Modern transfer cases are cast aluminum, lighter weight. Case fractures/failures are not as uncommon as you would hope. The only thing I can tell you is the problem is not limited one model or brand. It is usually more of an issue on vics with live front axles, meaning the drive-line is not dis-connectable and turns all the time. We have hubs on the front axle that allow us to stop the front drive shaft and axles from turning.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Modern transfer cases are cast aluminum, lighter weight. Case fractures/failures are not as uncommon as you would hope. The only thing I can tell you is the problem is not limited one model or brand. It is usually more of an issue on vics with live front axles, meaning the drive-line is not dis-connectable and turns all the time. We have hubs on the front axle that allow us to stop the front drive shaft and axles from turning.
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This is your coworker; what do you know of them?
Is this his/her personal truck, or a work truck?
Any history of abuse? (4x4 pavement drag race starts, etc)
Which engine? There's a lot more torque in a boosted 6.7 than a stock 6.2 engine.
Any evidence that the xfer case lube level was either correct or low? Did he/she ever check it?
Not trying to place blame; just trying to understand any abnormal contributors.
It is not impossible to think a completely stock OEM component failed. But it's also not unheard of for folks to abuse equipment and then blame the OEM.
Generally the xfer case is not a high-warranty-claim item; failures in vehicles with stock drivetrains are rare.
Is this his/her personal truck, or a work truck?
Any history of abuse? (4x4 pavement drag race starts, etc)
Which engine? There's a lot more torque in a boosted 6.7 than a stock 6.2 engine.
Any evidence that the xfer case lube level was either correct or low? Did he/she ever check it?
Not trying to place blame; just trying to understand any abnormal contributors.
It is not impossible to think a completely stock OEM component failed. But it's also not unheard of for folks to abuse equipment and then blame the OEM.
Generally the xfer case is not a high-warranty-claim item; failures in vehicles with stock drivetrains are rare.
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Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Wyoming
My transfer case has been under a load of an almost 11,000 lb trailer, pulled up steep forest service roads in 4Lo. It's been put to the test and not found wanting.
Transfer case failures are rare.
Transfer case failures are rare.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 902
Likes: 51
From: Clark, WY
I mean since the late '80s. The first one I had was when they redesigned the chey's in '88. I do not know about every vehicle design that has ever been but I do know the trend has been going to lighter weight, and it ain't going back. When the Jeep JK's came out in '07 we had many failure of this nature. Even though manufacturing has continually improved you still have variations and defects that occur, not all are caught by quality control. If you go old school cast iron and gear driven (instead of chain) you don't have this kind of problem.
We drive mechanical devices not magic carpets, things break, it takes time to get parts, and time to get scheduled at the auto repair place. No need to run and hide under the covers or worse yet go to some other brand just because of a rare occurrence. It is certainly not a design flaw, just under the category of *****-happens.
We drive mechanical devices not magic carpets, things break, it takes time to get parts, and time to get scheduled at the auto repair place. No need to run and hide under the covers or worse yet go to some other brand just because of a rare occurrence. It is certainly not a design flaw, just under the category of *****-happens.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,228
Likes: 64
Of all the driveline issues I worked on in my auto career, transfer case failures were the rarest. When Chrysler went from the cast iron to the aluminum TC's there were a few growing pains, but it was quickly sorted out. GM had a problem with cases wearing out in a "thin" area and leaking fluid. Bu those cases failed because of the loss fluid, not the thin material.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 424
From: Too close to Houston
Co-worker has a 2018 F250 4x4 with 30,000 miles. Pulled away from a light the other day and transfer case split open and driveshaft hit exhaust. Took 2 weeks to get truck back but no explanation of what caused failure. Makes me a little nervous as I have the same truck with less miles. His truck was never driven off road and is clean. Ford said must have been a bad transfer case.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 7
I mean since the late '80s. The first one I had was when they redesigned the chey's in '88. I do not know about every vehicle design that has ever been but I do know the trend has been going to lighter weight, and it ain't going back. When the Jeep JK's came out in '07 we had many failure of this nature. Even though manufacturing has continually improved you still have variations and defects that occur, not all are caught by quality control. If you go old school cast iron and gear driven (instead of chain) you don't have this kind of problem.
We drive mechanical devices not magic carpets, things break, it takes time to get parts, and time to get scheduled at the auto repair place. No need to run and hide under the covers or worse yet go to some other brand just because of a rare occurrence. It is certainly not a design flaw, just under the category of *****-happens.
We drive mechanical devices not magic carpets, things break, it takes time to get parts, and time to get scheduled at the auto repair place. No need to run and hide under the covers or worse yet go to some other brand just because of a rare occurrence. It is certainly not a design flaw, just under the category of *****-happens.
Toyota for one.
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