A couple days ago I noticed a noise which was going with the rythm of my tires spining. It stopped when the vehicle stopped. I got out and had someone pull it forward and backwards while I looked underneath it and noticed that the front driveshaft was spinning as the truck moved. It was not shifted into 4x4.

I tried locking the hubs to see if 4x4 still worked and it did. I think the transfer case is just stuck somehow.

Has anyone had this problem?

I have a 1989 Ford Bronco full size with and AOD transmission and manual loccking hubs with manual shift transfer case.

 

Does the t/case shift normally? 4x4 is controlled by moving a dog into a gear by means of a shift fork, and you can feel the motion when you move the tcase shifter in and out of 4wd. When you locked the hubs to test 4x4, did you shift the t/case into 4wd, or just leave it where it was? Hows the tcase fluid? If you run it dry all sorts of bad things can happen (ask me how I know).

 

I haven't yet checked the fluid.
Yes, when its not stuck, it shifts normally.
When i tested it I shifted in 4x4 and locked the hubs.
I put all 4 weels on jacks and attempted to pinpoint the noise. I determined the noise is coming from the rear driveshaft. So now, not only is my4x4 skrewy but my driveshaft or something linked to it is also skrewy.
Is it possible that a bad transfer cas could vibrate the rear driveshaft?

 

Its more likely bad universal joints that will make the driveshaft vibrate. If the output shaft bearing in the tcase goes bad, it will also make the driveshaft vibrate, but its much more likely the ujoints.
When you put the truck on jacks, did the front driveshaft move?
Yes, when its not stuck, it shifts normally. So does that mean that sometimes it doesnt shift normally? That would mean a bad tcase.

 

I'll try and start over so I cover all the bases and give you all the info. Caution this will be long.

Saturday, I noticed a vibrating type noise that went in sequence with the turning of my wheels. When I stopped, it stopped. When I would put my hand on the 4X4 shift, I could feel banging unusual to the normal vibrations that you feel in the shifter. The banging was in sequence with the noise. When I would shift it into 4X4 the noise really got loud. It sounded as if the front axle shafts were spinning and vibrating in the front locking hubs (which were not locked). If I locked the hubs it would eliminate the sound.

After I stopped the vehicle, I got under it and tried to turn the front driveshaft with my hands and noticed that it would not move freely like it should when not shifted into 4X4. Naturally I thought that was my problem. However as I found out yesterday it seems to only be one problem.

Yesterday, I test drove it and right off the bat the front driveshaft was not stuck like it was the day before. I drove it around and still heard the same noises but the front driveshaft never did lock up. I decided to gat all 4 whells off the ground and inspect it as the wheels turned. I took the front wheels off and left the back wheels on. In 2 wheel drive and in 4X4 the rear driveshaft made a banging noise and vibrated. The front driveshaft seemed quiet. Only once did the front driveshaft get temporarily stuck in 4X4 while it was on jacks and it did it for only about 5 seconds then it let loose.

I pulled the front driveshaft and noticed that one of the caps on the back u-joint was missing.

I recently (within a year) changed all the u-joints on the rear driveshaft as well as replaced the slip portion of the shaft. I plan to take the rear shaft down this evening and inspect those u-joints but i am 99% sure that they are fine. One u-joint in the front driveshaft is about a month old and the other is who knows how old. I plan to replace that as well.

I don't know what to do after that. I don't know where else the clunking sound would come from on the rear driveshaft if the u-joints are good.
Can the transfer case cause that? Can slack in the rear end cause that? Can unbalanced rear wheels cause that? I plan to put the front wheels on the rear to rule out the unbalanced wheel thing.

When I say it doesn't shift normally, I mean that if I shift it in 4X4 when it is already stuck, thats not normal. It always shifts normally and has never failed to not engage 4x4. The abnormal shifting I was refering to is it not shifting back into 2x4 when it gets stuck.

If I were to have to get the transfer case rebuilt, how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks for all your help so far.

 

well, i just went through somthing very similar. my 88 f150 got stuck in 4 low, miles away from home, so that was a fun trip back home. what happened with mine is the tips off the shift arm broke off. the shift arm from napa is 40 bucks, so it on order now, and should be here wenesday. mine, felt like it was shifting, because of the locks inside of the case that make the case stay in one gear instead of just flopin around, but it didnt change anything. hope this all helps.

 

How Did You Determine That The Tips Broke On That Shifter? Do You Have To Open Up The Transfer Case? How Involved Is Doing This?

 

yea, on mine i opened up the t case, and when i opened it, the two tips fell out. to pull the case, pull the drive shafts, the speedo cable, the 4wd indicator wire, and the shift linkage, and then its like 8 or 10 bolts around the case holding it to the tranny. make sure you got a oil pan handy as there is gonna be some trany fluid commin out with it. then pullin the case apart is nothin, just some bolts.

 

OK that does sound like the transfer case has a problem. It should never go into 4wd by itself. I think you have the borg warner 1356 case, if so, its not a hard rebuild.
In 2 wheel drive and in 4X4 the rear driveshaft made a banging noise and vibrated This could be the tcase also, unless you saw the shaft vibrating. I guess it could be the rear end or tires even.
If I were you Id pull the back of the transfercase off and have a look. Repair manuals (Chiltons and such) usually have a good writeup, thats what I used. Find the exact model and post it, or do a search for rebuilds for it. I have a B/W 1356 that needed an oil pump mount and shift fork, and a got a new seal kit.

 

In The Repair Manual I Have, When You Get To Talking About The Transfer Case, It Says "this Is Beyond The Scope Of This Manual" And That I Should Take It To A Specialist.

Does Anyone Know Of Any Good Manuals That May Show The Borg Warner 1356?

Also, How Heavy Is The Transfer Case? If I Take All The Bolts Out, Will I Get Crushed Under It? Should I Put A Jack Under It Or Is It A Managable Weight?

 

well, when you get all the bolts out, it will still be susspended due to the meshing splines, but it is kinda akward once you separate it. i pulled it myself, but had a bunch of flat boxes stacked under it to help cushion the fall in case it did drop, but i got it and carried it the few hundred feet from the road to the shop, so it not that bad. if you go to napa, theve got printouts of the case, thats where i got mine.

 

Ok, I'll Give It A Shot This Evening.
I Got A Blown Up View Of The T-case Off The Internet. It's Pretty Decent, It May Be All I Need.

Has Anyone Pulled Their T-case And Brought It Somewhere To Get Rebuilt? What Should That Cost? (just In Case I Open The Thing This Evening And Chicken Out)

 

You wont chicken out, its a pretty simple case actually, once you open er up and look around a bit youll see. You need a torx T50 bit for the case bolts, and some sturdy snap ring pliers for the output shaft ring.

 

yeah, i need to go get me some snap rign pliers. other than that I guess I'm ready to screw something up! Thanks for yalls help.

 

ok I got the transfer case down and am in the process of opening it up but I ran into a snag. I can,t seem to get the spedometer gear off of the input shaft in order to seperate the two halves. I believe I need to stick a screwdriver in a little acess hole and depress a ball but that ball aint moving. Any suggestions? I took pictures of it. They are in my gallery.