About 4 months ago, I was driving my 2000 X goin 60MPGH in 2WD..... my hubs were set to Fords wonderful "Auto" position. I heard loud grinding so I immediatley let off the gas and slowed down, then pulled over. As I slowed down, I heard a BIG LOUD bang! And felt something hit the floor of the truck. When I finally stopped, I got out of the truck, and looked under it. My transfer case was broke into literally 2 pieces. I will have pictures soon. (When I could figure out this profile thing) It was unbelievable!!!!!! Everyone I called, looking for a new transfer case asked for a core, and I told them... the story, and no one believed me... I finally found one, and now I'm up and runnning great! If someone could please explain this, it would be great to know!!!!!!

 

First off....wow.....

Second, I really don't know how that could happen...

ESPECIALLY when you were in 2wd, this one is beyond me.

 

Were you by chance driving past Area 51? ha ha. Don't know what to say bud.

 

you might check the diff (ring and pinion) to see if it is broken. If there was a bind at the R&P and lock it up, that will send the jolt to the t case and crack it open. You hub shouldn't be an issue unless you have a full time locker.
my 02 cents.

Sorry to hear it.
David

 

I don't know how the x transfer case is put together but I had a Jeep that did the same thing. I am going to change the transfer case fluid in my x the next time I sevice the trans. I want to check it for metal shavings which indicate a problem before it explodes. If a seal leaks and the case is low on fluid if it could cause it to break. If your hubs are not disengaging the truck will hop and buck going around turns and stress u-jionts and the transfer case. All parts are going to break. Just our luck they happened early in the trucks life. JOHN

 

How many miles were on the truck?

Was the transfer case ever serviced? Were there any leaks? Where did it split/break?

All I can imagine is that one or both of your hubs was locked (or failed to unlock since they were in AUTO) and created some type of binding.

 

The truck had 55,000 miles on it when it happened, and right now I have 61,900. There were no leaks, and I'll try to get some pictures up so you can see the split. When I had pulled over there was tons of t case fluid all over the fram and under side of the truck and a lot of fluid was on the ground, and there was still some pouring out when I stopped. I'm guessing like Monsta, that the hubs didn't fully unlock because the previous owner had told me that they won't lock in auto, so I bet he was full of it, and really they woudn't unlock period. I like the idea of the auto hubs, but this weekend I'm installing manual lock out hubs, and new ball joints. This t case problem even messed up the u joint on the front drive shaft, so before winter I need to replace that nuckle.

78CrewCabJohn.... I'm going to check the t case every so many miles to see if there are any shavings....

It just stinks that this happened with only 55,000 on it....

 

Ok I am confused. If the hubs were locked but 4x4 not selected is the transfer case engaged. I thought the transfer case was idle until 4x4 was selected. Jim

 

Maybe someone else could explain this better than me, but from what AllData and Ford says about the way it works is that when the hubs are in "Auto" and your selector is on 2WD, then your hubs "should" be free. Which means the front axle and drive shaft shouldn't be turning. Hubs still in the "Auto" position and you select 4HI on your selector the hubs automactically get locked by vacum lines, solenoids, and plastic gears. Now the axle and the driveshaft turn.

When you get out and turn the hubs to "Lock" and the selector in 2WD the axle turns but is not getting any power from the t case. Hubs still in the "Lock" position, and you put the selector in 4HI, then you get power from the t case.

The whole point is for the luxury that when the hubs are in "AUTO", the person doesn't have to get out of the vehicle to LOCK the hubs when 4x4 is needed.

The point of having the "LOCK" option on the hubs is so that uncase the vacum lines, or solenoids, or anything like that doesn't work, you can manually get out and lock the hubs in case there is a need for 4x4...

If anyone can explain this better please do, but after a lot of research, this is what I have concluded.

 

Thanks Matt, that explains it. In auto the t/case is not engaged and the diff doesn't turn unless the hubs are manually locked or broken and engaged.

Jim

 

NP231s in Jeeps are known to do this as stated earlier. I would check to make sure you drive shaft slip isn't stuck.....if it stuck then when you hit a bump and your suspension moved up it would put all that force into the tcase through the shaft. You said your u-joints got messed up from the t-case, what happened did the u-joints break and leave the shaft hanging? If the u-joint on the axle side broke and the shaft dropped it could have caught on something on the road and jammed the ds into the t-case as well. I wouldn't think that gears binding would put enough strain to break the case....its possible but they would have to bind pretty bad. I hope some of this helps.

 

Thanks Purdue offroader.... both drive shafts were attached to the diff and the t case but when I took the drive shaft off, inside the knuckle there was some metal spring looking pieces all unraveled inside the knuckle on the front drive shaft....

 

Last night, I was finally able to get the pictures uploaded in My Album. Look in my gallery and you will see the pictures of my transfer case split!

 

OUCH yea that sucks. I'd say that the peices in your CV joint on the shaft probably kept it from being able to pivot and that put the force on the case to break it. That may not make sense but i don't know how else to explain it. The grinding you heard was probably the CV grinding up the centering spring and then there was the POP which was when a peice of the spring jammed the cv and broke the case.

 

Was the main drive chain broken? Did it jump off the sprocket?