Thread: Sticky transfer case

I wonder if the transfer case was binding up,,
all 4 tyres the same size?

mine unlocks at the lever easy enough, but sometimes needs a small reverse to unlock itself

Has it got any oil in it?

John

replace the oil with good oil a grade lighter than specified clean the outside of the case to make sure that its not just crap caught in the linkages...

if the engaging dog is worn it can kink itself on the shaft and wedge. When that happens it feels like its jammed up. if you move the vehicle slowly while you shift it it shouldnt bind up reverse is better than forwards. But it should disengage quite easily at speed in a straight line if it is just the dog sticking due to excess slop.

or

put two wheels on the dirt, accelerate slightly and disengaged simultaneously.

That will get rid of any transmission wind up.

Toyota's really easily bound their transfercases, and when driving them in the snow, it was necessary to to induce some wheel spin to slip out of 4WD before hitting the sealed road.

I find the same technique helps with unlocking the centre diff in the Range Rover if it binds up a bit.

I'd guess it's wind up too, if you locked it for soft sand then perhaps didn't attempt to unlock untill safe on hard ground again, perhaps after some manouvering as well .

I can guarantee that it wasn't transmission wind up as I was spinning profusely in the soft sand trying to pull the van out. As soon as I gained traction (still on the sand surface) I tried to disengage the CDL and couldn't budge the lever. I spun the tyres and also reversed up thinking that somehow it could possibly be wind up, but all efforts were to no avail. I ended up just puttinf so much force on the lever that I managed to slowly get it to come accross. As soon as it came accross the CDL disengaged. It didn't seem to be the disengaging that was the problem, it was more like the lever just didn't want to co-operate. I had just changed all the oils before I left home with quality oils and had only done a couple thousand k's so that was not the problem either. Thanks anyway guys. There is no problems going from high range to low range and back, but I haven't been game to engage the CDL again since it happened.