Difficult to engage 4 wheel drive shift lever on JLU

[Sand Flea]

B&M Racing

Sponsored

 

[Yellowknife]

Hey all - i read every page of this. I have a 2019 as well, the shifting from 2H to 4H on the fly has never gotten easier and it has been shifted hundreds of times. When the vehicle was new (approaching 3 years this April) I was told by the dealer that it was normal. Based on what you guys say, it should have smoothed out by now. We have 6 months of winter per year here. I do a LOT of shifting because I don't leave in in 4wd if I don't need it, and I don't like having it engaged on tight corners. I'm almost over our initial 3 year warranty. I do have extended, but will be bringing it in for a couple other things and will follow up on this. Sounds like test driving a new one to compare would be pointless since they are all stiff at the start. I don't know anyone with one that is used like mine to try out myself. What may be interesting to you is that once I get it into 4H, if I stop and shift it out to 2H, it will shift back into 4H like butter, but every other shifting scenario, forget it. I've owned/own 2 Power Wagon's and do not have this issue with the shifter. I only engage in and out fo 4H while rolling and off the gas. I'm stumped as to why it hasn't ever gotten easier. It feels painful. Sometimes it won't even shift and it feels like I'm going to break the shifter off, though that is rare, like a couple times a year. 9000 miles on it. No issues with 4H to 4L and back. No difference from 2H to 4H whether auto tranny is in D or N. I've had her pop out of 4H into 2H during off roading making me believe it wasn't in 4H properly. I've also had 4H appear on dash when the shifter isn't fully seated in 4H and 4wd isn't engaged to the wheels. It kinda felt like an in-between on the shifter between 2H and 4H, though again that has happened a couple times a year so not often. I feel like my issue isn't normal based on everything you guys have explained.

 

[Heimkehr]

I have a 2019 as well, the shifting from 2H to 4H on the fly has never gotten easier and it has been shifted hundreds of times. When the vehicle was new (approaching 3 years this April) I was told by the dealer that it was normal. Based on what you guys say, it should have smoothed out by now. We have 6 months of winter per year here. I do a LOT of shifting because I don't leave in in 4wd if I don't need it, and I don't like having it engaged on tight corners.

I'm almost over our initial 3 year warranty. I do have extended, but will be bringing it in for a couple other things and will follow up on this.

I once had the transfer case shift lever on a Wrangler (not my current one) adjusted during the warranty period. The effort to move the lever out of 2H had suddenly become excessively difficult. IIRC, the technician made a simple adjustment to a cable(?) or some other part of the transfer case that had gone out of spec. Afterwards, correct operation was restored.

The foregoing mention of "out of spec" is just something to consider mentioning, in the event that you ask the Svc Dept to diagnose why the shift effort remains high, esp. given the vehicle's age and the frequent seasonal use of 4H, etc.

 

[Sand Flea]

I replaced the factory shifter with this B&M part.
The extra leverage makes shifting the x-fer case effortless.

 

[Yellowknife]

I once had the transfer case shift lever on a Wrangler (not my current one) adjusted during the warranty period. The effort to move the lever out of 2H had suddenly become excessively difficult. IIRC, the technician made a simple adjustment to a cable(?) or some other part of the transfer case that had gone out of spec. Afterwards, correct operation was restored.

The foregoing mention of "out of spec" is just something to consider mentioning, in the event that you ask the Svc Dept to diagnose why the shift effort remains high, esp. given the vehicle's age and the frequent seasonal use of 4H, etc.

An update... and it took this long because of covid backorders. Dealer agreed it was too stiff. Chysler advised dealer to open the transfer case and replace some parts (don't know what they are yet, awaiting copy of work order), when they reassembled it and I drove it away I had massive BANG's when shifting into 4HI. Brought it right back, they disassembled the case again, advised me that the synchronizer was put in backwards, they reassembled and the shifting is just as stiff as it was before so no improvement, and they told me that it is normal. Go figure. What I will do is test drive a new one and compare since I don't know anyone with the same case. I could film it for you guys if that would help? I have a tool that could measure the force required to get it into 4HI. My Power Wagon's transfer case is like butter. My gut still tells me there's something causing it to be this stiff to shift that could be corrected.

 

[John boy]

Mine was very tight. I spent a couple of hours driving gravel Forest Service roads shifting between 2wd, 4 hi and 4 lo. It still is stiff but much better. Shift while moving slow between 4 hi and 2wd. Use makes the shifting smoother. YMMV

 

[unsavory]

My 2018 JLUR was very stiff going into and out of 4 low, and smooth going into 4hi.

My 2023 JLUR shifts like butter for all ranges.

This tells me some of these transfer cases are probably not adjusted correctly at the factory, and there are large variances.

 

[Bob Burd]

2wd to 4hi and back should be a piece of cake. Doing so at 30mph should make no difference from 2mph. It's only 4hi to 4lo that should require some effort. That is best done at 2mph or slower.

 

[Chugiakguy]

It will loosen from 2H to 4H to 2H, over time. . Going to 4L and back is never easy.

As the owners manual reminded me, and as I learned with my first battles trying to shift my Dodge Ram pickup into and out of 4Lo, it is MUCH easier to do so if you are slightly moving, at say 1 or 2 mph, rather than sitting still.

 

[Sand Flea]

When shifting into 4 Low, I put the transmission into Neutral first.
Makes it much easier to transition from 4 Hi thru N and into 4 Low.

 

[Heimkehr]

When shifting into 4 Low, I put the transmission into Neutral first.
Makes it much easier to transition from 4 Hi thru N and into 4 Low.

Makes sense, since that's the precise instruction in the Owner's Manual.

 

[INCRHULK]

When shifting into 4 Low, I put the transmission into Neutral first.
Makes it much easier to transition from 4 Hi thru N and into 4 Low.

Also, the system won't let you shift into 4L unless you're in neutral (or park, IIRC).

Sponsored