flick2614
Well-Known Member
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- #1
Went to check off a bucket list trail today, came to a little water crossing at the entrance, still on the road in. Thought to myself I’m going to put it in 4wd just in case, water was flowing a bit and the bottom was not visible. Backed up a good 30 yards or so, pull on the transfer case and the shifter isn’t moving. Give it a little more gas and a little more ugies, still not budging. Worked just fine in and out a few times the day before.
Figured I’ll cross and try 4wd again on the other side; it’s a dirt road so it can’t be that deep. Realize it is that deep and I forgot to turn traction control off so now water is rising and the traction control is reducing rpm sending me into panic mode. Make to the other side, crack a beer to calm the nerves and crawl under a dripping wet Jeep to check the linkage.
Linkage Looks good underneath, little movement in the bushings but nothing that should bind at all. Front driveshaft turns free. Tomorrow I’ll check the linkage from the topside, probably replace the bushings in the lower linkage to cross that off. What else should I be checking here?
EDIT for anyone following or searching this in the future:
The fix for this is Mopar (68281541AC), the transfer case shifter cable. The assembly itself is stout but does have two plastic collars that will likely fail at some point, that failure is what happened to me. To access from the top side the center console has to be removed, the end of the cable just snaps on and off the dog ear, use a small flathead on the plastic collar to disengage and push up.
Starting from the transfer case end: there is a bracket on the side of the transfer case the cable connects into, the cable itself sits on top of the transfer case and is almost inaccessible. Looking from the bottom there are two bolts closest to the engine and one nut further back; at first glance it appears that unbolting at those three spots would drop the bracket down to make the cable connection point accessible however the two bolts are longer than they appear, the top bolt contacts the tub before clearing the bracket. The only way to remove this bolt is to lower the transfer case. Support the transfer case with a jack and unbolt the crossmember, lower until the bolt clears the tub, it should need less than an inch. Same procedure as the top to unsnap the terminal and disengage the plastic collar. Unbolt the grommet going through the tub, remove the old cable and reverse to install the new one.
Figured I’ll cross and try 4wd again on the other side; it’s a dirt road so it can’t be that deep. Realize it is that deep and I forgot to turn traction control off so now water is rising and the traction control is reducing rpm sending me into panic mode. Make to the other side, crack a beer to calm the nerves and crawl under a dripping wet Jeep to check the linkage.
Linkage Looks good underneath, little movement in the bushings but nothing that should bind at all. Front driveshaft turns free. Tomorrow I’ll check the linkage from the topside, probably replace the bushings in the lower linkage to cross that off. What else should I be checking here?
EDIT for anyone following or searching this in the future:
The fix for this is Mopar (68281541AC), the transfer case shifter cable. The assembly itself is stout but does have two plastic collars that will likely fail at some point, that failure is what happened to me. To access from the top side the center console has to be removed, the end of the cable just snaps on and off the dog ear, use a small flathead on the plastic collar to disengage and push up.
Starting from the transfer case end: there is a bracket on the side of the transfer case the cable connects into, the cable itself sits on top of the transfer case and is almost inaccessible. Looking from the bottom there are two bolts closest to the engine and one nut further back; at first glance it appears that unbolting at those three spots would drop the bracket down to make the cable connection point accessible however the two bolts are longer than they appear, the top bolt contacts the tub before clearing the bracket. The only way to remove this bolt is to lower the transfer case. Support the transfer case with a jack and unbolt the crossmember, lower until the bolt clears the tub, it should need less than an inch. Same procedure as the top to unsnap the terminal and disengage the plastic collar. Unbolt the grommet going through the tub, remove the old cable and reverse to install the new one.
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