Get To Know Your Vehicle's Transfer Case & Parts
What Is Transfer Case?
A transfer case is a segment of the drivetrain of four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, as well as other multiple powered axle automobiles. It is the transfer case which would transfer power from the transmission to the front and rear axles by means of drive shafts. It also makes sure to synchronize the gap which is between the rotation of the front and rear wheels, and might also contain one or more sets of low range gears for off-road use.
Where It Transfer Case Located?
The transfer case is situated between the transmission and front
and rear differentials via the driveshafts, creating a two-wheel drive (2WD) or
four-wheel drive vehicle. On a four-wheel or all-wheel drive (AWD) automobile,
it would direct the power to two or four wheels.
Types Of Transfer Case
Have a look at various types of
transfer cases:
Drive type
- Gear-driven - There are two divergent types of internal power-transfer mechanism
found in a lot of transfer cases. Sets of gears would be utilized by the
gear-driven transfer cases to drive either the front or both the front and rear
driveshafts. Generally, they are very strong as well as hefty units which are
utilized in large trucks, but there are currently several gear drives cases in
production for passenger cars.
- Chain-driven - A chain is used by the chain-driven transfer cases to drive one or both axles. This type is generally quieter and lighter than gear-driven ones. They are utilized in automobiles like compact trucks, full size trucks, Jeeps and SUVs.
Housing type
- Married - The married transfer cases are generally bolted directly to the
transmission, which is usually between the transmission's output shaft and the
rear or main driveshaft.
- Divorced/independent - This type of transfer case is totally discrete from the transmission. It is situated further down the driveline than a married transfer case and connected to the transmission output shaft by a short driveshaft.
Transfer case shift type
- M.S.O.F. - There is a selector lever on the driver's side floor transmission hump
in the Manual Shift On-the-Fly transfer cases. They might also have either two
sealed automatic front axle locking hubs or two manual front axle hub selectors
of "LOCK" and "UNLOCK" or "FREE".
- E.S.O.F. - There is a dash-mounted selector switch or buttons with front sealed
automatic locking axle hubs or drive
flanges in Electronic Shift On-the-Fly (ESOF) transfer cases.
How Does Transfer Case Works?
- It
is the car engine which would provide power to the transmission, and it would
then transfer that power to the transfer case. The power is sent from the output
shaft either through a chain or a set of gears, and then torque is sent to the
front and rear driveshafts, which would then deliver the power to the axles.
- The most common method with which we can power a transfer case are chains and the reason behind this is that they are quieter and lighter than gears. Now when the four-wheel-drive would not be engaged for part-time 4WD systems, then 100% of the power would be sent to the rear wheels.
- But when the four-wheel-drive would be engaged, then that power would be split evenly between the front and rear, powering all four wheels by the transfer case. The power is dispersed evenly as the transfer cases work in coordination with the drive axles, differentials, driveshafts, transmission, and wheels.
- Generally, there are two gear settings within the transfer case, that is the high and low. The gears which are low would provide more torque at slower speeds and are geared more toward intense off-road situations like rock crawling and hill climbing. And the gears which are high are for more basic off-roading situations such as ice, dirt and heavy rain.
Frequent Problems With Transfer Case
There
can be a lot of causes due to which a failure in the transfer case can be
caused. The two most common causes include failure in the shaft seal and the
other one is high mileage. Now when you will continue to utilize your car and
would add more miles on it, then this would simply cause all the parts in your
automobile to wear out. If you will not maintain your car properly, then might
notice that the higher your mileage, the older your vehicle, the higher your
risk for failure in the transfer case. The shaft seal which is situated on your
transfer case is designed in such a way that it can prevent the leakage of the
hydraulic fluid. But if the leakage would start due to the failure in the shaft
seal, then it would cause a lot of issues with your transmission and your gear
shift.
Symptoms Of Bad Transfer Case
Want
to know the symptoms of bad transfer case? Then all you have to do is to keep
reading further.
- Trouble
Shifting Gears -
One of the most common symptoms of some issue with the transfer case is that
there might be a lot of difficulty in shifting gears. There might be hesitation
to engage with specific gears.
- Unusual
Grinding Sounds - The
output shaft seal won’t only just keep fluid inside of your transfer case, but
at the same time would also act as a seal for the sounds which are produced by
the proceeding gears inside the transfer case. Now when the seal would become
faulty, then these sounds might start to escape out, which would give rise to
the unusual grinding from underneath your automobile.
- Erratic
Four-Wheel Drive Performance - There are three categories of four-wheel-drive
systems: part-time, full-time, and active. Part-time and active four-wheel
drives would allow the transmission to function in either two-wheel or
four-wheel drive. Now when it comes to the part-time system, the car driver
would manually make the change between these two choices, while in an active
drive, a computer would automatically shift to four-wheel drive at suitable
times.
Tools Needed For Transfer Case
There are a number of skilled auto mechanics who have a goal of opening
their own car repair shop at some point in their career. But let’s face it; if
you want to put up an efficient as well as profit making shop, then you might
need much more than mechanical skills. There are a number of tools which you
might need to perform the car repairs quickly as well as reliably. Auto repair
equipment that you will need to repair your Transfer Case may include:
- Transfer case rebuild kit
- Torque wrench
- Wrench
- Pliers
- Electric hand-held drill
- Heavy-duty jacks
- Transmission fluid
- Screwdriver
Top Brands For Transfer Case
Most of the people have a nature to avoid risk and seek safety. That is the reason why they would go with a familiar auto parts brand than a new one. It would prove to be safe and they know what to expect. Have a look at our top brands for Transfer Case which would offer safety and at the same time decrease the risk of disappointment.
Related Parts Of Transfer Case
There might be a big-picture overview of Transfer Case in your mind, and
now it’s time to look at its related components.
Total Costs & Repair Times, Effort For Transfer Case
Transfer
Case replacement cost can differ wildly depending on application, the brand of
the Transfer Case as well as who does the work. All you have to do is to
replace your faulty Transfer Case with us online and then you can leave your
car to the mechanic and pick it up a few days later. Just be sure that the car
mechanic is highly skilled and has a good reputation. Sometimes the additional
service level might cost you more than what you have expected. We also
recommend you to take pictures of your car before you leave it with them so
that you are sure that later on it is returned back to you in an unharmed
condition. If you want to substitute your Transfer case, then it would
generally range between $2,570 and $2,671. Talking about the work expenses,
they would range between $380 and $481and the parts would be evaluated at
$2190.
How To Change Transfer Case
Here
are the steps which you should follow while changing your transfer case:
Step
1
Firstly,
you will have to slip under the automobile so that you can work properly. Raise
your car by using heavy-duty jacks. Just be sure that you use one jack for each
of the wheels.
Step
2
The
bolts that hold the skip plate in place should be removed by utilizing an
electric hand-held drill. The plate is in charge of housing the transfer case
inside the automobile. Carefully place the bolts and place aside.
Step
3
Search
for the drain plug which holds the fluid inside that would keep the transfer
case lubricated. The plug should be opened up so that the liquid can be drained
properly from the case.
Step
4
Then
you should remove the bolts and nuts from the four-wheel drive sensor, front
drive shaft, shifter linkage, and rear drive shaft by utilizing a wrench. Then
the transfer case should be removed. screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches should
be used to take out the screws as well as bolts that would hold the parts in
place. The sensor should be removed and carefully disconnect the hose.
Step
5
It
is advisable to utilize the electric hand-held drill to loosen as well as
remove the bolts on the cover of the transfer case. After that you should take
the retaining clip slid out from the case oiler from the shaft. The pliers
should be applied inside the lid to be able to get rid of the clip.
Step
6
A
drill should be taken to remove the bolts that hold the snap ring, viscous
clutch coupling, output shaft drive, chain, drive gear, front output drive gear
shifter shaft, input shaft seal retainer, input shaft snap ring, output flange,
output shaft and input shaft. Just be sure that you do these in the perfect
order.
Step
7
Then
the new parts which are included in the rebuild kit should be mounted. Then the
transmission fluid should be added properly so that you can lubricate the
replacement parts while installing them.
Step
8
The
transfer case should be closed by reinserting the oiler disc and then the
retainer clip should be snapped back in place. The cover on the case should be
lined up by using a torque wrench to tighten the bolts.
Step
9
The transfer case should be restored back to its position in the car. The bolts which are holding it in place should be secured properly by utilizing the electric drill or wrench. The plug cap should be carefully removed and then carefully fill the case with the correct amount of transmission fluid and then the plug should be put back. And then finally you’re done!
