Shift Pattern for 1972 CJ5

New to the forum and Jeep ownership, so please forgive my ignorance. I just got a 1972 CJ5 but I can't find 4 wheel Hi. The knob on the transfer lever shows 4 Hi all the way forward, 2 Hi, neutral, then 4 Lo all the way back. It feels like 2 Hi, neutral, something (but the front drive shaft stays free and gearing seems to match Lo) and then 4 Lo. Any suggestions? Transmission is a standard 3 speed H-pattern.

[Jim_Lou]

Welcome to the board! You're in for a fun ride!

There is supposed to be an interlock that prevents the transfer case from going into 2wd low range, but it wears out quickly. That's what you've found between neutral and 4wd low. It's OK to use it under certain circumstances, such as driving in a parade where you want to go slowly but don't need much pulling power. Remember that you can apply twice as much torque in low range, and all of it is going through only the rear driveshaft, so be conservative with the application of power.

4wd high range is there, but sometimes it takes a little doing to get to it. The cogs have to be lined up right, and if you're just driving down a dirt road everything is turning at the same speed so it can be a while until there's enough differential to line things up. Just roll forward while pushing on the lever and it should go in.

You mentioned "the front driveshaft stays free" which suggests that you have unlocking front hubs that look something like this.

DSCN0294a.JPG

They unlock the front hub from the front axle to save fuel and wear on the front drive components when 4wd isn't needed. If they're unlocked you can't get drive to the front wheels, so you might think you're not getting the transfer case into 4wd high when you really are.

And one more quirk of that transfer case, a Dana 20 by the way, is that it often doesn't want to come out of 4wd low. That's because there's usually a slight difference between the front and rear wheels that creates a bind in the transfer case. If it doesn't want to come out, drive slowly forward in a straight line while jerking up on the handle. If you still can't get it out, drive backward and jerk on the handle. Eventually you'll get it to come out.

Thanks for the help. I will keep messing with it. Yes I do have the front hubs and they do lock in the front driveshaft when in the 4x4 position. I was just trying it with them unlocked as it seemed a simple way to see if the transfer case had actually gone into 4 hi, by having someone manipulate the lever inside while I was out on the ground checking the front driveshaft. Yes, we did this with the engine turned off. It just seemed that no matter whether rolling forward or backward, fast or slow, the lever would go no further forward.

[Jim_Lou]

If you look at the transfer case shift linkage you'll see two shafts operated by a toggle arm that in turn is linked to the shift lever. Each shaft has three positions. I'd suggest getting both axels up on jackstands and then watching those shafts while your buddy works the shift lever. See if you can get each shaft into each position. It could be that the shift lever is hitting the front of the cutout in the floor and that's what's stopping it from going into 4HI.

I pulled the boot off the transfer case lever and the lever is not hitting the front of the cutout or anything else. It does appear that the shaft to the right is only getting 2 positions and not 3 as you say it should. The left shaft seems to get 3 positions and come out further, but it appears the right shaft is stuck on something, keeping it from coming out to the 3rd position.

[LEVE]

Just a thought here... it's not uncommon for owners to swap out components. So, the first thing to do is to confirm the transfer case that's in the Jeep.

You should have a Dana 20.