[858]

I have been having some problems with shifting in and out of 4WD.. I have tried all the little tricks like driving slowly back and forwards, constant pressure, quick hard thrusts, and my tires are the same size (I still had this problem when I got a full set of brand new tires).. The only way I have found is to get going at a good speed 10 - 20 km and push it (just into neutral, not into 2wd).. This works well in 4hi, but is still a fight with 4lo.. Although, if I don't drive once I get it into 4lo, It will shift back and forth with no problems..

I have read that the D20 can be a PITA, but I don't think it should be this bad..

On a side note I have 3" body lift, and the shifters have been extended... But If this were the case, I figure I would have problems putting it into 4hi/lo as well..

 

[GoldToyBox]

Kinda hard to say from your description. But most TC shift troubles are from bent (out of adjustment) shifters. Not sure what type of shifter you have? Is this the "U" shaped pattern type? Worst type in 'my opinion'. Might concider a twin stick. It's lubed right? Zerk on the top can be hard to find.
Good luck.

 

[858]

Yes I beleive that this is the 'U' type as best I can tell from the description

..

I do grease it regularily.. I have been looking at the twin stick mods, but have yet to tackel it.. Mabey this will come a little sooner then originally planned...

It still doesn't seem right that it would work fine at higher speeds if it was the shift linkage though..

Anyway thanks..

 

[CJDave]

This actually sounds like you are slightly off on axle ratios. If you have not owned your Jeep since it was new, you might try this: Jack up the rear and have a buddy help you rotate the tires ten turns....exactly... while you count the number of revs on the driveline.....exactly......include the half-turn or three-quarter turn at the end just to be more accurate. Then do the same to the front axle. At least that will eliminate mismatched gear ratios as a possiblility once and for all. THEN.....measure the tires by measuring from the floor to the top edge of the metal rim. They need to be warm from driving if possible and on a smooth floor.

Also, when you are trying to disengage, try running a figure-eight and see if that helps.....or back up a longer distance and see if that helps. If backing way up helps, it's an axle ratio or tire problem.

 

[RRich]

Different axle ratios can sure do it! But if they are the same -

If you do have the U shaped pattern with the D-20, there's a shifter box that may be giving the trouble. See a repair manual for a drawing.
Remove t-case shifter boot, remove the 4 screws holding the shifter lever in place. Carefully remove the shifter lever itself by twisting slightly - remember which way you turned it to get it out - helps when you put it back in.
Remove the 4 screws on the bottom plate from underneath.

Now you can flush out the box with brake cleaner.
Check to make sure the sping inside isn't broken.

Carefully inspect the plate on the shifter lever - they crack and break - likely the problem of binding.
Carefully inspect the bottom end of the lever itself - they wear a groove or flat spot. You can weld up the defect, then grind it back to shape.

Test fit the lever back in again once everything's clean. Put the screws in but leave them very loose - notice how it static shifts (engine off, vehicle stopped.)
Tighten the screws a little at a time, looking for the lever to feel harder or bind. If when you get all 4 screws tight and the lever gets "stiffer", it needs a thin shim between the top cover and the housing. I found a gasket made of cardboard from an oil filter box was perfect.

Once you can tighten the top down tight and it still feels nice, remove once more. Put bottom plate back on, stuff the box with chassis grease, then put the top back on.

For some reason those shifters seem to "like" to go into gear, but "don't like" to come back out. Main culprits are cracked/broken plate, a wear groove on the shifter lever inside, or old stickey grease.

Of course a tiny dab of Locktight on the screws.

When I did mine I found a fairly large rock inside - no idea how it got in there! Must have been a PO's trail fix. Go figure.

 

[858]

These seem like good ideas.. But the part that still baffels me is it shifts (out of gear) fine once I am moving at faster speeds.. And getting it into gear is no problem wit just a gentle roll forward or back (doesn't matter which)..

Basically I cannot see this as a binding problem.. If it were that, I would expect to have this problem regardless of speed, accelleration, direction, location, or colour of the jeep..

Edit: Just to clarrify a little, not a binding problem with the shift linkage..

Thanks..

 

[1675]

Silly question, but have you tried disengaging the hubs before you shift out of 4wd?
Mine(D300) has been doing the same thing but I haven't tried this yet.
Just a thought.

 

[858]

Actually, I can't say as I have for sure.. I generally lock them when I get there, and don't unlock them until I'm heading out..

I will have to give that a try, along with the figure 8 etc..

Thanks..

 

[RRich]

If it won't shift it may be in a bind. Unlocking a hub will suddenly release that bind - as the hub's dogs let loose in the hub, they'll break off. Then you'll need a new hub.

To see if it's because it's in a gear bind - different ratios - jack one front wheel off the ground - if now it shifts easy, it was.

Mine was easy to shift into gear, very difficult to shift back out - till I fixed the shifter box. Shifter fine when engine off and stopped too - both in and out - as long as it hadn't been driven in 4lo.

 

[858]

What is the shifter box? Is this a component that is internal to the T-Case, or are you refering to the t-case itself??

And sorry about the poor description of the "binding".. What I was refering to is the actual shifter and external linkages binding.. Not the gears and such inside the t-case..

Thanks.

 

[WILL]

In reply to:

What is the shifter box?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the box at the base of your shifter. One shift lever in the top, two rods out the back to the transfer case.

 

[RRich]

Obviously you ignored my previous post - about the shifter box and how to service it.
It's under the boot, at the base of the lever. The shift lever goes into the box where it pushes/pulls on two rods that go into the transfer case. Take the boot off - it's right there! Look from underneath - it's visible from there too.

Binding - different tire sizes, or different diff ratios - causes one driveshaft to try to turn faster than the other. This strains the gears inside the t-case - will eventually cause major breakage. That may be the reason it doesn't want to come out of gear.

Or the shifter box is gummed up, spring's broken, rusted etc.


We cannot help you if you don't listen.

 

[858]

There is no box.. There is the lever, and it connects to the 2 rods.. But no box..

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

OK, after all of the above I am confused (cornfused here in Indiana).

In reply to:

There is no box.. There is the lever, and it connects to the 2 rods.. But no box..

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't that be the situation if it were a D20 or a D300 transfercase??

It is a 1983 Jeep and would have been built with a D300 but your original post indicated that it is a D20 (could have be swaped when the 304 was installed).

So what tcase is it??

 

[858]

It's a d20.. THe AMC 304, T150, and D20 TC were all swapped from a 77 donor vehicle..

 

[Guest]

Im new to the jeep forum, Last week i purchased a 1978 CJ-7 to use at my hunting lease. I have the same problem shifting the transfer case shifter, i also cant turn the hubs on the front wheels. A stupid question i need to ask is which position is 2wd, which is 4-hi and which is 4-lo. There is nothing written on top of the shifter knob so i have no idea what is what. When test driving i broke the rear axle just driving along at about 10 mph. It turned out the person who replaced the bearings messed it all up. Any help on the 4x4 situation would be awesome. Thanks in advance.

 

[RRich]

If it's a Dana 20 T-case - it either has the shifter box or 2 shifter levers - a conversion called a twin stick.

You say it has one lever, but it connects to the two rods coming out of the transfer case? Does it move both rods at the same time? How, without the small shifter box?

Or take another look, it may not be a D-20 after all.
Is the rear driveshaft in line with the engine's crankshaft, or offset and in line with the front driveshaft?
Which side is the front shaft on, passenger or driver's side?