Transfer case go BOOM

[reaper]

Driving down the freeway... I hear a rumbling, then a CRACK! And BOOM! ...goes the transfer case.

Got this 4 years ago new from @Zach... don't know if it's under warranty or not, but I have a spare unassembled in the garage.

 

[Happy Hummer]

Something tells me the front cv or ujoint ceased.

 

[06 H3]

I am transferring over my post from facebook for knowledge on the forum...

The old custom driveshafts were a custom cast piece from China that adapted the h3 front driveshaft flange to a late 80s chevy driveshaft. These driveshafts were clunky but it was ok since they had locking hubs so they never saw highway speeds. Highway speeds is what kills those drivelines, not wheeling at slow speeds. Cj from THORparts never had issues with the old style driveshaft but some customers did, including me. We spent some time talking about it and he came up with an adapter that will adapt our whacky H3 front driveshaft flange to a standard jeep flange. These front driveshafts that they adapt to are meant for highway speed. ZJs, XJs, and TJs all spin the front driveline at freeway speeds. So he made the adapter and I was the first one to run it, still no vibrations, no issues. Adapter with a TJ, XJ driveline 10 years from now you will still be running the same driveline with no issues.

I know you were running one of the old style custom front driveshafts and I had nothing but vibrations from them. Vibrations kill chain driven aluminum t cases. Pick up one of the adapters and you will stop having issues.

 

[reaper]

Ok-- so CJ (Thor Parts) has the adapter, and then I buy a Jeep drive shaft? From this guy? http://stores.ebay.com/TATTONS-DRIVESHAFTS

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

before you toss your old case, can you check and see if a couple (or one) item managed to survive the carnage. IIRC, the lower gear on the chain and the chain were toast in a 4:1 case I still have.... of course, no one makes those parts, but I keep hoping they survive one of these so I can fix my old case.....

 

[06 H3]

Ok-- so CJ (Thor Parts) has the adapter, and then I buy a Jeep drive shaft? From this guy? http://stores.ebay.com/TATTONS-DRIVESHAFTS

Yep that's correct

 

[alrock]

It'll buff out.

 

[Happy Hummer]

Yep, vibration would do that too!

 

[reaper]

before you toss your old case, can you check and see if a couple (or one) item managed to survive the carnage. IIRC, the lower gear on the chain and the chain were toast in a 4:1 case I still have.... of course, no one makes those parts, but I keep hoping they survive one of these so I can fix my old case.....

Totally. I have a full TCase sitting in my garage in pieces... so I'll take the best parts from both TCases to rebuild one. It'll be a few weeks before I get to it more than likely, but there's no way I'm just tossing it. Those tcase parts are pricey!!!! And it wasn't the transfer case that was the cause, it was the drive shaft.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Totally. I have a full TCase sitting in my garage in pieces... so I'll take the best parts from both TCases to rebuild one. It'll be a few weeks before I get to it more than likely, but there's no way I'm just tossing it. Those tcase parts are pricey!!!! And it wasn't the transfer case that was the cause, it was the drive shaft.

cool, let me know

 

[BIGFRY77]

Howry sheet batman....

 

[rascole]

Ouch.

 

[clickclickboom]

I had that happen in an XJ at 70mph. Makes a hell of a racket.

 

[reaper]

Yeah I was going about 70, towing a jet ski....

So the replacement driveshaft from Tatton is only $250. [For reference: Curtis Tatton, West Valley City, Utah , Phone 801 685 0056] --> I paid $500 for my driveshaft originally and then a few hundred more to rebuild it. This is the one recommended by Chris Paul and CJ and lasts forever supposedly... it's a 1310 hack & tap driveshaft using the THORparts adapter.

BIG THANKS to CJ @ ThorParts for the adapter that showed up today-- I'm going to have this thing back on the rocks in no time!

Now who wants to come rebuild a transfer case with me? :horns:

 

[JPaul]

Looks like it's Tatton Driveline over in Murray, UT, he's only about 10 minutes from my work. I could drive over and pick one up. I'd just need the driveshaft adapter. I might do that next year too, I need to replace the crossmember bushings first though. I'd have done that this month but my wife let me buy a chainsaw instead, and Mark Hamill is coming to Salt Lake Comic Con so money went to that as well.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I thought you had a spare t-case?

 

[Airborne]

Looks like it's Tatton Driveline over in Murray, UT, he's only about 10 minutes from my work. I could drive over and pick one up. I'd just need the driveshaft adapter. I might do that next year too, I need to replace the crossmember bushings first though. I'd have done that this month but my wife let me buy a chainsaw instead, and Mark Hamill is coming to Salt Lake Comic Con so money went to that as well.

Yep Curtis is a good guy to deal with and CJ was great as usual. I called Curtis Friday and he had it built by Tuesday. Picked it up on the way to work that morning. Installed it that night as well as the tranny pan drop and filter change. Took about 90 mins all together but a MUCH better set up vs stock. I was on the road for the camping trip the following day. Was up to 90 mph on the freeway and was not nice to it off road to try it out in 4-hi.
All in all about the same price to get a rebuilt one online too. Can't say enough good about it. Especially if you are local like me it's a no-brainer

 

[reaper]

I thought you had a spare t-case?

Yep. Disassembled though.

 

[cgalpha08]

Yep Curtis is a good guy to deal with and CJ was great as usual. I called Curtis Friday and he had it built by Tuesday. Picked it up on the way to work that morning. Installed it that night as well as the tranny pan drop and filter change. Took about 90 mins all together but a MUCH better set up vs stock. I was on the road for the camping trip the following day. Was up to 90 mph on the freeway and was not nice to it off road to try it out in 4-hi.
All in all about the same price to get a rebuilt one online too. Can't say enough good about it. Especially if you are local like me it's a no-brainer

Dang, 90?! My h3 shakes at that speed haha

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[reaper]

Driveshaft carnage

 

[reaper]

Undercarriage carnage (driveshaft was PISSED)

 

[reaper]

And tcase carnage...

 

[reaper]

Seriously, this tcase is crazy tough to remove. I got that sucker in there by myself.... but dang I can't get it out for the life of me. Getting depressed... how the heck do you get the stupid tcase out? It's unbolted (even those super tough top bolts) and ready to drop, but there just isn't clearance. I removed the crossmember but still its a tight fit and it's not dropping.

 

[rascole]

Will it slide back off of the tranny?

 

[reaper]

Will it slide back off of the tranny?

Just slightly, but not enough to clear the bolts. There's the welded crossmember bar behind it that is blocking it from dropping. The removable crossmember bar is off of course.