Transfer Case bad and grinding noise when turning.

[Nomad8326]

Got the 04 back from the shop today after some minor work but while it was there we discovered to my dismay the transfer case is pretty much shot.

Would this cause issues when turning? We had started to look into a groaning noise every time its turned to the right normal and clunking (Supposedly normal) when turned all the way over.

Driver side cv joint was just replaced so we checked the passenger side and it did seem to have some play but I'm thinking cv joints are supposed to have some play as it clicked and moved very little. Should I replace it?

Also seemed odd when jacked up and in gear the passenger wheel could be held still and tends to sit there and jerk slowly unless gas was applied. Maybe its a Limited slip thing tho.

Anyways looking at a junkyard case with 75k on it. Anything I should do to it before I have it installed or make sure I get a specific version?

Found a video on youtube that shows what the front passenger wheel was doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoCjX5Btp80

Thanks

 

[Fellro]

Is this a 4wd or AWD setup? 4wd you select it to engage, the AWD does this pretty much automatically. On those, the transfer case is kind of engaged all the time, but not locked in solid like a 4wd case. Clear as mud?

The jerking you are witnessing leads me to believe it is AWD, as that is kind of how it behaves when a wheel or both front wheels have no traction, so the t-case is trying to work, but under load it might not. I don't expect that the front diff would be limited slip, as they don't tend to survive well as daily drivers on good roads. Also, limited slip essentially ties both wheels together with clutches to prevent traction loss. When you turn, the outer wheel has more distance to travel than the wheel on the inside of the turn, so to keep up the outer wheel turns faster. Can't do that as well with a limited slip. Without limited slip, the spider gears inside the differential are allowed to compensates for the difference in the axle shaft speeds.

I don't believe groaning and clunking on turns would be normal, as customers would complain about it and eventually not buy a vehicle that does such. It is possible the noise if from the transfer case, but I suspect that it may be more related to a wheel bearing or differential. The part about it being only on right turns also leads me to believe not normal.

 

[Nomad8326]

It's 4x4.

We were looking for the cause of the noise when we found the transfer case issue. The general consensus so far is the 4x4 isn't letting go when turning thus causing the noise.

Hopefully It's not a front differential issue as i need a break after this transfer case business.