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Transfer case gear positions

ParadiseXJ

ParadiseXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Paradise, CA 95969
Went for a bit of a trip last weekend. Did a little off roading, did alot of going fast on dirt, gravel roads in 4 HI.

Leaving the dirt and getting back on the highway, still felt like it was in 4x4. I need a drawing, picture, diagram of a NP231J (or any 231) in the 2 HI position. I don't know if my linkage is out of adjustment or not.

The road up was fine, all thru the weekend, fine...going home it felt like I was hauling a biig trailer...I wasn't.

TCU fuse not blown, gears shift, etc.

Anybody got that picture, digram >?>?
 
TCase handle should be in full forward position, with the part you grab being completely horizontal.
 
Rob Mayercik said:
TCase handle should be in full forward position, with the part you grab being completely horizontal.
Click to expand...

:huh:

Yes, I know where it is supposed to be INSIDE the cab...they are labeled.

I'm talking about where the shift lever ON THE TRANSFER CASE itself is supposed to be respective to the position of the handle.
:doh:
 
Sorry, figured I'd start off basic and establish that the handle itself is in the correct position.

Have you been able to confirm that the front axle is engaged? I'd imagine that if it was, you could lift the two front wheels off the ground and see if the driveshaft can be turned by hand. If it can't, then probably something is out of whack.

I can try to dig into my 92 FSM for a pic of the linkage, but don't know if it'll be labeled with mode markings.
 
OK, sorry if this sounds like I'm an idiot, but why is it that when I post a real tech question I can only get one guy to sort of answer me, with a sort of answer...like I AM an idiot...yet when someone posts a question about "where to buy shocks" or "what kind of oil" it turns in to a 5 page saga.

I come to the forum to ask AND answer questions to the best of my knowledge. I think I have helped a lot of new guys, and have been helped by a lot of very smart guys. Just a bit disillusioned by the response to this particular question.

Is it too boring? Too obvious? Beat to death? Or does no one know the answer?What am I missing??
 
2wd is all the way forward/up on the 4x4 shift lever.

You can shift from underneath with a pry bar.

.
standard.jpg
 
OP - the issue is that you're not sure if you are still in 4wd or not. You should figure that out first.

Assuming you are still in 4wd:
Loosen the linkage, use an adjustable wrench to grab the 4wd lever on the tcase and rotate it all the way forward. If it goes into 2wd, it was a linkage issue. If it can't go any further forward you either have a problem inside the tcase or you were already in 2wd.
 
Tim_MN said:
2wd is all the way forward/up on the 4x4 shift lever.

You can shift from underneath with a pry bar.
Click to expand...

Mmmmph! Arrgh.

ParadiseXJ said:
Yes, I know where it is supposed to be INSIDE the cab...they are labeled. :doh:
Click to expand...

Apparently I worded the original question wrong.

Which position on the transfer case is 2Hi or 4Lo...That's all I need to know...Thanks, I appreciate the help.

CP
 
the_weirdo said:
OP - the issue is that you're not sure if you are still in 4wd or not. You should figure that out first.

Assuming you are still in 4wd:
Loosen the linkage, use an adjustable wrench to grab the 4wd lever on the tcase and rotate it all the way forward. If it goes into 2wd, it was a linkage issue. If it can't go any further forward you either have a problem inside the tcase or you were already in 2wd.
Click to expand...

Perfect. Thanks!
 
ParadiseXJ said:
OK, sorry if this sounds like I'm an idiot, but why is it that when I post a real tech question I can only get one guy to sort of answer me, with a sort of answer...like I AM an idiot...yet when someone posts a question about "where to buy shocks" or "what kind of oil" it turns in to a 5 page saga.
Click to expand...

For the record, I wasn't trying to treat you like an idiot.

Not everyone is an ASE Master Tech - I was offering what I could think of that would establish whether the linkage was correctly adjusted. Was there something technically incorrect about what I posted?
 
Rob Mayercik said:
Was there something technically incorrect about what I posted?
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. I have to put the onus on myself for not wording my question right. Apparently I worded it so that folks thought I didn't know how to shift my t-case.

I only a$$umed that everyone knew what I was asking...your answer was fine albeit not what I was looking for...and my bad.

Thanks for the help.
 
Fair enough. Glad we could resolve the disconnect.

Hope you get your rig straightened out quick.
 
Sometimes when there is a slight difference in tire size (actual tire size measured with measuring tape not just size on sidewall) the t-case can sometimes bind up internally and not allow the shift collar to fully release the front output. Even if you have the same size tires all the way around, different tread depth, tire brands, and tire types can cause the front and rear driveshafts to spin at slightly different speeds and cause this bind. Try jacking up the front of the vehicle, both front tires off the ground and with the rear tires on the ground, and see if the front driveshaft is spinning freely. This is the only sure way to see if the trasfer case is still in 4wd mode.
 
ParadiseXJ said:
Mmmmph! Arrgh.



Apparently I worded the original question wrong.

Which position on the transfer case is 2Hi or 4Lo...That's all I need to know...Thanks, I appreciate the help.

CP
Click to expand...

See picture above. See shift lever on T-case. Push lever on T-Case forward/upward for 2wd. The T-Case in the pic is probably in 2wd already. 4Lo is down/back.
 
Tim is right. More accurately (since YJs, TJs, Dakotas, and ZJs have different linkage setups, but all use very similar 231s) the case is in 2hi with the lever on the transfer case turned as far clockwise as it will go, looking at it from the driver side of the case. The shift detents are exactly 20 degrees apart for a total lever swing of 60 degrees.
 
Something else to chew on

The mode fork inside the t-case is spring-return. Meaning that, even though the shift lever and shift linkage is shifted back to 2WD, the fork can remain in 4WD until driveline pressure equalizes and the fork can shift into 2WD mode.

Another common problem that leads to this symptom is that there are 3 plastic guide shoes on the fork that can wear out and cause shift problems.
 
ParadiseXJ, I don't know how far you drove on the highway home, but I would think you couldn't have gone very far on a hard surface if the transfer case was still engaged in 4WD.

Do you have a CAD axle? Could it just be your front axle is engaged and not the T-case?
 
If it wallows out, you should have had the nut tightened down a lot more. In all my years of learning by making mistakes and abusing jeeps, I've never seen that happen.
 
joe_peters said:
Do you have a CAD axle? Could it just be your front axle is engaged and not the T-case?
Click to expand...

I have a CAD axle...but it's locked over.

I'm 99% sure that it was not in 4X4. I drove 90 miles on pavement. It was sluggish "as if" it was in 4x. I just replaced the cat and downpipe before the trip.

The Jeep drove great the 90 miles to the campsite, we wheeled, came down the hill fine, when I hit the highway it felt like I was towing a 10 foot log. Got hot on hills at 50-60 mph. I had the same weight in the back as when I went up except for ice, beer, food.

NOW...it seems to be fine. I've driven it up and down the hill all week. 40 mile round trip daily.

I'm lost :wow:
 
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