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Transfer case blowing up after front-end collision?

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iroc86

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This is my first post at the NAXJA Forums and I wanted to say hello. I purchased a '98 XJ from a junkyard a few months ago. It was involved in a front-end collision, requiring some moderate frame pulling to get everything straightened out. In putting everything back together, a friend of mine told me that I should expect the transfer case to fail soon. He said that he's rebuilt several XJs, older and newer, that were hit in the front and their t-cases went bad shortly thereafter. I guess it makes sense -- the shock of impact could be transferred through the front driveshaft and into the front output shaft bearing.

I was curious if anyone else had experience this before. Since it's all apart, it's a little tempting to pull the case and rebuild it -- but I obviously don't want to spend money carelessly.
 
Sounds like cheap insurance to at least dismantle the T-case and look for damage. They are pretty simple to work on. Good luck.
 
A friend of mine put my '91 XJ off the road and hit some very large rocks at about 45mph. It took one TV sized rock directly in the front left wheel. Drove the wheel up/back into the fender, put a 90 degree bend in left lower control arm, bent all other control arms, broke both springs, bent the axle tube and cracked the center-section. 4 years and many miles later and zero t-case problems. Can't hurt to freshen the case while it's convenient but I call BS on the guy that told you it's gonna fail. The DS slip joint would prevent any crash forces from being transfered to the case.
 
Never heard of having problems unless it broke the case which is very common with left front wheel impact. The axle pushes the driveshaft into the case snapping it in half or cracking the case
 
I don't know about potential problems but if it's out or will come out easily you can open it up to refresh and install a fixed yoke. Can't hurt
 
Well, I spoke to the guy directly in regard to the potential transfer case problems. He said that whenever the impact force from a collision is transferred through the driveline, one of the bearings frequently (but not always) misaligns itself. Apparently, this causes the chain to ride slightly "angled" within the case. I asked him if I'd be better off rebuilding it, but he said to find a new one in a junkyard... I imagine that a misaligned chain would eat up gears in no time.

I think I'm going to pull it apart and see what I can see. If everything looks right, the most I'll have to spend is the price of a tube of RTV.
 
iroc86 said:
Well, I spoke to the guy directly in regard to the potential transfer case problems. He said that whenever the impact force from a collision is transferred through the driveline, one of the bearings frequently (but not always) misaligns itself.
Click to expand...
While taking the tcase appart does sound like a good idea, his explanation doesn't make much sense: the driveshaft has a slip on it which would take the force of the impact and it would just compress (I guess it is possible though that the impact copressed the shaft and then bottomed out but then the axle would have to have been moved like 3 inches back at the point of impact leading to other bigger problems).
 
Kejtar said:
the driveshaft has a slip on it which would take the force of the impact and it would just compress
Click to expand...

tchase said:
The DS slip joint would prevent any crash forces from being transfered to the case.
Click to expand...

That's what I would have thought, too. If I stop down there again I'll have to ask for a more detailed explanation.
 
I'm curious to find out too. I got mine back on the road in August after similar front end damage. I have wheeled the crap out of it since. I haven't noticed anything yet. Check out the link and see the amount of damage and maybe you can give me an idea if this about the same as yours went thru.
Damage Link

I also have a link to some of the hardcore wheelin, with no problems yet.
Wheelin Video
 
Neat video,boise! Sure wouldn't want to fall off that ledge... How fast did you hit the front end? The same fellow that was telling me about the transfer case issues told me about an incident in which he collided with another vehicle while four-wheeling. He said that the 3 mph accident caused nearly $800 worth of frame damage to his Cherokee... but I don't believe it damaged the case.

Here's a picture of what I'm working with. It's since been to the frame shop and straightened out, but the body panels still aren't on yet.

xj_rebuild_2004-10-21_14.jpg
 
I ass-ended a Ford Exploder and totaled it. It cracked my grill. No tcase problems. The bottom line is that if the front isn't moved to the point where the slip joint is collapsed, don't worry. If they are that sensitive, the ledges at Moab would eat tcases for lunch.
 
Man Midnite , 55 mph t-bone and it is back on the Road ? Uni-body and all. Lots of cutting and welding I take it ?


I was traveling at about 5 mph , but hit the accelerator when I clipped him and spun him like a top. Had to be kinda Cool to see. I climbed half way up his fender. Mine wasn't quite as bad as yours. 1200 in frame work. They straightened the fenders and painted them. I did all the rest. The pay off was sad.
 
Last edited:
A lot less cutting and welding than youd think. About 6 hours on the frame machine, 1 new axle,2 new fenders,1 bumper, hood, battery,radiator, condensor, header pannel. Anyone have a place to host pics?
 
Wow, I guess I should be thankful for the deal I got with my frame guy. He pulled the uni-frame on my XJ for only $300... with big dents in the roof and a half-inch gap above the driver's-side door. It went on a computerized frame machine, and some of the points were more than 20mm out of factory alignment. Everything appears to be straight now, but fitting the fenders may prove interesting.

midnight, I'm hosting my pictures through my Internet service provider. Sometimes they'll give you free webspace when you sign up -- or, you may just have to ask for it. I think I have ten or fifteen megabytes.
 
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