Mine was a PITA to come out as well. Sometimes I would have the same issue as well, it's just part of the case.....I don't know exactly why but you can see why Dodge took it out of production.

You bring up a good idea, what about placing the trans in neutral, the case in neutral, then shifting the T-case into 2wd?

The problem is the last shift for the T-case is 4PT before it goes into 2WD and for some reason it gets bound up at that point. Mechanically speaking I don't know of a way around it other than backing off the slight axle bind.

Brings me to a different idea as well. What about placing the T-case in neutral and turning off the truck. Shift the T-case. Then restart and see if it's out?

 

OK, that makes me feel a little better. You seem to be the expert on this case, and if you had the same problem from time to time, then I guess I don't have to feel like a complete moron over this.

Yeah, I can see why they took it out of production. As great as it is when it's used properly, it's just WAY TOO EASY to use improperly. Even if you understand it and know what you're doing with it, get in a hurry just one time and you have an expensive repair on your hands.

(Insert my customary bitch about the retarded way they handled the dash lights here....)

What I'm thinking, though, and this is just a thought, I'm not saying it definitely works this way, but if my gut feeling on how that case works internally is correct, then after shifting the case to neutral, all of that tension would be released (just like if you twist up a rubber band and then let go of it). In neutral the case should completely free the front and rear sections of the drive train from each other, allowing the bind to release. I saw a post, I believe from you, that mentioned that if you jacked up the front end the axle bind would cause the tires to turn about half a turn. I'm thinking that by shifting into neutral, that turning would happen inside the case rather than at the tires. (And if you do this on a slope and roll a little bit, the differentials should do their thing and have no tension between left and right, the case in neutral should have no tension between front and rear, so we should be good...)

As you explained in one of your posts, 4FT allows slippage inside the case, but the word "slip" implies that there's still some sort of resistance there. So, with 4PT, there's a lot of tension built up. With 4FT there's only a little bit of tension built up. But to complete this shift, what we need is NO tension. I'm hoping that neutral would completely free the two ends of the drive train from each other. On paper, 2WD frees the two ends from each other, but we're not getting there, we're getting stuck at 4PT. So why not try pulling the lever a notch in the other direction? (2WD is essentially just shifting the front output into a neutral mode....) With the transfer case in neutral, both axles and both drive shafts should have a free spinning point where their tension can release...

Going back to my rubber band analogy, if you twist up a rubber band, there are two ways to release that tension. One is to just untwist it turn by turn in the opposite direction. This is what the backing up does with the axle bind. The other way is to just let go of it with one hand. This is what I'm thinking the neutral position in the case might accomplish, and what jacking up the front end does accomplish. (OK, the third way is to keep twisting until it breaks. That will also release the tension. That's the method we're hoping to avoid...)

So, if my theory holds true, at this point there would be no axle bind remaining that needs to be backed off, allowing the case to shift smoothly right into 2WD without getting hung up at 4PT... (We're calling it axle bind, but if I understand what's going on correctly, "drive shaft bind" would be a better term.... We're not fighting the tension built up between left and right, we're fighting the tension built up between front and rear.)

Based on your knowledge of the case, does this make any sense at all?

I dunno, it makes sense in my head. I'll do some experimenting next chance I get and report back. I'll also test out your suggestion. (I walked out of work at 1:30 am to 3 fresh inches of snow on the ground. As much as I'd love to go out on the gravel roads and play right now, I'm just too damn tired. And then there's the 4 beers I've already had, with their 2 remaining siblings still calling my name... )

You have me convinced that this is a top notch transfer case. I'm now on a mission to discover an easy, idiot-proof way to shift it. First time, every time. It has to exist.

 

Hydra,

It's too early to say 100%, I still want to test much more before I say for sure, but my preliminary report is that it works beautifully.

My wife was nervous about driving on the roads this morning, so less than 45 minutes after laying down to go to sleep, I got back up and drove her to work. About 30 miles on gravel (highways were suicidally icy...) in 4 to 6 inch snow, with occasional drifts, at between 35 and 45 mph in 4FT. (Once again, the ol' girl performed like a champ even with the crap tires I have her shoed with. I had a blast, but I fear my wife may have had a mild heart attack.... Got her to work on time, though... ) Plenty of opportunity to build up some axle bind. Got to my wife's work, dropped her off, and thought to myself "Hey, here's my chance to test this out".

(Remember, we're starting this test with about 30 miles on snowy gravel, followed by about a mile and a half of snowy pavement, driven in 4FT) Fired up the engine, shifted tranny to neutral, shifted t-case from 4FT to neutral, tranny to drive and revved her up a bit (no particular reason for this step except to just verify that the case was in N. I'm sure this could be skipped, but I'm being detailed just in case.), tranny back to neutral, shifted case to 2WD. As I shifted I heard a mild grinding sound that I've never heard from this case before but am used to hearing from most other non-electronic cases. Proceeded to back up and I was positive I was in 2WD in less distance than it took to get all the way out of the parking spot, as verified by my difficulty getting out of the spot compared to the ease with which I had been going through much worse conditions just minutes before. Also confirmed by the awesome donuts I immediately proceeded to do in the parking lot. (Yes, I also did my normal confirmations. She's definitely in two wheel.)

(My suspicion is that I was solidly in 2WD before the truck even moved an inch. I'm thinking that's what the little bit of grinding I heard was.)

Like I said, I want to test this some more, but I think we may be onto something here.

(If this case is as great a performer as you believe it to be (and I am quickly coming to agree with you), then having a quick, easy, reliable way of shifting it, without needing a football field sized piece of open area, would be a great piece of info to have figured out...)

UPDATE: Just had to run a quick errand, so tested again. Still seems like a solid method. Went back and forth between 2WD and all three 4WD modes several times, each time getting back into 2WD instantly and easily, and verifying 2WD as best as possible (but definitely to my satisfaction). I will say that the road conditions here are slick enough to completely invalidate the wheel hop test. Even in 4LO with the wheel turned to lock, there was no hop, turned smooth as silk. Yes, it's that slippery out there... (why I wasn't too nervous about driving that mile and a half on pavement in 4FT...) I stand by my donut and/or fishtail test, though. I've been driving like a crazy bastard long enough to know the difference in how a fishtail feels in 2 vs 4 wheel drive (besides, I did donuts both ways this morning. ). Not to mention the very noticeable difference in plain ol' normal driving in these conditions between the two modes. She's definitely shifting into 2WD right off the bat with this method.

After blowing 2 front diffs, trust me, I don't say "definitely in 2WD" lightly.

The key here is that you don't go from ANY 4XX mode into 2WD. You only shift to 2WD from Neutral. Seems to be working so far. I'll keep testing different scenarios as I come across them and/or think them up.... (Yes, I know that you're technically going through both 4HI modes when going from N to 2WD, but I think the way I said it is simple to remember and will get the job done.)

Next step is to give the road crews a day or two to give me some dry pavement so I can test with the wheel hop method. It's the one I trust the most. (Even still, I'm 99% sure it's working even without that...)

So, at this point we have a string of about 9 tests performed on one specific example of this transfer case, performed by a guy who hasn't had nearly enough sleep, but way too much coffee. Definitely nothing conclusive, but I'd say this is worth further testing.... For me to be satisfied that it's "the answer", I'm going to have to wait and test it out in summer conditions, too (dry gravel roads in particular). But if the internal mechanics are working the way I assume they are, I'm sure that will work fine, too.

(It would also be intersting if someone else who has this case would give it a shot and report back with their results....)

 

Waiting on those tight turns in 2wd tests on dry pavement to confirm!

Yes, your analogy is correct! Now you fully understand the issue.

 

Ask and ye shall receive. Confirmed that way on my way home from work tonight. Turned a full 720 degrees in a dry parking lot with the wheel fully to the left, no hop. And I'll do ya one better. Front wheels on a dry highway, back wheels in six inches of snow on unplowed gravel, stomped on the gas and only inched forward slowly. Screeching tires once the rears hit the pavement.

In that particular instance I shifted without backing up at all. I did shift into reverse to engage the t-case, but kept my foot on the brake and stayed still until I stomped on it in forward.

It really seems to work. (At least in my specific D. Can't speak for anyone else's....)

I would still not recommend anyone drive on dry pavement before CONFIRMING it's in 2wd, but if anyone with this case if having difficulty getting it to shift, this is worth a shot. Worst case scenario is do this and then follow with the customary backing up and turning wheels might get it there a little easier.

And also, this is all a work in progress. Although it really seems to be working, I still want to do a lot more testing under various conditions before I'm prepared to call it "the way". At this point, just posting what seems to be some positive results.

 

If I just shift in and out of ft 4wd sitting still with the trans in either neutral or park I have no problems. If I am moving when I do it backing up is required. I should also mention if I am shifting out in park I have just come to a stop with foot still on brake so there is no load on the parking pawl in the trans.

 

Hmm... If that works for you I strongly suspect you have a different transfer case than the one we're talking about.

If you do, indeed, have a NV242HD that shifts that easily, I want to buy it off of you.

 

Yes it is indeed a NV242HD it has to be sitting still in neutral or park with zero load on anything for it to be that easy. When I first got it I shifted it like I did my S10 blazer years ago by just shifting in or out on the fly and found out that was a bad idea when I couldn't get it out of 4wd till I did a little online research to find out what was going on.

 

That'a funny because the NV242HD is a "shift-on-the-fly" case (jit just doesn't like to come out!) so I would argue that you have a mechanical issue.

 

Not what I meant I had the typical issue if I shifted out on the fly but there is no issue shifting in on the fly. I just haven't needed to shift in while moving. I find that mine will come out without having to back up if I shift out of 4wd ft while sitting still in neutral of park without the drivtrain under any kind of load.