I should probably post this on a diesel forum but that'd require remembering a password.

Our '02 just grenaded a joint in the front CV. So, we got the truck turned around on our hill by literally backing up and stabbing the brake....at which point the not-lightweight CTD just pulls the front end around on ice. It wasn't the initial plan but it worked out surprisingly slick (both figuratively and literally)

ANYWAY, rolling back down I must admit I thought about telling our director (who was driving) to shove it back into 2hi so the CAD would uncouple and the front d/s (now lying on the xmember) wouldn't spin. BUT, she was fairly frazzled and I figured I wouldn't stress her with one more thing.

Well, turns out the CV wedged itself between front output and the case of the NV5600 = aluminum t-case body loses.

What ultimately shocked me about the whole thing was that NP241DLD's are rare as hen's teeth folks! Seriously! It got so bad I was just trying to buy each case half separately but I never could find a front half for a DLD. Some places like Cobra Transmission were apparently making them years ago, but from what I could find all new production has been discontinued.

I had slightly better luck finding front case halves for the DHD, but I don't have any DHD internals and didn't want to also have to modify the rear d/s. In its defense this DLD has lasted 306k miles behind a 5.9 CTD, so they're not THAT bad.

Anyway, I think I finally procured a good 'case (with m/t 29 spline input) today for $500....which -- believe it or not -- is a screaming deal.

I also found another that "needs rebuild" for $100 and from what I could tell the case halves were intact so I snagged it. The case halves alone are worth $300-400. Insane.

If you can zoom in check out the t-case ABOVE and behind the front output. No bueno

 

Our director's granddaughter comes up to me and says, "It made a loud clunk and then these spit out from under the front of the truck." LMAO

 

Thanks for sharing. I had similar fears after I bought my used truck some years ago. The front driveshaft was a complete mess and I had fears of the same type of thing happening to my NP241DLD, so I replaced the front driveshaft with one from these folks - http://driveshaftspecialist.com/ - I also have a spare transfer case I picked up a while ago, since they tend to be hard to find in the proper configuration for my '96 Ram.

 

I'll update this as I go, but the replacement(s) arriveth! I hadn't actually seen them as the best I could do was 4 hours away.....so that'd be 8 hours round trip but my wife was already coming home from spending time in Denver so she only had to extend her drive ~2 hours on the way home to get them.

The truck hauls water for the non-profit for whom I volunteer and for whom my wife "works" (by "works I mean she receives a small stipend but the bulk of her pay is in spending time with the animals) so we both have a vested interest in getting it back on the road.

The $100 unit is an older '94-97 with provisions for a speedo gear. I've been unable to determine if there were many differences other than the slip shaft housing from the '97 and down vs '98+ 241DLD's. The shift pattern may be different? But I'm 98% sure the case halves are identical throughout all the years and for $100 it was worth it. There's a place in Florida literally parting NP241D's and selling each little piece separately on ebay. To me this is insane for used parts but it is what it is....

"Professor, what's another word for pirate treasure?"

 

Presently the ONLY front case half I could find for a DLD was an outfit outta Canaduh asking $550 plus shipping. I will also note it doesn't seem to be moving so even though these are rare they may have priced themselves a little high....?

An ebay link won't last forever so instead I'll provide a screen shot

 

Yep, shift pattern changed for 98, and the VSS in the tailhousing disappeared, also, the t-case shifter mounting point moved from the trans, to the body. So far as I know, those were the only changes.

 

I won't if you could use at 99 internals in a 97 case and keep the 99 shift pattern.

 

If the case halves are the same -- and I think they are-- ,then yes

 

Some of the internal parts I do believe determine the shift pattern.....

 

Is that is the case then that would solve the shift pattern issue. The vss just wouldn't plug it in