J-Shift Transfer Case Locked in 4WD (Shifter feels normal)

[jeremyc74]

So for the past several thousand miles I've had a driveline noise that I suspected was the pinion bearing or transfer case bearings going out. I finally got under the truck to diagnose it today, and found that when I spin the rear driveshaft the front is still turning even with the transfer case in 2WD and N.

I can grab the front and can't stop it from spinning when I'm turning the rear. My first thought was that the case was low on fluid and I'd locked something up, so I checked it and it was fine. I went ahead and drained it and couldn't see any sign of metal in the fluid. The shifter feels normal, and I've used the 4WD pretty regularly over the last few months (the truck has been at my folks place in the mountains in VA since Thanksgiving).

Anyone ever seen this before? And better yet, any ideas for what to do about it, short of pulling the case and tearing into it? I'm in the middle of moving to a new place over the next few weeks, and I'm losing my garage for a few months, so I'm hoping for an easy solution. :sobbing:

 

[nissanh]

I had this on a hilux and 3rd gen 4runner. Have the shift lever in drive and without moving bump the gas paddle and at the same time try to shift to 2wd.

 

[D Farms]

sounds like a problem with the actuator. it could be jammed or fried, its easy enough to pull it and see if its working or not. I would unbolt it, and then shift the transfer case between 4wd and 2wd and see if the output of the actuator moves.

 

[jeremyc74]

sounds like a problem with the actuator. it could be jammed or fried, its easy enough to pull it and see if its working or not. I would unbolt it, and then shift the transfer case between 4wd and 2wd and see if the output of the actuator moves.

Does the J-shift transfer case even have an actuator?

I'm going to get back under there this afternoon and see if I can figure anything out.

 

[unrealii]

There's no way I can contribute to this thread other than we have similar tastes in cars :tea:

 

[TheDurk]

Does the J-shift transfer case even have an actuator?

I'm going to get back under there this afternoon and see if I can figure anything out.

Yeah, no actuator on a J-shift. The only thing you can do without tearing into it is remove and reinsert the J-lever. Inspect the seat and and the shifter end. A broken lever end would be my first suspect, if you have not removed the lever for any reason since it was working.

What is your 4wd light doing, if anything?

 

[jeremyc74]

Yeah, no actuator on a J-shift. The only thing you can do without tearing into it is remove and reinsert the J-lever. Inspect the seat and and the shifter end. A broken lever end would be my first suspect, if you have not removed the lever for any reason since it was working.

What is your 4wd light doing, if anything?

Ok, so I'm an idiot. :fish:

When I first got under the truck it was in 2wd, and the front driveshaft turned, but I didn't try to stop it. I then put the transfer case into N and got back under the truck and that's when I tried to stop the front shaft from spinning and couldn't. Later I noticed that when you're going to the N position on the transfer case you actually go into 4wd, so even though it's in N, the two shafts are locked together like it's in 4wd (which is a little bit of a strange design IMO). I put it back in 2wd and the front shaft is free.

So I still don't know what's causing the grinding noise I'm hearing. I guess I'm just going to keep driving until it gets worse and reveals itself.

 

[Doc2012]

Yeah, no actuator on a J-shift.

This isn't necessarily true, Durk.

Before I swapped out for a manual t-case, my 99 Limited had the J-shift with the actuator for the CLD on the back.

Unless I'm misunderstanding which actuator you're talking about.

 

[jeremyc74]

This isn't necessarily true, Durk.

Before I swapped out for a manual t-case, my 99 Limited had the J-shift with the actuator for the CLD on the back.

Unless I'm misunderstanding which actuator you're talking about.

Is this the one with the button on the shift knob?

 

[Doc2012]

Is this the one with the button on the shift knob?

On the 99-00 t-cases, yes.

 

[jeremyc74]

On the 99-00 t-cases, yes.

Do those still have the "J" pattern? I thought they were just straight up and back. So many varieties of transfer cases on these things it's hard to keep it all straight.

Either way though, it turned out nothing was wrong with mine, I just didn't realize that in the Neutral position the two driveshafts are locked together.

 

[Doc2012]

I had the "J" pattern. If I had access to my ImageShack on this computer, I would pull the picture for you.

The 01-02 t-cases were straight back.

 

[TheDurk]

This isn't necessarily true, Durk.

Before I swapped out for a manual t-case, my 99 Limited had the J-shift with the actuator for the CLD on the back.

Unless I'm misunderstanding which actuator you're talking about.

I, too, thought it was button OR J-shift, but never both. Oh. well, if you don't keep learning, you die.

 

[T4R2014]

This isn't necessarily true, Durk.

Before I swapped out for a manual t-case, my 99 Limited had the J-shift with the actuator for the CLD on the back.

Unless I'm misunderstanding which actuator you're talking about.

On the 99-00 t-cases, yes.

You're thinking of the 99-00 Limited multimode t-case. It was a J-shift but they threw in the button so that you could lock the center diff.

OP has an SR5 with the plain, part-time transfer case.