Cherokee transfer case forks broken

Which transfer case do you have? If you have a part-time transfer case ("Command-Trac" or NP231), it is not designed to be driven on hard surfaces at all, even if the surface is wet. Snow, sand, gravel, dirt is OK, but hard surfaces are not. The full-time "Selec-Trac" or NP242 can be driven in full-time mode on any surface.

If you're somewhat handy or have friends that are, you can find low-mileage Jeep transfer cases on ebay for a couple of hundred dollars (including shipping) and install it yourself in a day or 2. $900 sounds quite high to me as well, just for replacing parts.

Yes, it sounds right. If you can do 80, you should not, that's NOT, be in

4WD. You exploded your tcase. While they are putting in the obvious parts, you may as well get a new chain and sprockets too.

Ahh well.....

I have the Command Trac NP231 in my Cherokee and the owners manual on page 50 specifically says it is ok to drive on wet pavement with it.....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Chuck Bremer wrote:

Thanks for the fast replies guys. It was definitely in full-time 4wd. According to the manual I can drive in this mode all the time. I stress that I'm a 4wd newbie, but I did consult the manual before ever using it.

Installing a new case myself isn't an option. Unfortunately, I don't have the tools/time. Just to clarify, the bumping sounds like it could be caused by the transfer case damage to you guys?

Thanks, again.

just because you can doesn't mean you should ;-)

Definitely.

The job of the tcase is to connect the front axle to the drive train. If the tcase is toast, and the tires are turning, the tcase will be very noisy. Bumps would be mild.

The bumps were usually mild, but they did vary. I just spoke with the mechanic again and he clarified that the transfer case is being completely rebuilt. This goes a long way to justifying the price I suppose.

I'm a little confused by the disagreement on when you can and can't use fulltime 4wd. To further explain my situation, I was driving out of snow and into light rain. When the snow stopped I was able to go faster on what were essentially just wet roads (no ice), but I kept the 4wd on for increased traction. Was this a bad idea? I must admit it's the first time I ever used 4wd at that speed, but I do use it occasionally around town when the roads are wet at much lower speeds (40 -50 mph).

You have the full time and like you say it should be good for all the time.

Lots like me only have the part time that locks things up so there is debate if the wet is slippery enough to allow wheel scuff without stressing things.

My old beast has over 300K km on it and I can feel the stress when on wet so shift back to 2 wheel drive when I feel it.

I never have used it in the rain, but from patch of snow to patch on wet is ok unless I feel it. I don't want to stress the old beast.

Not a bad price for a full rebuild. Then you know what you have vs a used one.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

If you REALLY have Full Time 4WD, Part Time is more likely in your Sport, then you can indeed do what you were doing.

There are two 4WD systems used, Command Trac and Select Trac. One is the NP231 (P/T), and the other is the NP232 (F/T) - I can never remember which is the Command- and which is the Select- Trac. With either, you can shift into the 4WD mode at any speed, but the P/T system doesn't really like 4WD unless the tires can slip on the road surface to release stress. So, the P/T system says you can shift into 4WD at any "safe speed", but the safety is dependent on other factors. Basically, if it is safe to do 80, then you should not be using P/T 4WD. Actually, if it is safe to be doing anything over about 40, you should not be in 4WD if you have a P/T system.

You should ask your rebuilder if he is getting parts for the NP231 or the NP232. This will tell you what the safe operating conditions are.

I forgot to mention, even if you have a F/T system, it has a P/T settiing. If you happened to be in the P/T mode, then you will have the problems you are having.

I drove in the worst wather last night Snowy during the day then Rain, On the highway at 100 Kmh 4WD. No problem.

Pat

-- LE CLONE

279 Notre-Dame Gatineau, Qc J8P 1K6 (819) 643-0511 SANS FRAIS 1 888 643 0511 NOUVEAU REVENDEUR AUTORISEE SERVICE INTERNET

Ahh, you got the storm eh. It went through here the night before so we had a steak BBQ to celebrate the first snow.

Mike

Patrick wrote:

100Kmh is 62Mph, but 80Mph in 4WD???? IMO 100Kmh is too fast for 4WD! You guys are nuts!! If road conditions are such that you feel you need to be in 4WD, why on earth would you be driving that fast? Even if you have red or blue lights flashing and are responding to a distress call, the law doesn't permit you to drive at 80Mph -in most parts of the US- although I hear that out west there are places that post "reasonable and customary" type speed limits with reduced speed in poor conditions.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I hope to hell I'm never on the same stretch of road as you when you're driving that fast in 4WD unless your vehichle is full time 4WD.

For the newbie that was driving at 80 - PLEASE remember that 4WD will get you in to trouble TWICE as fast as 2WD in many, many situations, escpecially ice!

Take it easy. Slow down before you hurt yourself or God forbid, someone else! >

occasionally

Pushing 100 here in the snow is pretty normal. The semi tractors go 90 to 100 kph and you need to be able to keep up to them to be safe or you should stay the heck off the highway.

That is where the guys with wide tires lose it big time. If they go much more than 40 mph or 60 kph in the snow they get up on top and lose steering control.

Folks with real winter or narrow tires can at least keep up to the trucks.

These gents are driving Cherokees too! They are way more stable in the snow usually.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

john snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Hey Mike,

I agree with you to a point. I'm originally from Vermont and have spent plenty of time driving in Quebec (Montreal is a GREAT party town!- St Catherine St. ring any bells?)... But IMO, if the tractors are travelling at that speed, you are probably going to be ok in 2wd. Escpecially in the longer wheelbase Jeep. I know how flat it gets in southern Quebec on the 133 or route 10 (for instance) so it's easy to get rolling pretty fast in a couple inches of snow and slush. Like one of the OP's in this thread said, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should!" (escpecially after 6 Bradors at the Peel Pub!)

I was driving down from Barrie on the 400 last week (whenever that snow was) and damned if I could keep up to the semi's. I couldn't even keep up to slipstream behind them.

The only time traffic on that highway drops below 130kph is when there's an accident. Retarded!!

I gotta side Mike here, I have real snow tires on my cherokee and routinely when I find myself driving the 400 plus KM's north up the 400 highway and then up Hwy.11 I'm often doing 90-110 kph behind a semi. All you have to do is drive the 400 at night when the squalls are blowing off Georgian Bay and you will see a couple things First, every 4wd vehicle is doing either very close to or the speed limit Second you will notice how every 4wd and semi are travelling in the fast lane because they have the traction to keep moving (hills excluded where most semi's pull in to the slow lane).

Snow...

I know a few truckers who drive the 400 and as they say "if its spraying on the windshield keep the hammer down, when it stops spraying get off the road cause its freezing up"

Snow...

I also think the fast lane seems to fill in with snow less. The center of the wide road seems to get less snow.

Or it is just the safest lane to stay in so the trucks keep it blown off best. The right lane or slow lane is a merge lane and for sure you don't want to be there where the fools that are doing 20 mph reside.

Why these idiots don't take the side roads where the speed limit is lower I just can't understand. Having transport after transport pass you is extremely dangerous due to the whiteout caused. You can't see squat for several minutes.

We take roads like HWY. 7 instead of the 401 in big storms. The speed limit is only 80 kph or 50 mph on them.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Snow wrote: