4x4 Occasionaly Sliping out of 4-high into neutral

[broncogirl]

Kind of ignorant about 4x4 transfer cases. Can't deal with expensive repairs right now. Have adjusted linkages and replaced bushings to fix slipping automatic transmissions. Could this be something that needs a fairly easy fix like that? How about the hubs - could they somehow cause this? One was getting noisy (unlocked or locked) this summer, but I opened them up and packed them with grease and they stopped clacking. They are ugly inside and out, so I'm saving for warns, but the slipping into neutral problem is a priority.

It's an '88, 2.9, automatic. Only 80K miles, but it's had an interesting life. Think it originally had the push-button 4x4 (judging only from the instructions on the visors, that might not be stock) but it now has a stick for the 4x4. I think the '66 bronco body, hard top and the huge custom bumpers make it quite a bit heavier than stock, if that matters.

I only use 4x4 in ice and snow - not it in rain or bare roads. It's also not that I'm spinning my wheels - I've got good studded snow tires and this will happen when my traction is feeling very decent for icy packed snow.

I can usually drive in 4-high for a long time (like if it snows in town or I'm on a many-hour road trip in eastern OR). Even on long, flat drives, it will occasionaly (and suddenly) slip into neutral. It always feels like it's fine then happens out of the blue.

This happens way more often when driving up hill, though. After a few winters of this, it's now gotten bad enough that happens at some point almost (but not quite) every time I climb the long steep road up to Timberline Lodge. It still seems surprising, though. It isn't any one thing that seems to trigger it. It's not right when the pitch gets steeper, not when I hit a bump, not at the same point on the road, and sometimes not at all.

Never driven another 4x4, but this stick feels like it has for the last 10 years - kind of vague, not very distinct notches for each setting - especially into 4-high and then into-neutral. I'm used to it, though, and can confidently shift into 4 high without accidentaly putting it in neutral. Once in, I try to give it a little wiggle and it seems fairly firmly engaged - not like it could just vibrate into neutral. Drives fine until it just suddenly is in neutral - no sound or lurch. Not watching the stick intently, but it doesn't seem like it clunks out of place.

Sometimes I have the AT shifter in 2nd, but it will also happen in D.

Seems like when it happens on a flat road, it's after a few hours of driving in 4x4. Can happen after maybe five minutes on a steep hill, but at that point I've been driving up a moderate pitch in 2-wheel for a couple of hours already. This makes me wonder if heat is a factor. Overheating has not been a problem in this truck, but I don't have a working temp gauge.

I've tried to ignore this for a long time, but it's getting worse and I realize it is dangerous when somebody is on my tail on steep icy roads. Going up Timberline road, I often don't have anywhere to pull over and not enough momentum to shift the transmission into neutral, the transfer case out of neutral, and then the transmission back out of neutral, then the 4x4 back into 2-high.

Any very basic advice for the ignorant would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[riverviewcontracting]

you might check the linkage it may be loose and out of ajustment

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sounds like whoever put it together either modified the plate for the shift pattern or threw it out altogether. There should be a plate that prevents you from pulling it from 4-hi to Neutral with Ranger and Bronco II transfer cases. Every one I've ever seen has one, you have to push the lever towards your legs and pull it back to achieve neutral and 4-lo settings.

I suppose it's possible the t-case itself might be worn and in need of repair, I never got the plate put in right on my choptop and just bump through the notches by feel and never had a problem with it jumping out on it's own yet, but I also haven't driven it more than a couple thousand miles yet.

 

[country0001]

Need to see pics of this truck. Not that it'll help, just interested

 

[adsm08]

Interesting problem. It could be the plate is missing. It shouldn't be able to just slip into N like that. It could be the bushings at the pivot point, but its not likely as the t-case shift pin is usually tight enough to hold it in its place. Put the 4x4 shifter in 2-H, hop under the truck with 13mm wrench, find the shift pin and tighten the nut, and see how easily the pin moves. You should feel it click through the settings. If it doesn't click into neutral (2nd position) then you may need a t-case. Good news is that cases are usually relatively cheap, $125 or so used at the yard.

 

[broncogirl]

Interesting problem. It could be the plate is missing. It could be the bushings at the pivot point, but its not likely as the t-case shift pin is usually tight enough to hold it in its place. Put the 4x4 shifter in 2-H, hop under the truck with 13mm wrench, find the shift pin and tighten the nut, and see how easily the pin moves. You should feel it click through the settings.

Where is the plate? I've seen it mentioned in the (chilton, I think) adjustment procedures, but don't know where it is or how to access it. What do you mean by shift pin? Been dealing with other issues (like now it suddenly won't stay running for more than a few seconds) but plan to crawl under and dig in from the top soon to see what I can figure out.

Also, I don't understand the "tighten the nut" part in the test above. Shouldn't the nuts all already be tight? Are you saying my problem may be cured by tightening up a loose nut?

Thanks for the help!

 

[detty_motorsports]

you might check the linkage it may be loose and out of ajustment

this would be a good place to start.....

 

[detty_motorsports]

Need to see pics of this truck. Not that it'll help, just interested

what he said......

 

[adsm08]

The plate is under the shifter boot. The shifter itself should be sticking through it. I'll get a pic up tomorrow. As for "tightening the nut" yes, it should already be tight. Once it stops spinning down the threads it grips onto the pin for the shifter linkage and begins to shift the transfer case through its settings. This can be used to test if there is an internal problem with the case as if everything is ok you should hear and feel a click every few degrees of wrench rotation. The "pin" for lack of a better term is a threaded stud that goes into a rectangular piece that goes into the case.

And no, if your transfer case is actually slipping into neutral and leaving you without power to the wheels, then you issue will definitely not be solved just by tightening a nut.

 

[broncogirl]

Great. Thanks again!

Will test it out once I figure out why it suddenly won't stay running. Got to get it out of the mud-hole driveway before I crawl under it.

 

[adsm08]

ok, as promised here are pics of the plate you are looking for. I took 3, showing the various steps of dis assembly needed to get there.

Fully assembled, complete with beef jerky bag:

Step 2:

Pull the foam up:

And there it is, with the stick coming right up through it.

Ignore the rubber pad, that's particular to my own custom made floor plates.

 

[broncogirl]

Thanks a million for the great pictures! I'm 90% sure I don't have the plate or else the neutral lug is broken off. Will look ASAP, but know my stick goes pretty much straight down from 2wd, to 4wd, to N - has for the 10 years, or so, I've had it. I can wiggle it side to side a bit, but don't have to. I do feel grindy notches as I pull the shifter down or up, but they are vague.

I rarely use 4-low and can't remember what that feels like. So, I guess it could be so far out of adjustment that it goes into neutral well before it gets down to that big notch, but I don't think so. It seems like that would not leave room above for 2wd and 4wd - both of which I'm pretty certain are functioning.

I'll dig in to the truck soon, but I'm thinking maybe I should get a plate, ASAP (though the shifter/T-case stayed in place when in 4-high for the first five or six years I had it)...? Will any BII manual t-case shifter work? How about Ranger pickups or any other models I can look for in the junkyard?

Any thoughts on why the plate would be removed? This is a strange hybrid of BII w/ early bronco body, so maybe the positioning of the transfer case and the linkages the builder had available meant that the plate wasn't quite lined up right...? I doubt this, though. The builder was an expert welder and was so exacting in the fit of so many other elements, I can't see him misaligning the transfer case and shifter.

 

[adsm08]

Its a tricky one. Any plate from any RBV with that trans/t-case should work. My setup there actually came out of a 91 Explorer. I just bolted all the parts that came with it right in. The only reason I can think that it wouldn't be there was if he didn't have one to begin with. Pretty much and Ranger, B2 or Explorer from 94 on back with your transmission should have the part you need.

If you can't find one anywhere I think I might have one around here somewhere that I can bear to part with (and girlfriend might kick my butt if I don't do so soon enough).

 

[broncogirl]

Custom Plate with NO Neutral Lug

Dang, I've got a plate, but it does not have the neutral notch. Looks like the welder made the plate himself , as the upper part of the channel isn't like yours, either. It does narrow at the 2wd end, but not quite the same way. It's wide and straight the whole rest of its length with no neutral lug. However, I can see where a piece was welded on where the notch would be, but then was cut off flush with the straight chanel. It wasn't broken off, it was deliberately cut and smoothed.

So, I'm thinking he had trouble shifting past the notch as some point and cut it off. Since I use 4-high often and 4-low very rarely, I may try to JB weld something on to serve the purpose - even if it makes it difficult to shift past it - if I can figure out the right spot. I'll also get under there and check the linkages, etc. to see if I can tighten it back up - since it didn't used to slip out of 4-high.

Couldn't get the carpet back to find how the plate attaches. Is it welded in, or bolted in?

I've got a metal bezel that holds the 4x4 shifter boot in place and then carpet, and then the outer plastic assy for the 4x4 and AT shifters. It was a bear getting the outer housing back on right, since there's a lot of carpet and other stuff going on between it and the little holes.

As I side note; while I was in there, I fiddled with my AT shifter that hasn't gone in to 1st for a long time. Realized that the travel of that stick does not match the travel of the plastic outer bezel/cover/indicator. If I get it to where there's room for 1st, it won't get into park correctly.

It seems that if I were to cut away the carpet and maybe get rid of the metal bezel for the 4x4 shifter, I could get the outer plastic housing down lower. That would put it closer to the pivot point of the AT stick and would mean the travel would be shorter - perhaps giving it room in the indicator slot for its full travel.

Right now, I can get it up the last hump of the notched guide - past the notch for 1st, but it doesn't shift into second. When I remove or move the plastic bezel, I can get it just a tiny bit further and it will shift into 2nd. I'm thinking about carving the plastic housing out to lengthen the channel a tiny bit.

I'm kind of a hack, though, and am probably thinking of simple workarounds because I'm not clear on how to adjust either the transmission or the transfer case linkages in my weird circumstances. Both did used to shift properly, though, so I will start by first looking underneath and trying to figure out how to adjust them back to where they were.

Thanks again!

 

[riverviewcontracting]

Dang, I've got a plate, but it does not have the neutral notch. Looks like the welder made the plate himself , as the upper part of the channel isn't like yours, either. It does narrow at the 2wd end, but not quite the same way. It's wide and straight the whole rest of its length with no neutral lug. However, I can see where a piece was welded on where the notch would be, but then was cut off flush with the straight chanel. It wasn't broken off, it was deliberately cut and smoothed.

So, I'm thinking he had trouble shifting past the notch as some point and cut it off. Since I use 4-high often and 4-low very rarely, I may try to JB weld something on to serve the purpose - even if it makes it difficult to shift past it - if I can figure out the right spot. I'll also get under there and check the linkages, etc. to see if I can tighten it back up - since it didn't used to slip out of 4-high.

Couldn't get the carpet back to find how the plate attaches. Is it welded in, or bolted in?

I've got a metal bezel that holds the 4x4 shifter boot in place and then carpet, and then the outer plastic assy for the 4x4 and AT shifters. It was a bear getting the outer housing back on right, since there's a lot of carpet and other stuff going on between it and the little holes.

As I side note; while I was in there, I fiddled with my AT shifter that hasn't gone in to 1st for a long time. Realized that the travel of that stick does not match the travel of the plastic outer bezel/cover/indicator. If I get it to where there's room for 1st, it won't get into park correctly.

It seems that if I were to cut away the carpet and maybe get rid of the metal bezel for the 4x4 shifter, I could get the outer plastic housing down lower. That would put it closer to the pivot point of the AT stick and would mean the travel would be shorter - perhaps giving it room in the indicator slot for its full travel.

Right now, I can get it up the last hump of the notched guide - past the notch for 1st, but it doesn't shift into second. When I remove or move the plastic bezel, I can get it just a tiny bit further and it will shift into 2nd. I'm thinking about carving the plastic housing out to lengthen the channel a tiny bit.

I'm kind of a hack, though, and am probably thinking of simple workarounds because I'm not clear on how to adjust either the transmission or the transfer case linkages in my weird circumstances. Both did used to shift properly, though, so I will start by first looking underneath and trying to figure out how to adjust them back to where they were.

Thanks again!

adjust it from under the truck don't hack it it has a bolt you loosen and slide the rod to adjust