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No front axle disconnect needed, vehicles that came with the NP242 have a front axle that turns all the time. Full time 4x4 in the NP242 uses a planetary gear that is a constant torque split 48% to the front 52% to the rear.
Jeeps that came with the NP242 transfer case had a solid front axle with U joints and they didn't have any issues with binding in full time 4x4. I don't know why the Dana 35 TTB would be any different.
What's the actual mechanism like? Is it a ratio thing? A slight gearing difference between the front & rear? I'll have to do research on it, because if you say a full time 4x4 case would be a better choice than an AWD case for my strange application, I might take it into consideration. Especially if it came on some jeeps; there might actually be some aftermarket support & parts availability.
No have to have the same gear ratio in both axles. Part time 4x4 in the NP242 locks the front and rear driveshafts together just like it does in the Ranger 4x4. Full time 4x4 uses a planetary gear set in the transfer case that acts just like a differential in your axle and allows the front and rear driveshafts to spin at different speeds so you don"t get binding when turning. Also has 2wd for doing burnouts and saving fuel when you don't need 4x4.
TTB is an entirely different animal than a straight axle. Much more complicated geometry to everything. I didn’t bother to mention straight axle because for rally driving or whatever, you don’t want a straight axle, you want IFS fronts for handling. Granted you can use a straight axle and it would work, but racing is where independent front suspension shines. Be it TTB or a more modern style. I certainly wouldn’t worry as much about binding with a straight axle as opposed to TTB in AWD use.
Have you tried taking the rear driveshaft out and drving with it in 4x4? That would tell you if it would bind up in full time 4x4 or not. All 4x4s will have binding in part time 4x4 no matter if its a straight axle, IFS, TTB, U joints or CVs.
Yes. And YES!
I thought about doing the 5.0 swap on mine but I certainly don't want a crappy auto or AWD transfer case. What are my options if I want a 5 speed and regular manual shift part time transfer case?
5 speed would be really kinda any Ford with the Small Block pattern, which would be from a 300 or 302. Supposedly some 351s and someone said there was the 4.6 or something. Most of them would probably be M5OD. F-250s and up had ZF5 but those are a bit on the bulky side. Not too familiar with the T-case options but I did hear someone mention there’s a Jeep case that can be made to work that has 2wd, 4x4, 4 low, and AWD settings.
Oh, so it's just an open center diff. I come from the land of DSMs so 4x4 terminology passes right through my head. Will definitely think about it, because the aerostar case is set up the same way, with a planetary differential, with the addition of an electronically adjustable clutch setup, to change the power split on the fly. From what you're saying, though, the Jeep case may lack the clutch pack setup, but makes up for it in durability.
Might have something wrong in the front end, then. I've driven my TTB ranger home a few times on the front axle, and the only difference is the truck torques the other way under Acceleration. Although if youve got a lift or something the geometry might not be perfect, or maybe the geometry is different for full-size stuff.
Yes, stronger and has no clutches to wear out and send clutch material through the rest of the transfer case. You can shift between 2wd, part time 4x4 high and full time 4x4 all on the fly, low range you shift into it just like with any other transfer case.
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