# So I'm driving down the road in my Jeep...



## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

...and I hear a loud BANG!!! Look in the rear-view and I see 4" chunks of metal flying down the road! Make it to the next exit, pull off into a parking lot and look underneath. I have a rather large hole in my transfer case! Big enough to put my fist into it. So, the thing is still drivable (that's Amur-i-cun metal fur ya!) and I'm about 3 miles from home. Rather than take the highway, I go the backroads route. I got about 1 mile closer and BAM, BAM, BAM, Clunk, Clunk, the thing lurches a bit and then keeps going. OK, so it burped, right? I get about 1/4 mile further and BANG! Something obviously fell out and was dragging. So I pull into a Costco parking lot, look underneath and see this!










So, I ask this of the great Bimmerfest OT Gods: is that JUST the transfer case or did I manage to rip off the transmission housing? I think it's just the transfer case which is known to grenade (BUT I never thought that by "grenade" they meant literally blow to pieces and fall out of the vehicle!). If that's all it is, I can get by for about $300 to fix it with a junkyard transfer case (180k miles on the Jeep. Not getting a new or rebuilt case!).

So, the parts I do know that I need are 1) transfer case and fluid, 2) bolts to attach the front axle and the bolts to attach the transfer case to the transmission, and 3) a lot of luck that that's all I broke.

The biggest pisser about it: I made my last payment on it today. Yep. Paid off. For about 2 hours. 

I'm uploading another photo from my phone. I'll post it in a bit. It's a little better than this one.


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

Here's a pic from the other side:


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## Vitacura (Jul 22, 2005)

Daaang! Just glad no one got hurt!


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## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

:rofl: Who makes the Jeep? I hear they have excellent reliability and quality control.


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

Vitacura said:


> Daaang! Just glad no one got hurt!


I know it! Glad I had the smarts to NOT get back on the highway to go home! If that axle had dropped like that (it's facing forward!) at 60, I might be posting this from the hospital! Especially considering my 8.5 month pregnant wife was in it with me!


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

Dave 330i said:


> :rofl: Who makes the Jeep? I hear they have excellent reliability and quality control.


It does have 190k on the odometer. This is the first major problem. Not too bad considering all the miles and the engine is still rock solid. :dunno:


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

OT: how the hell does this thread have 675 views already?!?!?!?


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## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

GBimmer said:


> It does have 190k on the odometer. This is the first major problem. Not too bad considering all the miles and the engine is still rock solid. :dunno:


Yea, but you don't expect the drive shaft and the transfer case to fall off. BTW, nice pics. You should post them in a Jeep forum. :rofl:


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## chivas (Aug 31, 2002)

i'm sorry but all i can do is laugh thinking how it have sounded/felt for you to feel something drop while driving.

have fun replacing it. make, model and year of jeep. looking into something to putt putt around in.


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## BmW745On19's (Aug 12, 2005)

How the hell did that happen?

Were you driving it in 4WD?

If so, that's why.


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## TemporarySanity (Mar 6, 2007)

I saw the word Jeep and figured it HAD to be a good story.:rofl: Sorry about your luck, I hope you get it fixed quick and cheap.


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

BmW745On19's said:


> How the hell did that happen?
> 
> Were you driving it in 4WD?
> 
> If so, that's why.


It's all-time 4wd.

:dunno:

so, uh, yeah, I was.

That said, I DID post it on a Jeep forum (they call them Heeps for a reason...) and they suggest going with a 242 transfer case. Basically allows me to run in 2WD, gives me better mileage and I can do 2 wheel burn outs because, well, you know, that's important.

it's a direct bolt-in. The best part: my transfer case is $800 used, this 242 case seems to be $150 used. And it won't grenade.


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

Dave 330i said:


> Yea, but you don't expect the drive shaft and the transfer case to fall off. BTW, nice pics. You should post them in a Jeep forum. :rofl:


that first case is actually showing the cracked-in-half transfer casing. It literally tore in half.

The best reaction was from the guy who helped me push it into the parking space: "Dude, I don't know what the hell that sound was, but it can't be good!" I pointed below the car and he just said, "sorry man..." as he helped me push it. :rofl:

I actually find this to be quite funny. :angel:


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

Jeepforum thread: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7609953&posted=1#post7609953

It's actually turning into something quite funny! Those guys have a good sense of humor.


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

The transfer case isn't divorce mounted, so there's a change it hurt the back of transmission even if its the transfer case that exploded. I'd be particularly worried about the output shaft of the transmission.

Never blew up a 242, but my last truck went through 3 transmissions in front of one. Gotta love Chrysler.


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## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

wrap some duct tape around it and go off-roading; quit whining already.


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## GBimmer (Mar 26, 2008)

cwsqbm said:


> The transfer case isn't divorce mounted, so there's a change it hurt the back of transmission even if its the transfer case that exploded. I'd be particularly worried about the output shaft of the transmission.
> 
> Never blew up a 242, but my last truck went through 3 transmissions in front of one. Gotta love Chrysler.


according to the Jeep guys, I'm probably OK. I'll have to really look at it before I decide to dump money into it. I might just part the damn thing out and buy a pickup truck.


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## lild (Sep 11, 2007)

ok i really didn't get the transfer case drop thing. eh. it must be a 4wd thing. but hey if your were able to drive it until the thing drop, i say yank the the front driveshaft and case, and ride.


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## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

GBimmer said:


> according to the Jeep guys, I'm probably OK. I'll have to really look at it before I decide to dump money into it. I might just part the damn thing out and buy a pickup truck.


Probably more useful. With a new baby coming along, you're home bound. It's yard work. The P/U truck would come in handy hauling garden material back from Home Depot of Lowes.


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## Coconutpete (Feb 7, 2008)

What is it - a grand cherokee?

The 242 case is definitely a good idea if you have the 249 now which are notorious for their viscous coupling going bad (mine went at 50K).

If you can't find one you can always look for a 231 out of a Wrangler, you'll have 2 and 4wd, just not the full time 4wd option.

Check the back of your transmission, it's quite possible you did some damage to the transmission because you (and I know this isn't what you want to hear but) kept driving.....


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