Transfer case spitting fluid and vibrations with Savvy skid plate
- Thread starter Forty
- Start date
I had the front caster adjusted today and they took it out to positive 9°. That took care of all the vibration end it handles so much better.
All I’ve been dealing with for 4 years is a po fuckery. Thanks to this forum I have been able to get to the bottom of most of it and today I realized it was the front castor/driveshaft. Belle tire took the castor out positive 9° and there is no more vibration and it handles the road so much better.
Thank you everyone for your input and concern. Even though I’ve owned this jeep for four years it’s never been right other than the things that I’ve got guidance from on this forum. It was totally the front driveshaft and castor.
All the skid bolts are actually there, they are tapered to be flush with the skid. There is no crack other than up near the front. That skid has three sections as well as the crossmember for the trans mount. I had the front caster taken to +9° today and the ride is sooooo much better, no more vibration. It was totally that. Yes m an idiotAs MrBlaine points out, without those 3 bolts to the frame (6 total) you basically have the trans/transfer just hanging unsupported. Of course this will cause problems. I'm surprised it let's you get to 60 before a vibe. Get a jack under the tranny and support it. Then pull the skid off and check everything. Who knows what the PO did down there. Make sure to pull off the trans mount and inspect it. You often can't tell with it still attached to the trans. Replace if needed. Rubber mounts best control vibrations. Find the transfer leak. It could be the output seal from the drive shaft flailing from lack of skid support. If anything you might have the axle pinion a degree or two high. Won't know until you get everything around the skidplate corrected.
There is also a fair chance that the engine mounts are wiped out from having everything hanging behind them.
Do Everything MrBlaine tells you to. He can see more in a dark photo than damn near anyone else can see standing right next to the Jeep.
Good luck. A TJ is one of the easiest machines to get from F.U.B.A.R. to great.
Between you Blaine and a couple others I have been blessed with getting this thing right. It’s been a long road but the driveline vibrations are gone.
The parking brake line is missing on the passenger side LOL, not my doing. It’s a 4 inch lift, Rough Country X lift. I know it’s not great but it’s what I could afford and the T case fluid is coming from the main seal for the slip yoke coming out of the T case. I will be replacing that this week. The problem ended up being the front driveshaft and or castor which was corrected today. Thank you for your guidance over the years and continued.
@mrblaine designed that skid....are you sure, like really sure, you are not missing the 3 wing bolts? Not the skid plate bolts. The wing bolts he brought up.All the skid bolts are actually there, they are tapered to be flush with the skid. There is no crack other than up near the front. That skid has three sections as well as the crossmember for the trans mount. I had the front caster taken to +9° today and the ride is sooooo much better, no more vibration. It was totally that. Yes m an idiot
I’m also trying to figure out how 9 degrees of caster fixed a driveshaft vibe?
Your toe setting was total 
. You had positive toe on both sides. That could have been a good part of your problem too. If you try some Lucas Power steering stop leak in the transfer that might be all it takes to fix the seal. If it is knicked or pinched then only a new seal will fix it. Cheap to try.
. You had positive toe on both sides. That could have been a good part of your problem too. If you try some Lucas Power steering stop leak in the transfer that might be all it takes to fix the seal. If it is knicked or pinched then only a new seal will fix it. Cheap to try.
I used to think I knew a fair bit about driveline angles and what not. I just fixed a rig that was running many degrees low in the front and about 8 degrees high in the back. It was set up by a very well known SoCal shop. The owner's complaint was a noise from the front that changed when he turned. He had tried to fix it by rebuilding the front diff, rebuilding the front t-case, new driveshaft from Reel, and finally replaced both unit bearings.
A casual glance walking by the rig would show anyone that looked the front pinion angle was way too low. We took it to about 9 degrees from what it was a little at a time with a test drive after each to see if it was changing, it was and we dialed it out a small amount until the noise went away. When we were done, it was still obviously low but no vibes and no noise.
The owner was pretty disgusted that the issue was that simple and he had requested that the shop do similar but they told him it would not drive well and needed that much caster.
Still don't know how it runs with no vibes, a 241, and a high rear pinion angle and a very low front but it does and the owner was quite pleased with the result. So here is what I know, not a goddamn thing.
I did not install that skid plate, I bought it with it on already and I have no idea what might be missing. Every hole has a bolt in it So I’m not sure where they would go or even what they look like
Your guess is as good as mine. Everyone says the most I would get would be about 6°. When I picked it up they said they had taken it to 6° but it seemed like it needs a little bit more adjustment and that’s when they took it to 9° and it does drive really well with no vibration from the driveshaft.
I will give that a try before replacing the seal. Thank youYour toe setting was total
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
I've been driving/wheeling a 2005 Rubicon 6sp for nearly a year. Have always believed the slight vibration at 65+mph was due to front drive shaft issues and/or design. After 32 years of driving an '87 XJ with a Dana 44 5sp, (factory ordered, wheeled hard and stolen with 285k on a still pristine drive train) I loved the flawless (for me) vacuum front axle disconnect feature. The thing was still getting 21 mpg at interstate speeds, never using oil. The only trails not wheeled around Moab in that beauty were Pritchett, Upper Helldorado, and Rusty Nail. So, you get the idea of how I used that vintage.
My concern is: I don't like the TJ design of having the whole front assembly constantly turning when the actual usage of 4wd is <2% of driving. So, I'm asking someone who has converted to manual locking hubs, are you happier with the drivability and practicality after doing so? Do you feel that it's worth the trouble and expense? After being under the TJ greasing everything, turning that driveshaft, I've noticed the effort it takes especially comparing to my experience under the Cherokee. That has to be contributing to bad gas mileage (14mpg), unnecessary wear, increasing maintenance, ultimately shortening the potential life of front axle function.
Interestingly, the JLs have returned to auto front axle disconnects bringing the mileage right back to 21mpg as experienced in the extinct XJ. Just consider that technological advance over the past 34 years! (face slap) BTW, back in 1974, my neighbor and I did a weekend run of Blackbear/Imogene in his CJ getting over 20 mpg on tarmac. Jeeps getting better? Who are they kidding? They're damned sure more expensive!