4x4 shifting issue

[jack roykirk]

Okay, here's the issue. I was having difficulty shifting in and out of four wheel drive the other day. Today I had to move my Jeep to shovel snow, so I backed down the driveway. I then attempted to put the transmission into four wheel drive. I moved the shifter and there was tension on it then it just went limp. I can move the shifter but there is no tension on it at all. It just flops around. Worse yet, I can't get into any gear now in two wheel drive mode, either. It appears to be stuck in either park or neutral. I'm thinking that perhaps it might be a cable issue. Has anyone here ever experienced this?

 

[RenKJ]

probably not a major issue, most likely your shifter cable has popped off the transfer case lug

get underneath and see if you can find the control cable it likely is hanging off the transfer case, you can use a cotter pin from home depot to replace the plastic pin that broke off

I think this can happen by pulling the shift inbetween gears too hard, there are some threads on it but I dont have time to find at the moment

 

[jack roykirk]

probably not a major issue, most likely your shifter cable has popped off the transfer case lug

get underneath and see if you can find the control cable it likely is hanging off the transfer case, you can use a cotter pin from home depot to replace the plastic pin that broke off

I think this can happen by pulling the shift inbetween gears too hard, there are some threads on it but I dont have time to find at the moment

Thanks for the quick reply, RenKJ. I'll have to crawl under it tomorrow and take a look.

 

[LibertyTC]

Always move into Neutral first !!! Then pull up on the 4x4 handle..
Going back out of 4X4 place into Neutral, then return 4x4 handle back down. etc..

 

[nbas]

Most probably the transfer case lever bushing. You can find it underneath where the transfer case lever cable meets the transfer case. Mine had disintegrated... I used the aftermarket bushingfix JL1Kit1. It works fine so far...

 

[jack roykirk]

So, I've got the Jeep on jack stands but I can't seem to find where the transfer case linkage is. I may be looking in entirely the wrong place. Any help identifying the location is greatly appreciated.

 

[Shankster]

So, I've got the Jeep on jack stands but I can't seem to find where the transfer case linkage is. I may be looking in entirely the wrong place. Any help identifying the location is greatly appreciated.

I'm going off memory but if you locate the transfer case at the output of the transmission I believe the linkage is in the gap between the input from the transmission and where it turns back towards the front differential so it's in a bit of a tight spot. If you have a transfer case skid plate it might be pretty hard to see. You should be able to follow the cable housing back from the shifter. If yours is like mine was the cable will just be dangling loose. There is a ring type fitting at the end of the cable where a bushing gets inserted and that in turn attaches to the pin on the lever at the transfer case. It was pretty fiddly and awkward for me to replace the bushing with the transfer case skid in place but I got it eventually.

 

[jack roykirk]

I'm going off memory but if you locate the transfer case at the output of the transmission I believe the linkage is in the gap between the input from the transmission and where it turns back towards the front differential so it's in a bit of a tight spot. If you have a transfer case skid plate it might be pretty hard to see. You should be able to follow the cable housing back from the shifter. If yours is like mine was the cable will just be dangling loose. There is a ring type fitting at the end of the cable where a bushing gets inserted and that in turn attaches to the pin on the lever at the transfer case. It was pretty fiddly and awkward for me to replace the bushing with the transfer case skid in place but I got it eventually.

 

[jack roykirk]

I had to wait for the rain to stop but I finally got under the jeep to take a look and it is indeed the linkage is disconnected. I was trying to get a hitch pin on it to hold it in place so I could at least move it. It's very tight in there and I couldn't get a good angle to push it on. I'm going to try to do it with a needle nose pliers if I can weasel my may in there. If so, it just might be good enough for a temporary fix and to get it moving.

 

[lfhoward]

Remember to put your parking brake on or chock the wheels before you try that with the needle nose pliers. If you pop it into neutral at the transfer case, the jeep could roll away and possibly run over you.

 

[nbas]

In order to insert the bushing, I had to remove the transfer case wire from the bracket which is about 40cm before the end of the wire.
Therefore, I could lower the wire without bending it, in order to fit the bushing...

 

[Mike Hitschmann]

I had to wait for the rain to stop but I finally got under the jeep to take a look and it is indeed the linkage is disconnected. I was trying to get a hitch pin on it to hold it in place so I could at least move it. It's very tight in there and I couldn't get a good angle to push it on. I'm going to try to do it with a needle nose pliers if I can weasel my may in there. If so, it just might be good enough for a temporary fix and to get it moving.

Hi, did you remove the plastic console around the shift lever? The bushing on our 2005 linkage disintegrated and I accessed it both from the top and from underneath both for disassemby and assembly.

 

[WWDiesel]

If it popped off the shift lever at the transfer case end, you can make a steel bushing out of a piece of 3/8" metal brake or fuel line to replace the failed plastic bushing. Then use a thin spring or flat washer and a hitch pin to hold it all in place. Did this to mine years ago and it is still holding to this day. See picture.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Shankster]

I had to wait for the rain to stop but I finally got under the jeep to take a look and it is indeed the linkage is disconnected. I was trying to get a hitch pin on it to hold it in place so I could at least move it. It's very tight in there and I couldn't get a good angle to push it on. I'm going to try to do it with a needle nose pliers if I can weasel my may in there. If so, it just might be good enough for a temporary fix and to get it moving.

Hopefully you got it working, at least temporarily. The stealership will likely want $40 to $50 for a $2 piece of plastic if you buy a new bushing from them. If you can wait a week or 2 Fleabay has aftermarket ones that are probably just as good and a lot cheaper:

2X Transfer Case Shifter Replacement Bushing For 02-07 Jeep Liberty 231 | eBay

Perfect match for the original car. About Quality.

www.ebay.com

I got a 2 pack and keep one in my console as a spare.

 

[jack roykirk]

Hopefully you got it working, at least temporarily. The stealership will likely want $40 to $50 for a $2 piece of plastic if you buy a new bushing from them. If you can wait a week or 2 Fleabay has aftermarket ones that are probably just as good and a lot cheaper:

2X Transfer Case Shifter Replacement Bushing For 02-07 Jeep Liberty 231 | eBay

Perfect match for the original car. About Quality.

www.ebay.com

I got a 2 pack and keep one in my console as a spare.

I got my Jeep moving. The part I ordered was wrong. I ordered the JL1Kit1 as suggested above. It was way to big to go into the hole for the pin. The part I need is only the center bushing. It's like the part in this video.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Anyway, I decided to try something just to get it to go. I put the cable end over the post it is supposed to connect to and clamped a small vise grip onto the post. I then dropped it off the jack stands and put the the 4WD shifter into 2WD and voilà I can now drive it. I don't know why I didn't think of it in the first place. Now I just have to get the right part.

​

 

[Shankster]

I got my Jeep moving. The part I ordered was wrong. I ordered the JL1Kit1 as suggested above. It was way to big to go into the hole for the pin. The part I need is only the center bushing. It's like the part in this video.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Anyway, I decided to try something just to get it to go. I put the cable end over the post it is supposed to connect to and clamped a small vise grip onto the post. I then dropped it off the jack stands and put the the 4WD shifter into 2WD and voilà I can now drive it. I don't know why I didn't think of it in the first place. Now I just have to get the right part.

​

I was assuming your problem was at the transfer case but it sounds like it's at the other end of the cable at the shifter? Is that correct?

 

[jack roykirk]

I was assuming your problem was at the transfer case but it sounds like it's at the other end of the cable at the shifter? Is that correct?

It's at the transfer case. There's just no way the part I got is going into the eyelet on the end of the shift rod. The diameter is way to big. I went to O'Reilly Auto Parts and I think I got what I needed. I"ll find out tomorrow when I attempt to install it. At least the Jeep is mobile now.

 

[Shankster]

It's at the transfer case. There's just no way the part I got is going into the eyelet on the end of the shift rod. The diameter is way to big. I went to O'Reilly Auto Parts and I think I got what I needed. I"ll find out tomorrow when I attempt to install it. At least the Jeep is mobile now.

I'm guessing the difference is that you have the Command Trac 4wd system (231 transfer case?) without part time 4wd and I have the Selec Trac 4wd system (242 transfer case?) with part time 4wd and the bushings are different.

 

[ltd02]

I'm guessing the difference is that you have the Command Trac 4wd system (231 transfer case?) without part time 4wd and I have the Selec Trac 4wd system (242 transfer case?) with part time 4wd and the bushings are different.

I think something changed based on year. My 02 took the bigger black rubber bushings. My 05 took a small white plastic one. They were both the full time 242 case.

 

[jack roykirk]

I'm guessing the difference is that you have the Command Trac 4wd system (231 transfer case?) without part time 4wd and I have the Selec Trac 4wd system (242 transfer case?) with part time 4wd and the bushings are different.

When I'm in 4 high the light on the dash
says part time.