cartercd
SILVER Star
I have had a stiff transfer case selector since I bought my truck in '04, so I decided to tackle this today. The first step was determining if the culprit was the shift lever or the transfer case. Under the truck, you can see the transfer case selector lever mechanism coming from the console area to a rod that links back to the transfer case. There is a clip that allows you to pull this rod, separating the shift lever mechanism from the transfer case. After I did that, the shift lever was still stiff, so I new my problem was the shifter, not the transfer case.
Next I removed the center console (3 bolts) and shift console (4 screws and an electrical connector). From there you can unbolt the entire assembly that houses the transmission shifter and transfer case shifter boot. This involves removing 10 bolts (red circles below), some electrical connectors, as well as going back under the truck and removing the linkage rod that connects the transmission shifter to the transmission.
This whole assembly lifts off, revealing the transfer case shifting mechanism.
Although if adventurous you could remove this assembly and take it apart, there appears to be some press-fit components I did't want to deal with. I put a 2 foot cheater bar over the lever, sprayed the friction points with a variety of carcinogenic aerosols, and cycled the lever back and forth about 500 times (no exaggeration). Although slightly better, it was still too stiff. There was just zero play between the lever, the nylon washers, and the housing. I took a brass drift and gave the base of the shifter a few whacks leftward. I then continued with the carcinogens and another 500 cycles of the lever. It finally got to an acceptable level of shifting effort, and I put everything back together.
I would note that my truck has lived most of its life in the Arizona desert and all rubber boots were in great shape, so there was no corrosion. I think it was probably very tight off the assembly line.
I celebrated my accomplishment with step 6
Next I removed the center console (3 bolts) and shift console (4 screws and an electrical connector). From there you can unbolt the entire assembly that houses the transmission shifter and transfer case shifter boot. This involves removing 10 bolts (red circles below), some electrical connectors, as well as going back under the truck and removing the linkage rod that connects the transmission shifter to the transmission.
This whole assembly lifts off, revealing the transfer case shifting mechanism.
Although if adventurous you could remove this assembly and take it apart, there appears to be some press-fit components I did't want to deal with. I put a 2 foot cheater bar over the lever, sprayed the friction points with a variety of carcinogenic aerosols, and cycled the lever back and forth about 500 times (no exaggeration). Although slightly better, it was still too stiff. There was just zero play between the lever, the nylon washers, and the housing. I took a brass drift and gave the base of the shifter a few whacks leftward. I then continued with the carcinogens and another 500 cycles of the lever. It finally got to an acceptable level of shifting effort, and I put everything back together.
I would note that my truck has lived most of its life in the Arizona desert and all rubber boots were in great shape, so there was no corrosion. I think it was probably very tight off the assembly line.
I celebrated my accomplishment with step 6
