Wheels dangerously locked up while driving

[nastyleak]

Driving about 45 mph and surprise the POS locked the wheels up bringing the car to a skidding stop. The car stopped in the middle of the road and it was really hard to get it moved out of the street, lots of tire smoking clutch launches before fi
nally moving again. So this is ei
ther the transfer case or the center diff, maybe both?
The Trans just got new fluid month ago, and there are no obvious signs of leaks from the transfer case or under the car. Why would it lock up and what would cause this to happen?

 

[Alan11]

I vote Transfer case. Check it, it probably has no oil anymore.

 

[gofer]

Lack of fluid is usually the cause and the only way to test which drivetrain part locked up you'll need to drop the driveshaft and check the transfer case and rear diff to see if they turn freely.

 

[synthetek]

Were the transfer case recall repairs ever done on the car?

 

[Colt4G63 also]

So you got the car moving again by using "tire smoking clutch launches" instead of a flatbed? It sounds like something broke, and then you broke a bunch of other stuff to get it off the street.

 

[gofer]

You can't blame him for trying to get it out of the middle of the street, at that point you've got to decide if you'd rather repair/replace damaged parts or total the car and possibly kill a family driving down the road.

 

[JusMX141]

So new trans fluid a month ago....but apparently the transfer case right next door was overlooked? That sucks.

 

[nastyleak]

The rebuilt engine was installed about 6 weeks ago there have never been any visible leaks from the TC and I've been under the car lots of times in the past for various reasons. maybe the fluid drained from the tc when the trans was removed and they forgot to replace it? Waiting for a flatbed to show up wasn't really an option parked in a 45 mph highway.

 

[Marceldsm]

wasent there a recall on the stransfer cases on our cars ???

 

[PieEyedPiper]

The rebuilt engine was installed about 6 weeks ago there have never been any visible leaks from the TC and I've been under the car lots of times in the past for various reasons. maybe the fluid drained from the tc when the trans was removed and they forgot to replace it? Waiting for a flatbed to show up wasn't really an option parked in a 45 mph highway.

Just to be clear, a shop did an engine installation for you [which requires removal of the xfercase, unless you're a wizard] and what else, exactly?

I'd want to know if BryanWheat would consider it standard practice to inspect the fluid level of the xfercase if it were removed for any reason during a service. Or if there's a service at all that would call for that behavior.

 

[jmartinez1228]

The rebuilt engine was installed about 6 weeks ago there have never been any visible leaks from the TC and I've been under the car lots of times in the past for various reasons. maybe the fluid drained from the tc when the trans was removed and they forgot to replace it? Waiting for a flatbed to show up wasn't really an option parked in a 45 mph highway.

You are a lucky guy for not getting into an accident. Sounds like they forgot to put fluid into the transfer case (if you didn't see anything leaking and was bone dry)
either because the tech forgot or he believed someone that told him
"You dont need to put fluid into the transfer case. It gets it from the tranny."

 

[Agent Ezzard]

I just got through ordering the recall yoke kit from JNZ for $40 to prevent something like this.

 

[nastyleak]

The recall was performed years ago, the transfer case shouldn't have lost it's fluid by being removed.

 

[Diamond Star Werks]

Just to be clear, a shop did an engine installation for you [which requires removal of the xfercase, unless you're a wizard] and what else, exactly?

I'd want to know if BryanWheat would consider it standard practice to inspect the fluid level of the xfercase if it were removed for any reason during a service. Or if there's a service at all that would call for that behavior.

Thanks for calling me a calling me a wizard.
And at a shop it should ALWAYS be common practice to check every fluid level on the vehicle. Its how you cover your ass and also how you make money. As Im sure if you brought your car to me to swap an engine or whatever and I told your t-case fluid was low, that you would tell me its ok don't worry about it.

 

[tarheels23]

my transfer case locked up on me doing 45 a few months ago, it was the transfer case and easy way to tell is if your rear wheels wouldn't move for anything