driving w/ no rear DS in 4x4?

[planoxj]

i am about to install my 5.5" lift tomm and have not had the custom rear DS made yet for obvious reasons..i know guys have told me on here that you can drive in 4x4 with just the front DS like front wheel drive...but have had local buddies tell me that they have burned up their transfercase doing that...who has done this and does anybody know for a fact if this is ok to do on the street? oh and i will have a SYE on...just no rear DS...and its a 1998...thanks guys James

 

[xj-grin]

I've done it for a few hundred miles -- no problem with the tcase. It will be a little bit squirrelly, not like your mama's honda, but you'll be fine.

 

[Wil Badger]

you can drive it in Front wheel with an SYE on the back.but i wouldn't expect to drive it like normal.usually you just do this to get off the trail or to get home from thr trail.not to drive around for a couple of weeks waiting for a driveshaft

 

[planoxj]

i would only be doing it to get my jeep home..it will take a shop 2 days to make a shaft for me...thanks for the info guys

 

[tealcherokee]

ive done it, to work for a week too...

 

[crazy4moab]

I've done it for a few hundred miles -- no problem with the tcase. It will be a little bit squirrelly, not like your mama's honda, but you'll be fine.

Its no problem to do it at all. I don't know why your buddies say that you will burn up the TC. Makes no sense. Everything is still turning and getting lubricated. Even the rear end is getting lubed. The TC doesn't care if there is a rear DS or not. The output shaft is still going to turn whether its there or not. I agree with "grin", may be a little squirrley but won't cause any problems.

See ya.....................Mikey

 

[MrShoeBoy]

You will be fine driving around with the front wheels pulling so long as you have that SYE installed. I drove for a little over 3 weeks and 400 miles when I installed my SYE and rear axle and then had the driveshaft made. The only problems you will run into is it being squirrly when you hit the gas. The term torque steer will bring on new meanings.

AARON

 

[crazy4moab]

OOPS! My bad. Yes, you will need the SYE in order to do it. :doh:

 

[Dirk Pitt]

OOPS! My bad. Yes, you will need the SYE in order to do it. :doh:

You won't need the SYE installed to run it this way. You have the newer sealed rear output so you won't leak any fluids. Other than that there are no other issues.

Good luck.

 

[badron]

I went over 200 miles pulling a trailer (not to be tried at home) with a very old and tired Cherokee with just the front wheels pulling. No problem.

 

[planoxj]

thanks a bunch guys!

 

[HaleYes]

You won't need the SYE installed to run it this way. You have the newer sealed rear output so you won't leak any fluids. Other than that there are no other issues.

Good luck.

DP is right guys. You'll be fine with no SYE if you have the newer sealed rear output.

 

[Drunk tank]

I did it for two weeks until I had my new driveshaft and SYE. no prob. just a little wierd to drive.

 

[PapaPump]

i did this with a broken rear u-joint. pulled out the driveshaft and drove from cle elum, wa to everett, probably about 100 miles. jeep started jerking on the freeway when i was almost to my destination. i had leaked all of the fluid out of the tcase and was running dry. the tcase still works, i had to refill it. i am not sure if there was supposed to be a seal or what, but it definitely didn't hold fluid for me. my underside looks nice now that it has a coating of ATF

 

[XJ99]

hey fellas, Just wanted to bump up this post, I had the same question but with a twist, Im doing the same exact thing, but what happens If you have to do this and have a front locker? Its on a 99XJ with HP30, Detroit Gearless, 3.55's

 

[Kejtar]

hey fellas, Just wanted to bump up this post, I had the same question but with a twist, Im doing the same exact thing, but what happens If you have to do this and have a front locker? Its on a 99XJ with HP30, Detroit Gearless, 3.55's

For a temporary thing you'll live although drive slowly as it will steer funny (especially on slippery surfaces). This is meant only to get you through while you are either getting a rear shaft replaced/ordered or to get you off a trail to a shop so that you can fix whatever broke in the rear.

 

[ZachMan]

If you have an HD SYE put your front ds on the rear.

 

[Matt98XJ]

When I drove cross country from WA to FL, my rear shaft broke in Illinois. I took the rear shaft off, and drove in 4 wheel to my folks place in GA. The next day, went to drive the jeep, and it wouldn't move. Not in 2 or 4 wheel drive. Ended up taking the transfer case apart. When I removed the cover metal chips fell out all over the place. It was pretty much done. So I guess you can burn up a transfer case.

 

[ECKSJAY]

When I drove cross country from WA to FL, my rear shaft broke in Illinois. I took the rear shaft off, and drove in 4 wheel to my folks place in GA. The next day, went to drive the jeep, and it wouldn't move. Not in 2 or 4 wheel drive. Ended up taking the transfer case apart. When I removed the cover metal chips fell out all over the place. It was pretty much done. So I guess you can burn up a transfer case.

That certainly doesn't mean this was the cause... Sounds like you had other things wrong inside before this happened.

 

[Matt98XJ]

Never had a single problem with the tcase before that incident. 70 mph for over 800 miles isn't good in 4 wheel drive.