As seen in Toyota Trails!
Various articles written here have been published in TLCA's Toyota Trails magazine and on their website. After roaming around our site, click on the magazines to visit TLCA.
Transfer Case
T-case Leak Fix
If you have a late model Tcase you may well have the leak problem I ran into.
I rebuilt my t-case awhile back so I was a bit surprised to find a fairly consistent drip and puddle under the rig. And once I found the offending source of the drip I was a bit surprised.
Skidplate Clearance
While looking around for the leak in my t-case I found something interesting.
I had made my skidplate with very little clearance for my t-case and while this was great for clearance under the rig, it did create a minor problem.
I found that my t-case was actually rubbing on my skidplate. No noise or anthing obvious, at least until I pulled the skidplate and noticed a shiny spot on the inside. Then I took a look at the bottom of the tcase and saw what’s in that pic. Not a lot of damage but too much of this and there could eventually be a problem.
2Lo
More than likely you have heard 2Lo mentioned on occasion. And depending on how your rig is set up and how you drive it, it just may be a worthwhile change to make to your rig. For the new guys 2Lo means putting your rig into low range without engaging 4WD. Yes it is possible but you do have to make a minor mod to do so.
T-case Shifter Rattle
By Tony K
At first glance the shifter on our wagons is quite the contraption. What appears to be a single lever engages 4wd and moves between hi and low range. While it may seem to be simple, the lever doesn’t enter the t-case like the shifter on the tranny. The lever accomplishes all this with pivots and linkage. Moving the lever forward and aft shifts between 2 and 4wd and moving the lever left and right moves it in and out of low range.
Transfer Case Rebuild
By Tony K
After quite a few miles and a fair share of abuse it’s time to rebuild my transfer case. The bearings are a bit tired, the idler shaft has started to wear and the main seal between the tranny and t-case has failed (a common problem with a lot of miles on the rig). And you are going to need more than just this write up. Think of it as a supplement to your service manual. What we try to share is what is not in the manual. So, first and foremost be sure to have a Factory Service Manual handy, preferably a paper copy. The Internet is handy but a bit of a pain to use with greasy fingers…