4wheel drive issues

[wranglersport01]

Hey guys sorry i havent been around, working 3 jobs puts a damper on my free time. Anyway, i was in asand pit on monday and i went to use my 4 wheel drive so i stopped, shifted into neutral, pulled the 4 wheel lever and no light indicator came on to inform me it was engaged and i could feel that it didnt so i wiggled it a bit the light came on and it felt like it engaged, once i shifted into 1st gear and started to drive the part time light went out and the jeep stopped accelerating as if it were in neutral although the transmission was still in 1st. it drives fine when in 2wd minus the sound of my shifter shaking around which i dont know would cause that. but my main concern is why wont my 4wd stay engaged. i believe i need a throwout bearing and im just going to rplace the clutch with a centerforceII. thanks for any help its a 2001 wrangler 4.0 5speed with 6in lift running on 35x13.5r15 prob shouldve said that in the beginning sorry haha and about the length.lol

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Early TJ sometimes have a problem with shifting into four wheel drive if they are not sitting flat on pavement which of course is not where one typically shifts into four wheel. It has to do with a bracket attached to the body that controls the cable from the shift lever to the xcase; if things are twisted just a little bit it wont go in. There is an aftermarket bracket that attches to the transmission to eliminates this problem for pretty cheap. Any jeep type parts house should have them. I'm not going to guarantee that is your problem but from the sounds of thing it is a likely candidate.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

What type of lift do you have to achieve the 6" of lift?

Sounds like transfer case linkage needs adjusted or modified.

 

[wranglersport01]

i have a 4in skyjacker suspension lift and a 2in body lift. i have tried to get it into 4wd in a parking lot just to see if it would and it didnt. ill check out that bracket later on today. ill have someone move the lever while i check out what its doing

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Did you install the lift? Was the shifter linkage modified for the 2" body lift?

The transfer case linkage on a TJ is a joke, using a bellcrank between the drivetrain and the tub. Installing a body lift creates a serious bind and/or makes the linkage too short.

Teraflex offers a bracket for around $60 that removes the tub side of the linkage, placing everything on the drivetrain. It's designed for a TJ with an auto transmission but will work on a manual transmission with just a little bit of grinding. Otherwise a few companies like Novak make a complete replacement shifter that mounts to the transmission for more $$.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Good catch BH, I didn't realize there was a 2" body lift involved.

 

[wranglersport01]

i did not in stall the body lift and i took a look under the jeep today and it looks like a bracket was made by mickey mouse to make it sort of work. thanks for the help. best forum ever where people actually help by answering someones question instead of going off into a totally different discussion involving nothing that the poster requested. kinda like what i just did haha