Posted by Lou Hernandez on March 08, 1999 at 15:18:31:
In Reply to: questions about transfer case posted by Adam on February 26, 1999 at 16:20:03:
The good thing about divorced transfer cases is that you usually have less front driveshaft angle due to the longer shaft but a shorter rear which could be undesirable on a short wheelbase vehicle such as a Trailduster/Ramcharger. I have seen it done and havent heard of any problems. You also dont have to worry about adapters from trans to transfer case, you can change transmissions without pulling the bulky T-case with it. Bad points are if your off-road and blow out the center driveshaft, your out of luck, no driving out in 2wd. This happened to me Thanksgiving weekend in the Glamis sand dunes, at camp pulling out a friends weakling chevy suburban. It broke the U-joint and took out the flange on the back of the NP435 stick. Lucky I had the spare pieces at home which my friend brought up with him the next day, otherwise I would of been stuck in the dunes with nothing that could pull the 7400# PW out, and no way to get a flange that Im sure nobody has. Also when the rear seal of a divorced trans leaks its easy to replace and doesnt fill your t-case with trans fluid. I have also seen problems with driveline vibration when the center and rear shafts are not in phase ( on the same plane) which will happen if you pass through nuetral on your T-case.