I was driving down the road today going about 75 when all of a sudden a violent shaking began. I thought I had blown out a tire so I immediately pulled over. After checking the tires (which were all fine), I looked underneath the truck and discovered that the rear u-joint was loose. A cap had come off. I had just replaced this u-joint two months earlier. After moving the driveline around a bit, I noticed the transfer case also moving around . After inspection of the transfer case/tranny region this is what I discovered. The intermediate piece that connects the transfer case to the transmission had completely cracked in half. Fluid had gone everywhere. This piece is a cast aluminum housing. (Sorry, I tried to attach a picture, but without any success).

I am still trying to figure out if the u-joint might have caused this with the massive vibration or something vise-versa.

My question of course is whether this intermediate connecting piece can be replaced.

The truck is a 1999 F-150 , 5.4 V8, ex-cab. It has about 160k.

Please help! Is the truck finished?

Thanks.

 

a pic would be good but i would say it depends on what piece as to weather it can be replaced sepret of replacing the whole trans although it might be cheaper to just replace the whole trans than to just replace that piece proboly the tail housing but could be somthing else

 

I spoke with my mechanic a while ago, and the piece I described to him is called the tail housing. He thinks he should be able to replace it. He said that a bearing inside this housing may have seized up, causing the rear u-joint to come apart from the driveline. This would make more sense to me, as it was sort of hard for me to believe that the u-joint cap (brand new) would just come out like that.

Has anybody heard of this before?

Also on another note. When my friend towed me the 40 or so miles back to my house, we took the drive line off but I did have the engine running. I was thinking that the brakes would of course be more effective. My mechanic said that I should have left the engine off, since the tranny pump would still have been running. I thought that cracking this housing drained all the fluid, but I checked a while ago and there was still fluid in the tranny. Could this tow have done any damage to the housing?

Thanks

 

if its still full and didnt leak any, you did no harm

 

If you cracked the housing between the transmission and the t-case you did indeed crack the extension housing. Fluid from the transmission can leak out of it. Now if the seal is still intact you are OK. You have some serious issues if that cracked. Do you have an electric or manual shift t-case? Something in the t-case or transmission may have seized and took out the extension housing and the u-joint.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Well I have a similar problem, I bottomed my truck out going up a hill, when I crested the top, the trans crossmember caught, and twisted back. Ruined my crossmember and broke both "ears" off the extension housing. There are no bearings to go bad in the housing, but to have that crack would take some extreme force. You said you replaced the u-joint before, what was the reason for that? If it just went bad, then I bet the housing may have been cracked before, not leaking yet, but tweaked enough to change driveline angles.

 

I replaced the u-joint a couple months back because one of the caps had cracked and a piece had come off. The driveline thus had play in it, creating a pretty bad vibration when going above 60 mph. I replaced the u-joint myself, using not a press but a constant pounding with a hammer and socket. I have since learned that this was probably a mistake.

It is possible that the housing may have been cracked before, but I cannot say for sure. Now when I say that the housing is cracked, I mean it is cracked in HALF. It is literally in two pieces. (Man I wish I could post a picture. Do I need a special permission to post pics? Is says I am not allowed to post attachments).

Anybody know how much a new housing will set me back (part only)? Is this something I will be able to find only at the dealer?

Thanks.

 

Sorry I forgot to say that the transfer case is automatic.

 

Yes, you can get that housing separately ( basic number 7A039 ) I'll bet you have a bad front bearing in the t/case. For you to crack the caps in the u-joint, you've got a wicked vibration going on there! Have you run the t/case dry? I'd get the t/ case looked at ASAP.

Barry

03 F-150 reg cab 4x4

( Ford parts man )

 

2001
Transfer Case
Ford Truck F150 CHK ID 070163 $Call Roswell Wrecking Co. USA-NM(Roswell) E-mail 1-800-624-0656

 

While driving the down the freeway I felt a violent pop and then felt a horrible vibration...pulled over quickly and jump underneath and sure enough my ujoint had popped one of the clips off and the cap flew out causing the driveline to be badly out of balance.....I too had just replaced these amonth ago....guess I didn't seat one of the clips 100$. Went to Napa, purchase a new set and installed them, hoping all was going to be okay but it isn't....I have a bad vibration at slow speed like it's out of balance, as I pick up speed it goes away or at least isnt' as noticable.
I'm not driving it for now until I can get under it and check for play in the rear end/transfer case ujoint connections.
Keeping my fingers crossed....good post!

 

Yup, it's an extension housing and there are no bearings or busings in the one on the 4x4 version.

Pricey piece though. Might look for a used one.

Darrin

 

Are you sure that there is no bushing in the t-case extension housing?


Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

There are no bushings or bearings in the transmission extension housing. That is what I thought he was saying that he broke.

I am 100% positive that there are none in that housing. I can go take pictures of one if that would be helpful as illustration. I have several both on and off of transmissions.

Darrin

 

Would you please post a picture. What does the slip yoke slide on if there is no bushing in the extension housing? All of the exploded views I have seen show a bushing. You can buy a replacement bushing for the BW 4406 at most rebuild shops.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier