[Bleepjeep]

Hey folks, I just got a 98 Grand Cherokee with a full time Quadra-Trac system in it. The problem is that I didn't know how to properly shift it into 4x4 LO. I knew that you had to slow down to 3-5 mph, but what I didn't know is that you had to have the transmision in neutral. So needless to say I grinded away when I shifted it in and out of the low setting. My question is, "how tough is the transfer case on this truck? Can it break in the above situation?" It seems to work fine now that I know how to properly shift it. Thanks in advance for your reply. --Bleepjeep

[Chad '94 Limited V8]

I tried mine out for the first time today. I just got my Grand yesterday. I stopped completely, put it in Neutral and it still grinded going in. I am not sure if that makes ours normal or if something is wrong.

[horatio102]

You're not supposed to come to a complete halt while shifting.

It's like a manual transmission with synchros. You can shift a manual without touching the clutch, you just have to rev-match to the speed for the appropriate gear. You can't do it from a stand-still though.

On the transfer case your input shaft will be spinning and the rest of it will not, so there will be grinding when you engage it. If you're rolling, and the tranny itself is in N, the input shaft and the rest of the transfer case internals will be much closer in RPM allowing a smooth shift. Having it in N while rolling allows the speeds of the shafts to match up without a lot of torque to grind them.

You won't break anything, but if you're constantly grinding gears they will wear out.