2 speed transfer box question

[Kaiser2boy]

I know its been hashed over but I was thinking the other day about me torquing down those nuts and worrying about the preload.
How many of you out there have removed a wheel and regreased the wheel bearings and then just put the wheel back on if the bearings looked good and were not making noise? I bet all of you have done that and re-tightened the spindel nut to take up the slack left from any wear and drove off with no problems. I figure the same is true of the nuts on my transfer box. I have driven it a few hundered miles since and have had no problems. I understand that it could be a problem if the bearings were trashed and making noise but they are not. I know its got some tolerances that have to be met but its not a Swiss Watch by any means.

[wayneh]

One way to look at it is what do you have to lose? You can always pick up replacement parts for the NP200 if it fails badly. Something to think about though, ten bolts, and three cotter pins you can have it out and on the bench.
(four bolts to mount the transfer case, six for three U joints) I can pull my transfer case out in about thirty minutes. Then you could tighten them down and see how things felt.

Wayne

[Charles Talbert]

Well you have figured wrong in this case

No doubt it has been done many times like you suspect simply because most people don't know any better; however a t/case is much different from a wheel bearing. I've explained this in and out concerning gear set ups so many times I can't count; so I won't bother to do it again.

The simple truth is there is no way for you to tell how much preload you have when you unbutton a set up that you know isn't right like in your case. You tighten it up, BUT you have no idea what stress the set up may or may not be under.

I've got a recent example from 2 days ago. We tore down a differential, someone had not set if up properly, and had used some incorrect components the last time it was gone into. The result was some major parts were thrashed to the point of no return. It will cost about 1/3rd more than normal to repair this unit. You may be taking the same road. There is no telling what the last person may have done, you could be the lucky one, you could also be the not so lucky one. Neither you or I know the answer to that one. I do however have this answer, if the case is ruined because of an incorrect set up; your feelings will be severely hurt when you find out the cost of parts to repair it. Gear box components are off the charts in price.