KOLEJ VOKASIONAL MIRI

LORONG 10, JALAN JEE FOH, KROKOP

98000 MIRI, SARAWAK.

KERTAS PENERANGAN
PROGRAM
KOD MODUL
TAJUK MODUL

TEKNOLOGI AUTOMOTIF
MAT 501
4 WHEEL DRIVE TRAIN SYSTEM

TAHUN / SEMESTER
JAM KREDIT
JUMLAH JAM

TAHUN 1 SEMESTER 5 DIPLOMA VOKASIONAL MALAYSIA

3.0
5.0 JAM / SEMINGGU

KELAS/KULIAH
KOMPETENSI
STANDARD

1. OVERHAUL FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE

PEMBELAJARAN

1.1

IDENTIFY FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASES

LOCATION

NAMA PELAJAR:

TAJUK

TARIKH:

: OVERHAUL FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE

OBJEKTIF :
Selepas aktiviti ini pelajar-pelajar mesti boleh :
1. Identify four-wheel drive transfer cases location.
.
1.0

INTRODUCTION

Page | 1

A four (wheel drive (4WD) vehicle has more pulling power and traction since it drives
all four wheels. To drive all four wheels, the power train requires a drive axle at each end of
the vehicle, a second propeller shaft and a transfer case. The transfer case is mounted to the rear
of

the

transmission

and

its

purpose

is

to

drive

the

additional

shaft

and

provide a gear reduction mode in four wheel drives only.

When torque is equally distributed to the front and rear axles and the vehicle is driven
in a straight line, all wheels turn at the same speed, as do the two drive shafts. When the
vehicle is driven in a turn however, all four wheels rotate at different speeds because each of the
wheels has a different turning radius around the center of the turn. The outer front wheel
turns the fastest, followed by the outer rear, the inner front and the inner rear wheels.
Since the front axle is turning faster than the rear axle, the drive shafts also turn at
different speeds. This does not present a problem when the vehicle is driven on loose surfaces
such as sand or snow because the tires will slip on the loose surface. However, when driven on
pavement, the difference in speeds causes tire scuffing and bind up of the power train. At low
speeds the bind up may cause the engine to stall. Some transfer case designs use a center
differential to provide proportional distribution of torque to the axles eliminating the bind up
effect in the power train.

Picture 1
1.1

TYPES OF TRANSFER CASE

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There are three types of transfer case operating systems:

i.

part time

ii.

full time

iii.

multimode

In each of these systems high and low gear can be selected. A part time four wheel drive
system allows two wheel or four wheel drive. When four wheel drive is selected, torque is
evenly distributed to the front and rear axles. Because the wheels turn at different speeds as
described earlier, part time four wheel drive vehicles should operate in two wheel drive on
pavement.In the part time system when one wheel loses traction, all the torque for that axle
goes to the wheel with the least traction. However since the transfer case distributes equal
torque to each axle, the opposite axle has torque delivered to the wheels.

In a full time four wheel drive system or a multimode four wheel drive system, if
one wheel loses traction all torque goes to the wheel and axle with the least traction. This is
when you would lock the center differential causing the torque to be equally distributed to the
front and rear axle similar to part time operation. In the event one wheel on each axle lost
traction, the torque would still go to the wheel with the least traction. What is needed at this
point is a locking differential that causes both wheels at the rear axle to be driven together.
1.2

CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSFER CASE

The transfer case is attached to the rear of the transmission. It has a single input shaft driven
by the transmission output shaft and two output shafts, one for the front drive axle and one for
the rear drive axle.

1.3

GEAR DRIVE TRANSFER CASE

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Gear drive transfer case has three major components: the input shaft assembly, the idler
gear assembly and the center differential assembly. The input shaft assembly is driven by the
transmission output shaft and has a single drive gear. The idler gear assembly is driven by the
input drive gear and provides for high and low gear. The low speed idler gear is mounted to the
idler gear assembly and rotates on a set of needle roller bearings. The high & low clutch sleeve
engages the low speed idler gear and the high speed idler gear for low gear. The center
differential assembly is driven either by the high speed idler gear or the low speed idler gear on
the idler gear assembly. The high speed output gear rotates on the center differential front case
and is driven by the high speed idler gear. It is coupled to the center differential by the No. 1
high & low clutch sleeve. The low speed output gear is attached to the center differential case
and is driven by the low speed idler gear. The front drive clutch sleeve locks the center
differential by locking the front output shaft to the center differential front case. An oil
pump, driven by the idler gear assembly, provides lubrication.

Picture 2
Shifting between high speed and low speed is done with a floor mounted shift selector
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while the vehicle is stopped. When the shift selector is moved, the high & low clutch sleeve
on the idler gear assembly and the No. 1 high & low clutch sleeve on the center
differential assembly move to the right at the same time. When low speed is selected, the low
speed idler gear is engaged with the high speed idler gear and the high speed output gear is
disengaged from the center differential case. The high gear ratio (2.48:1) between the
smaller low speed idler gear and the larger low speed output gear provides low gear.
When high speed is selected, the high speed idler gear is disengaged with the low speed
idler gear and the high speed output gear is engaged with the center differential case. The
gear ratio in high is 1:1 as the input drive gear and high speed output gear have the same
number of teeth. When the center differential case is driven, the pinion shaft transfers torque
through the pinion gears to the side gears, driving the front and rear output shafts.

Picture 3
An electric shift actuator motor (discussed later in this section) causes the front drive
clutch sleeve to lock the front output shaft to the center differential front case, completing the
center differential lock function. The actuator is controlled by a center differential lock switch
located on the instrument panel and a 4WD control relay.
1.4

CHAIN DRIVE TRANSFER CASE

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The chain drive transfer case has a similar function to the gear drive transfer case. This
type of transfer case uses a planetary gear set instead of a countershaft to provide low range
gear reduction. It also uses a large silent chain instead of an idler gear to transfer power to the
front output shaft. A synchronizer assembly allows changing ranges from L4 to H4 without
stopping. In 4WD, the front drive clutch sleeve connects the output shaft to the chain sprocket
and chain, which drives the front output shaft. This transfer case has its own oil pump to
ensure proper lubrication.

Picture 4
1.5

PLANETARY GEAR UNIT

The planetary gear unit is constructed in the following manner:

1.5.1 The transfer input shaft is spline to the planetary sun gear.
1.5.2 Four planetary pinion gears are fitted to the planetary carrier.
1.5.3

A planetary spline piece is fitted to the rear of the carrier and internal gear
teeth of the spline piece can be engaged with the external teeth of the high and
Page | 6

low clutch sleeve.

1.5.4 The planetary ring gear is fixed to the transfer case and the internal teeth are
meshed with the planetary pinion gears.
1.5.5

The high and low clutch sleeve can be engaged with the splines located on the
rear portion of the transfer input shaft.

Picture 5
1.6

H2 AND H4 POSITION
In the high position (H2 or H4), the clutch sleeve locks the input shaft to the rear

output shaft. The high and low clutch sleeve slides over the splines of the high and low clutch
hub. As it moves to the left its internal splines engage the input shaft splines and lock the input
shaft to the output shaft.
1.7

L4 POSITION
In the L4 position, the engine power is transmitted from the input shaft to the output

shaft through the planetary gear unit. The high and low clutch sleeve moves to the right and is
now engaged with the planetary spline piece and the planetary carrier. The sun gear drives the
pinion gears and causes the carrier to rotate at a slower speed. Gear reduction occurs at this
time, causing the output shaft to rotate at a slower speed than the input shaft.

Page | 7

Picture 6
1.8

SYNCHRO MECHANISM
The synchro mechanism permits smooth shifting from L4 to H4 even while the

vehicle is moving. The clutch pedal must be depressed when shifting the lever from L4 to the
H4 position.

Picture 7

1.11

OPERATION OF SYNCHRO MECHANISM

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When the transfer shift lever is shifted from the L4 to the H4 position, the No. 2 shift
fork moves to the left. The high and low clutch sleeve also moves to the left, causing the key to
push the synchronizer ring against the cone at the rear of the transfer input shaft, causing
synchronization.
While moving in L4, the speed of the input shaft is faster than the output shaft due to
the action of the planetary gear unit. When the transfer is shifted to the H4 position, the
synchro mechanism slows the input shaft and both shafts rotate at the same speed. The high
and low clutch sleeve moves to engage the input shaft.
Since no synchro mechanism is provided for shifting from H4 into L4, the vehicle must
be stopped for this shift to occur without gear noise. Even when the vehicle speed is 5 mph (8
km/h) or lower, gear noise will be generated when shifting to L4, so it is advised that the
vehicle is stopped before making the shift.

1.12

CENTER DIFFERENTIAL
All wheel drive vehicles incorporate a differential between the front and the rear drive

axles, because the front wheels travel a different distance through a turn than the rear wheels.

Picture 8
1.13

CENTER DIFFERENTIAL CONSTRUCTION

Page | 9

The double pinion planetary gear type center differential consists of a planetary ring
gear, a planetary sun gear, a planetary carrier and three pairs of planetary pinion gears.

Picture 12
Three sets of planetary pinion gears, which are meshed in pairs are enclosed in the
planetary carrier. The outer planetary pinion gear is meshed with the planetary ring gear and
the inner gear is meshed with the planetary sun gear of the rear output shaft. The drive force
from the transfer clutch hub is transmitted to the planetary ring gear via the center differential
lock sleeve. The planetary carrier transmits the drive force to the front wheels and the
planetary sun gear transmits the drive force to the rear wheels. Additionally, a center
differential lock mechanism is provided in the front of the center differential.

1.14

CENTER DIFFERENTIAL OPERATION

The center differential uses planetary gears to distribute power between the front and

rear axles.

1.15

FREE MODE VEHICLE TRAVELLING IN A STRAIGHT LINE

When the vehicle is moving in a straight line, there is practically no speed difference

between the front and rear wheels. In this case, the transfer clutch hub, front drive sprocket
and rear output shaft rotate at the same speed with the center differential. The driving force
from the transfer clutch hub is transmitted to the front and rear wheels through the planetary
Page | 10

ring gear to the planetary pinion carrier and planetary sun gear.

Picture 13

1.16

FREE MODE VEHICLE TURNING

If a speed difference is generated between the front and rear wheels because of a turn,

the planetary pinion gears of the center differential rotate and absorb the speed difference. As a
result, the planetary carrier rotates faster, but in the same direction as the planetary ring gear.
This causes the outer pinion gear to rotate in the opposite direction while revolving around the
ring gear in the same direction. The inner pinion gear rotates in the same direction as the ring
gear and the rotation of the rear output shaft becomes slower than the drive sprocket by the
amount of the rotating pinion gear.

Picture 14
Page | 11

1.17

LOCK MODE
The center differential, much like the front and rear differentials in the axles, is an

open differential distributing torque to the axle with the least traction. When in fourwheel
drive mode, if one wheel is suspended or lost its traction, all the torque is sent to axle of the
wheel with the least traction and the vehicle is stuck. By locking the center differential,
torque is distributed to each propeller shaft equally, just like a part time or conventional
transfer case, and the wheels on the opposite axle will move the vehicle. The center differential
lock sleeve moves to the right, enabling the inner teeth of the center differential lock sleeve to
mesh with the rear output shaft. As a result, the center differential stops operating and is locked.

Picture 15
AWD vehicles should have four equal diameter tires, since unequal diameters create dissimilar
axle speeds. Dissimilar axle speeds cause increased wear at the drive axle and/or center
differential.

1.18

SHIFT MECHANISM
The shift mechanism is used to provide a smooth engagement for shifting from H2 to

H4 and L4 ranges. It features:

1.6.1 A direct control type transfer shift lever that controls two shift fork
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shafts.
1.6.2 A shift shaft interlock mechanism used to ensure that low range is
only selected when in four wheel drive.
1.6.3 Detents are used to provide shift feel.
1.6.4 A wait mechanism is used for shifting from H4 to H2.

Picture 16

1.19

SHIFTING FROM H2 INTO H4 POSITION

Page | 13

In the H2 position, low gear is locked out by the interlock pin between the high and
low shift fork shaft and the front drive shift fork shaft. When shifting from H2 to H4, the
front drive clutch sleeve moves to the left to couple the output shaft to the drive sprocket and
silent chain that drives the front propeller shaft.

Picture 17
1.20

SHIFTING FROM H4 INTO L4 POSITION

In the H4 position, the interlock pin allows the high and low shift fork shaft to move

from the high position to the low position. When the high and low shift fork shaft is moved
to the right, the interlock pin moves up into the groove of the high and low shift fork shaft,
Page | 14

engaging L4. Refer Picture 18.

1.21

WAIT MECHANISM
The wait mechanism is used for shifting from H4 into H2 position. When the front

drive shift fork shaft moves to the right, the front drive shift fork will not move until the
torque is removed from the front drive clutch sleeve. The compression spring pushes against
the front drive shift fork No. 1. When torque is removed, front drive shift fork No. 1 and
sleeve are pushed to the right by the spring force. The transfer case is now in H2 position. .
Refer Picture 19.

Picture 18

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Picture 19

1.22

ELECTRIC SHIFT CONTROL

Electrical control of the transfer case functions is accomplished by means of a transfer shift
actuator controlled by the 4WD control ECU. The ECU relies on input from the driver
operated 24 switch and high low switch or in some cases the differential lock switch. The
ECU receives input from sensors the 4WD and L4 position switches that monitor transfer
case shift shaft position to determine engagement. The ECU then engages the A.D.D (This
topic is handled separately later in this section) actuator to lock the front differential. In
addition, the ECU controls indicator lights mounted in the combination meter to indicate
when H4 or L4 are engaged or, depending on the vehicle, when the locking differential is
engaged. The indicator light on the switch will flash while this electric shift control is
happening.

Page | 16

Picture 20

1.23

TRANSFER SHIFT ACTUATOR

The transfer shift actuator consists of an electrical motor driven screw gear that

turns the driven gear and contact plate. The limit switches maintain contact with the contact
plate, providing a position signal to ECU. Open gaps in the plate cause the motor circuit to
open at precisely the right time in the driven gears rotation to stop shift shaft movement. For
this reason the actuator should never be removed without the shift shaft as the entire assembly
is timed to the contact plate.
The driven gear turns the shaft and final gear that causes the transfer shift shaft and
shift fork to move back and forth in the transfer case. A spring loaded wait mechanism
separates the driven gear from the final gear so that during a shift from 4WD to 2WD, when
tension at the 2WD/4WD clutch sleeve is released, it can move the clutch sleeve and release the
front drive shaft.

Page | 17

Picture 21
1.23

MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUIT

The ECU controls the motor and monitors its position with the limit switches. When

selecting H4 from H2 or L4 from H4, the 4WD Control ECU switches current to flow to
actuator terminal 1 through the motor to terminal 2. The monitoring path to ground in a H4
from H2 shift is through ECU terminal TL3 to actuator terminal 5 and the H2 contact plate
through the sliding limit switch to terminal 4 and ground. When the sliding contact reaches the
open gap at the H4 position shown in the illustration, the ground circuit is opened and the ECU
shuts down the motor.
The monitoring path to ground in a L4 from H4 shift is through ECU terminal TL2 to
actuator terminal 6 and the H4 contact plate through the sliding limit switch to terminal 4 and
ground. When the sliding contact reaches the open gap at the L4 position shown in the
illustration, the ground circuit is opened and the ECU shuts down the motor. When selecting H4
from L4 or H2 from H4, the 4WD Control ECU switches current to flow to actuator terminal
2 through the motor to terminal 1 causing the motor to turn in the opposite direction which
causes the shift shaft to move in the opposite direction also.
The monitoring path to ground in a H4 from L4 shift is through ECU terminal TL1 to
actuator terminal 3 and the L4 contact plate through the sliding limit switch to terminal 4 and
ground. When the sliding contact reaches the open gap at the H4 position shown in the
Page | 18

illustration, the ground circuit is opened and the ECU shuts down the motor.

Picture 22
1.24

POSITION SWITCH
The 4WD and L4 position switches monitor the shift shaft position and can be mounted

to the transfer case or to the actuator body. These switches are normally open and when the shift
shaft passes by the switch the plunger rises to close the switch, notifying the ECU of the
transfer shift position. The ECU uses this input to activate the A.D.D. actuator on the front
differential.
Page | 19

Picture 16
1.25

ELECTRIC SHIFT CONTROL TYPES

The transfer case actuator is mounted to the rear of the transfer case. Electric control of

the transfer case functions is accomplished in different ways for different types of four wheel
drive systems:
3.1.1 There are two types of electrical control in part time transfer cases:
3.1.2

In the first type the high and low synchronizer assembly is engaged and
disengaged using a floor mounted shift lever and the 2WD/4WD synchronizer
assembly is engaged by a single electrical motor transfer shift actuator.

3.1.3

In the second type fully electric control transfer cases the high/low shift and
2WD/4WD shift is accomplished by a single electrical motor transfer shift
actuator.

3.1.4 In full time transfer cases, there are two electrical motors to control the transfer
case; the high and low synchronizer assembly and another dedicated to the
center differential lock function.
3.1.5 In multi mode transfer cases the high and low synchronizer assembly is
engaged and disengaged using a floor mounted shift lever and 2WD/4WD and
center differential lock are controlled by the transfer shift actuator.

Page | 20

Picture 28
RUJUKAN:
Technical Education for Automotive Mastery (1997). Toyota Technical Training: Transfer Case.
Tokyo: Toyota Motor Corporation.

Page | 21