Shifter Rattle From Transfer Case

[CA Big Red]

I've been listening to this for years, but want to finally fix it. I have a rattle coming from my shifter and the transfer case. I haven't tore into it to see what needs to be replaced to tighten up, so I thought I'd ask if others have faced and fixed this problem. With my new 35 mud rovers, the rattling is only going to annoy me more.

Is it a nylon washer that has disintegrated that is making the shifter rattle on the transfer case? I'll have to take the boot and floor covering off to get at this, but curious how extensive this might be for something that isn't really a mechanical problem. 

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? 

Thanks in advance.

[rich weyand]

It is much much simpler than you think.  The actual lever that operates the shifter does not extend into the cab.  The shifter you see is a handle bolted to the actual, short lever.

The reason it rattles: the bolts are loose.

Remove the boot inside the cab.  Tighten the bolts that hold the shifter handle on to the actual shifter lever.  Replace boot.  Done.

[CA Big Red]

It is much much simpler than you think.  The actual lever that operates the shifter does not extend into the cab.  The shifter you see is a handle bolted to the actual, short lever.

The reason it rattles: the bolts are loose.

Remove the boot inside the cab.  Tighten the bolts that hold the shifter handle on to the actual shifter lever.  Replace boot.  Done.

Hey Rich, this seems a bit more complicated. From what I can see its loose at the transfer case, just such that it makes the rest of the linkage rattle when rolling down the road. Previous efforts to tighten this 15/16 stud have been done in vein. I just wonder if I lost a washer or how much more tightening there is there or if this is a result of some other issue with the awesome linkage system that is down there with the carter pins and such. 

I'm sure its easy and I'm making this more complicated. So, I thought I'd ask. Thanks in advance for any further ideas.

[Captkaos]

Can you get someone inside and underneath and "rattle" it and see if you can find the source?  Are you tightening the lever on the case?

[CA Big Red]

It's just me, but you can see the bolt in this pic that I think if tightened would do the trick, but I can't break it loose. It could be the linkage below too, but my guess is that I lost a washer or something because this bolt is really tight, but there is enough play that I think it is making the rest rattle.

I put some on blast on there to do its thing and I'll try wrenching in a few.

[CA Big Red]

Bolt is out. You can see the thin washer with it and that this bolt has a groove there in the middle. Not sure why, but I'm going to slap two more washers and some right stuff on this bolt and put it back.

We're talking about a 15yr rattle.

Hoping this does the trick. Any other ideas?

[CA Big Red]

Okay. Two more washers, one on either side did the trick! 

I may regret putting one against the t-case housing, but we will see. It's super tight now. Haven't tried shifting it, but I don't use it often here in CA.