Installing a Rubicon Transfer Case in a 2014 Wrangler JK Sport (Auto Trans)

notnalc68

notnalc68

That dude from Mississippi
I found a Rubicon RockTrac transfer case (Part #52123503ab or aa), with 5500 miles on it to install in my Sport. This write up may be amateurish, compared to something Eddie would do, but I hope it helps someone.

Note: 2012 up automatic transmissions have a different transfer case than manual transmissions, and prior year models.


First things, first. I am not a mechanic or mechanically inclined, but i did this in my driveway, with hand tools. I did it alone, but I recommend you enlist a buddy!

Tools needed:

1/4" drive ratchet
8mm socket
3/8" drive ratchet
16mm socket
18mm socket
14mm flex head gear wrench (a 9/16" will work also)
14mm flex head stubby gear wrench (not required but sure helpful)
16mm flex head stubby gear wrench (yeah, you are probably going to want a stubby for this part)
14mm half moon wrench (or 9/16")
18mm combination wrench
Flat head screwdriver
Floor jack, and I also used a bottle jack.
Some 2x4" wood blocks
Wheel chocks
I also used some 1/2" drive sockets, but you can get by without them.


1) Put the wheel chocks behind your wheels to keep the Jeep from rolling, and set your park brake.


2) Remove the transmission skid plate, using an 18mm socket to remove the 3 bolts. The first 4 photos are from Project-JK (Eddie, I borrowed your photo here, because I have the EVO ProTek Skid System).

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3) Remove the transfer case skid plate, using your 18mm socket to remove the 4 bolts holding it. (photos courtesy of www.project-jk.com)


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4) Remove the bolts holding the transmission to the mounts on the crossmember, using a 16mm stubby flex head gear wrench.


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5) I placed a bottle jack & wood block under the motor (not the pan on the bottom of the transmission), and a floor jack under the transfer case, to support the engine for the next step.


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6) Using an 18mm combination wrench & an 18mm socket, remove the 4 bolts holding the crossmember in place and remove the crossmember. The gas tank skid is holding it in place, but it is pretty easy to get out.


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7) Using a 16mm socket, remove the 4 bolts in the little plate that attaches the transmission to the crossmember.


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8) Using your 8mm, 1/4" drive, decouple the driveshafts.


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9) Remove the vent hose, the plug on top of the transfer case, an the shift linkage.


The vent hose just pops off using your fingers...

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The shift linkage can be pried off gently, with a flathead screwdriver...

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The plug has a little catch on one side, that needs to be pressed in with a screwdriver

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10) Using the 14mm wrenches (or 9/16"), remove the six bolts holding the transfer case. Some of them will be pretty hard to get off in the confined space, but it can be done. You can try letting you jacks down a little, to get more room between the Jeep and the transfer case. The ones on the driver's side where the shift linkage bracket is, are the most difficult.

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Installing a Rubicon Transfer Case in a 2014 Wrangler JK Sport (Auto Transmis...

11) Once the mounting bolts are loose, this is the part where a buddy to help would be nice. You must slide the transfer case back, toward the rear of the Jeep, and lower the floor jack to let it down. Once down, I placed it on a piece of cardboard, and slid it out from under the Jeep. I don't have good pictures of this, because it was too difficult to take photos.


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12) Now you are ready to install the new transfer case. I cobbled together a few 2x4's to make a cradle for the case to sit on the floor jack, and jacked it back into place. This is also a good step to have a buddy's assistance. I also could not take pictures of this step, but here is a pic of the cradle I made for the transfer case.


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The case needs to sit on it, like so, to support it and keep it from wiggling around.

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13) Jack the case up to the correct height, and roll the floor jack towards the transmission until the bolt holes line up. You can spin the rear shaft of the transfer case, to get the input shaft to aline with the transmission shaft. Remember the bottle jack, at the front of the transmission? By adjusting the height of it, along with the transfer case on the floor jack, I was able to get the transfer case to slide right in.:thumb:

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14) Now you do everything in reverse order. Use your 14mm stubby flex head gear wrench to tighten the mounting bolts for the case. I went around, like tightening lug nuts, working the nuts down in a criss cross pattern.

15) Reattach the vent hose, shift linkage, and plug on top of the transfer case.

16) Use your 16mm socket to reinstall the plate that holds the transmission to the crossmember.


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17) Work the cross member back into place, and use your 18mm socket to reinstall it. You can take the jack out from where the engine mates up with the transmission, and just use the floor jack supporting the transfer case, at this time. You need to raise or lower the floor jack, to allow the transmission mounting bolts on the crossmember to slip into the holes on the plate you just reattached.


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18) Use your 16mm stubby flex head gear wrench, to bolt up the transmission mount bolts the the crossmember.


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19) Get your 1/4" drive ratchet and 8mm socket, and attach the drive shafts. Work around in a criss cross pattern to tighten all the bolts up. Remember, when you took them off, they weren't that tight, so resist over tightening them!


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20) I then changed the transfer case fluid, following Eddies write up, here... http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/jeep-jk-wrangler-nv-241-nv-241or-transfer-case-service


21) At this point, I used an AEV Procal, to program the Jeep for the 4.10:1 transfer case, and went for a test run. Every thing was fine, so it was time to reinstall the skid plates with your 18mm socket. See post 1 for Eddies pictures on that.


And that is it. Took a whole day, and like I said, get a buddy to help, and give him all the beer he can drink, when you are done!:beer: It crawls like a tractor in 4Lo, now, and I like it that way. I felt 4Lo was to, "high" with the sport case.


Helpful links for this write up are,

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/jeep-jk-wrangler-torque-settings
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/jeep-jk-wrangler-nv-241-nv-241or-transfer-case-service
 
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Nice work. I did the same thing a few years back. The worst part was getting access to the bolts at the top of the t-case. The difference between the standard and Rubi t-case in terms of crawling power is huge. It's one of the best upgrades I've done. Enjoy
 
nmwranglerx said:
Nice work. I did the same thing a few years back. The worst part was getting access to the bolts at the top of the t-case. The difference between the standard and Rubi t-case in terms of crawling power is huge. It's one of the best upgrades I've done. Enjoy
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The funny thing is, the very top bolt on mine was not tight at all. The next one down from the top, on the passenger side was a mother. I actually put the wrench on it, and used a ratcheting tie down strap attached to the frame to break the nut loose.
 
This is awesome! My 4.0:1 transfer case is in transit and I have been sweating the swap just a bit. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of information and guidance available on WOL!
 
Don't know how I missed this before but this is one hell of a good write-up! Nice job and thank you for posting it up :thumb:
 
Installing a Rubicon Transfer Case in a 2014 Wrangler JK Sport (Auto Transmis...

RockyMtnAnvil said:
This is awesome! My 4.0:1 transfer case is in transit and I have been sweating the swap just a bit. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of information and guidance available on WOL!
Click to expand...

wayoflife said:
Don't know how I missed this before but this is one hell of a good write-up! Nice job and thank you for posting it up :thumb:
Click to expand...

sittingduk said:
Nice! Thanks for sharing. It's amazing how you can do something like this yourself in your driveway. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
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Thanks everyone. Sorry there are no photos of it going back in, but I didn't have enough hands. I've never been mechanically inclined, but with the information I've found at Wayalife, & ProjectJK, I've been willing to tackle more projects. It sucks, though. I traded the JK Sport on a JKUR, a few months later.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
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Installing a Rubicon Transfer Case in a 2014 Wrangler JK Sport (Auto Transmis...

RockyMtnAnvil said:
This is awesome! My 4.0:1 transfer case is in transit and I have been sweating the swap just a bit. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of information and guidance available on WOL!
Click to expand...

I would suggest getting a buddy to help, or purchasing a transmission jack from Harbor Freight. I was close to throwing wrenches, before I got it back on the transmission shaft.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
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