Transfer Case Motors
Transfer case motors are basically components via which the power from the transmission is being delegated to the frontal and rear axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. In vehicles where the drivers cannot select between 4 Wheel Drive or 2 Wheel Drive modes (known as All Wheel Drive), the transfer case motors are permanently fixated on all 4 wheels. However, in the on-demand four-wheel-drive vehicles, the transfer case motors are being controlled by the drivers, via a discrete gear shifter.
A transfer case is an integral component of every four-wheel-drive systems, and is present in all four wheel drive vehicles. It is generally via the drive shafts that the transmission cases are connected to the rear and the frontal axles, and is connected to the transmission units in the same way. There are effectively a few discreet types of transfer cases, and are most generally distinguished between two specific types, namely manual transfer cases and automatic shift on-the-fly transfer cases.
The basic function of a transfer case in four-wheel-drive systems is to receive power from transmission and to transmit to the rear and frontal axles. While there are many mechanics to carry out the feat, majority of the transfer cases today uses a chain driven mechanisms. However there are transfer cases which are driven by a network of gears, but are rarely found in modern four-wheel-drive systems. For the off-road four-wheel drive vehicles, the drivers often have the choice of setting the mode of the transfer cases into two-wheel or four-wheel-drive. In most on-demand four-wheel-drive variants, there is a component called a shifter gear - analogous to that of the mechanism of a manual transmission system - via which the switching of the transfer cases takes place. These are known as manual transfer cases, and the transfer case motors can be controlled by the drivers via gear shifters. On the other hand, the transfer case motors can also be controlled in electronic shift on-the-fly transfer cases via dashboard mounted selecting switches or even buttons consisting of frontal sealed auto-lock axle hubs. The transfer case motors can be more discreetly controlled by a component called selec-trac, generally consisting of a sliding switch located in the middle console. Being the most evident in the Cherokee vehicles from Jeep, these systems consist of vacuum operated frontal hubs, in addition to the transfer case motors. For engaging or these engaging these electronic shift on-the-fly transfer cases, the overall speed of the vehicles should be under 55 mph, or the vehicles might even be put in a stationary position.
The transfer case motors are almost always invisible in all time four-wheel-drive systems, specifically that of sports cars and sports utility vehicles. However, as discussed, the transfer case motors might be engaged or controlled by the drivers in off-road four-wheel-drive systems, where there is an option for on-demand four-wheel-drive controls. However, the transfer case motors of trucks as opposed to that of generic four-wheel-drive vehicles are more visible and can be controlled more discreetly in certain variants.
There are some transfer case motor controlling mechanisms which are basically components designated for the powertrain shifting mechanism of the four-wheel-drive systems, and is specifically designed for de-energizing a motor when a larger load than the tolerable limit is being exerted to the motor, in the manner of a driving source when power trains need to be shifted, according to the specific stroke displacement. From the stroke end position, when the shift position is changed from other intermediate positions, the load for de-energizing the motor is specifically set to a larger value than the shift position. Transfer case motors are susceptible of wearing, and are one of the most common elements that need to be replaced in four wheel drive systems.
