Quadra-Track Questions

[Tom Lovinggood]

I am about to purchase a '79 Jeep Cherokee Wagon with a Quadra-Track Transfer case. I have never owned a QT before. Any special hints or advice? I know that it uses a special fluid. Any thoughts or hints or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance. Tom Lovinggood

[jeepguzzi]

Congratulations. I have owned a 1979 Cherokee wide trac since 1982. The Quadra Trac t/case is a good overall unit. Many off road racers used this t/case for many years. You have several options. First, if this already hasn't been done, it can be converted from full time operation to part time by installing a kit from Mile Marker. One bonus of installing these kits is that you will no longer have to run the special quadra trac sauce, you can run ATF fluid.
Two kits are available, one which replaces the stock chain, and one which adds a 16% overdrive. Both will give you manually locking front hubs. Second, you could leave the full time operation as is. For myself, I have been running a Mile Marker 16% overdrive kit for about 17 years.
You must do maintenance on this t/case a little bit more than some others. Make sure you learn how to check the fluid level and check the chain slack. There is a small inspection plug at the bottom of the case, .5" is considered maximum slack by some, but myself and others have run them until there is 1" of deflection. It kind of depends on how hard you will be wheeling it.
One more tip. The Quadra trac name was used on completely different cases. The one you will have is actually a Borg Warner. Later years were made by New Process (NP219, i think)
Check out the tech threads on this site or use the search for some really thorough and supurb advice. Welcome, and if you have a place to wheel, I get to Southwest Missouri every once in a while. tongue.gif

[River Beast]

Well stated Jeepguzzi... :D

I would at least check for proper fluid prior to purchase.... if ATF or straight gear oil is in there now... you could be in for the part-time kit right away (about $500 if you do the work)....or you may already have it in there.... see if the front shaft spins freely...if so... it has the P/T kit installed...

Then check for proper operation of the QT E-Drive- OFF PAVEMENT.... there should be a vacuum actuated switch in the glove box... when the E-drive is engaged the output shafts are locked together by a coupling ring within the QT. This will be noticed when it is locked and you corner... the frontend will tend to bind up a bit.

[jeepguzzi]

Thanks RB :D

Also, check to see if you have a low range unit. There will be a lever on the transmission hump , next to the drivers' seat. Roll along about 5 MPH in nuetral, and , in one motion, lift the lever to engage the unit, to disengage, do the same while pushing down firmly. :cool:

[Bahamut]

Bad jeepguzzi Bad you but the trans in neutral first or you just grind


and i personaly think it sacralige to part time a QT but if it is already fried (sinsce no one makes parts for it) i guess it is ok

Thr BWQT was (i think) the first true full time 4x4(or all wheel drive if you prefer)
why mess with greatness???

while on the subject i asked anold jeep mech the other day he said put 30wt non detegent with limited slip additve (8-10 oz with low 4-6 without) he also recomends putting it in all axles and the engine 4 oz for the crankcase (said it extends bering(sp?) life as well as cam life (kinda like the chyro engine break in additive(cranckcase condioner))

well i will get off my soap box now

[River Beast]

bahamust...he got it right....look...
"....Roll along about 5 MPH in nuetral,...

:D

just giving you a hard time.... I haven't done that in a while...hehehe :D :D :D

[River Beast]

bahamut is alsop correct... the Borg Warner Quadratrac is a unique on eas you can see.... but those of us who have them will stand up for them!!! They have had a bad rap due to ignorance in the preventative maintenance area. They are a VERY reliable case IF maintained. I still run mine.... no mods... ON 39.5"'s... welll... no front shaft on it right now... bu I had one until.... nevermind...another story... ;)

IF I'm not mistaken the BWQT had 2 models to go by.... the BW1306 (no lo range) and the BW1339 (with lo range). even a unit w/o lo range can be altered to have this GREAT 2.57:1 reduction unit installed. FYI :D

[jeepguzzi]

Thanks again for covering my back, RB ;)

The nice thing about adding a low range is that it is a pure bolt on, no t/case modifications are required. :D

[Tom Lovinggood]

Thanks to all for their advice--I will keep you posted on my purchase and will post some pics when I get them. I already own a GW, and a M-715--would like to have a J-10 and a full size cherokee. Tom Lovinggood

[78WagLimited]

Tom.. if you decide to convert yours to part-time.. give me a holar.. just converted my 78 in April and it was not hard to do.. I can spare you some agony on a few tricks I learned the hard way :eek: Have fun with hte toy :D

[nightflyers]

Question with the part time kit.

I know that the cones are worn pretty good in my QT. When I got it, the QT was filled with gear oil. If I convert to the part time kit, does that eliminate the cones and the center diff? I have a spare QT that I am going to rebuild to put in, but I am going to assume the cones are messed up in there to. Not sure yet though. I have never worked on one of these before so this is new to me?

[Jeep Jeep]

Yes. The P/T kit will eliminate the torque unit and the requirement of the Q/T fluid.

[Tom Lovinggood]

Another question while I am on the subject. I know that the Quadra-Track needs a special fluid--some type of limited slip material. Does this need to be changed frequently or at least checked frequently> I presume that the only time to engage the E-drive is when you are stuck??? thanks again to all who have helped me. Tom Lovinggood

[Jeep Jeep]

I could not find a milage requirement in my 76 factory service manual. But I change mine in my J-20 every 15,000. The fluid is a little pricey but not as much as a torque unit would cost if you could fine one. As far as E-drive goes, I would engage it before I thought I would get stuck. (I.E.) in extreme off road conditions. When you engage E-drive you locking the torque unit in the transfer case.

[jeepguzzi]

From the shop manual:

Never attempt to engage the emergency drive while the wheels are spinning or vehicle speed is more than 5mph......

do not drive the vehicle on dry pavement or at speeds above 20 mph, or spin the wheels excessively with emergency drive engaged.

The only situations where E-drive should be engaged is when plowing snow on extremely slippery surfaces, when one propeller shaft has malfunctioned (permits continued operation in two wheel drive), when driving on extremely icy surfaces, When mired in soft sand or mud, or when the vehicle has become high centered.

service frequency is 15,000 miles under normal operation, and every 10,000 miles for severe duty (towing, plowing, etc.). smile.gif

[River Beast]

Here is a pic of what you get:
http://www.4wheelparts.com/images/mmauadratrac.gif

Here is one source to get it....with optional kits, you choose what you want to change...
http://www.4wheelparts.com/product2.asp?imseqn=1131&occlass=Mil&cat=DRI

[Bahamut]

ok i admit it sorry i was wrong

but it bears repeating(main reason i will not let people drive my jeep)


the Quadra trac name was also used on the NP229

[scotty]

actually the new process 219 was the so named quadra trac. the 229 was something else,tho i cant remember what. it is much,much less confusing to refer to the new process aluminum cases by their model #s. only say quadra trac when you are refering to the original borg warner QT. smile.gif

[Slippery]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by scotty:
the 229 was something else,tho i cant remember what.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

A vacuum-assisted, viscous-coupled PITA? :D

[scotty]

yeeeeeeaaaaahhh,thats it! :D

[Narnian]

I think the NP229 was called select-trac. If I understand correctly (and I probably don't) it was the same as the np219 but you could turn it off.

[Bob Barry]

The NP229 had basically the same modes as the NP219, except that it had a 2wd mode in place of a 4HI-Locked mode.