2002 x5 transfer case/front drive shaft problem

[davenlinda]

My x5 has 72,000 miles on it and the splines on the front drive shaft and the splines on the transfer case have rounded off making the x5 not drivable. Has anyone else experienced this?
What would cause this to happen?

[primetime]

Do you have a 4.4i?

[davenlinda]

No it has a 3 liter

[x5pete]

My 2001 3.0 X5 with 103k miles has developed the same problem. Is there anywhere other than the dealer to get a front drive shaft from. I have found a rebuilt transfercase at www.trasnfercases.com

[desert X]

I have researched this issue along with another mechanical concern on my 2001 4.4. The root cause is the moisture ingress into the slip joint between the driveline splines and the tranfercase interface. The moisture causes corrosion and both the driveline and tranfercase spline begin to deteriorate until they fail. The secondary issue is that driveline only engages about the first inch of the splined transfer case slip joint although this mating hole is over 1 1/2" deep. The driveline is stationary so I would consider this a design flaw.

I have talked to transfercases.com and they do have rebuilt units readily available for about $875. Since I am looking into this for a different problem I don't have any information about where to source the driveline other than stealer.

Hope this helps.

BTW. I believe your transfercase is an NV125 made by New Process/Venture Gear. You will need to validate this by looking at the aft area of the transfercase. The label is about 1 1/2" diameter with red/black text.

[racemalibu572]

I found this thread 26 pages in and was about to give up because i thought i was the only one with this problem. I have an '01 4.4i with the sport pkg., 95,000 miles. same problem, started my new years eve off great. Has anyone tried to fix with a custom shaft with "fresh" longer splines to get into the good one's still in the coupler, there appears to be just as much in there as to what was used in the first place. I'm currently in the process of fabricating a repair end with longer splines to repair my existing drive shaft. After some testing and if there's enough interest i might do some on an exchange basis. It would be nice to fix without buying an $800+ transfer case. Btw, I just loved having to remove 75% of the underside out just to remove the front shaft, great engineering! I really love driving it, but i've fixed more than half of the common problems i've been reading about and i'm getting sick of working on it.

[01 BMW_X5]

Originally Posted by racemalibu572

Btw, I just loved having to remove 75% of the underside out just to remove the front shaft, great engineering!

75%??

[racemalibu572]

Originally Posted by 01 BMW_X5

75%??

Ok, it wasn't that bad, but just not used to pulling the exhaust, a couple of large heat shields, rear drive shaft, transfer case crossmember and then split the trans and case to get a front drive shaft out. Without any u-joints you can't tilt it down far enough to get it out.

[dville]

Originally Posted by racemalibu572

Ok, it wasn't that bad, but just not used to pulling the exhaust, a couple of large heat shields, rear drive shaft, transfer case crossmember and then split the trans and case to get a front drive shaft out. Without any u-joints you can't tilt it down far enough to get it out.

You do NOT have to take of transfer case to remove front driveshaft.
I just did it (I have BMW TIS CD).
The reason the splines on the transfer case have so much extra room is so you can remove the front driveshaft.
You simply remove the front stiffener plate, undo the bolts at the front driveshaft flexdisk, then use a crowbar and slide the shaft backwards until the flexdisc can slide out (it has a centering device that sticks into the flange on the front differential preventing it from just dropping out).

If you lengthen the front driveshaft, then you will HAVE to remove the transfer case to take out the front driveshaft, since you will not be able to slide the shaft backwards to clear the flexdisk.

[Turbo_BM]

Bringing this one back from the dead. Just talked to Tom today and he is still going strong with the front driveshafts. I'll be sending mine to him in the next day or two.