@DFlintstone - It should be the same as your timing chain inasmuch as any play/delay in the chain catching means you need to check it. If you turn the front output, the rear output should respond immediately.

@Carnutcertifies - Yeah, I am looking at doing a 3" lift which, if i'm not mistaken, is just under the limit for needing an SYE. However, the place that has the TC I need currently has 2 in working order for ~$50 a piece. I may grab them both so I can put an SYE in one and not worry too much if I completely screw it up. Thanks for the notes on the SYE though.

 

All jeep's are different. There is no ''limit'' to needing or not needing an sye. But even if you don't ''need'' one its always nice peace of mind knowing you wont drop your rear shaft.

 

I was chatten' with a guy in a different thread about play in the chain. Since I have a spare that I believe to have low miles, I measured the rotational free play, (back and forth), at the 3 3/4 inch output on the front and came up with 5/16 ths. inch. So your saying new (or nearly) is Zero? Wonder what "thrashed" is? Maybe I'm there! Idk with the resistance, but it might be easy enough to check the play in my runner as well since I have the Vac disconnect. Horizontal rain and 40 mph wind gust's at the moment though.
Anyway, I never saw anything about his play, but he did post a pic of one taken apart with what looked like about 1 1/4in. sag, nearly touching the housing..... Good find! I like having a spare, although I doubt mine has seen 12 hrs of 4WD in 12 years! (I'm grateful for those 2 minutes, 100 times though).

 

@DFlintstone - I'm guessing about the play in the front-to-rear output yokes. The spare TC I have has no play in it.

 

@krazyness - great point. I have 2 TCs so I'm definitely going to go with a SYE.

 

PLEAS TELL ME YALL ARE STILL HERE LOL
I am having a similar problem,except we took that bolt with the detent spring thingy off while it is hooked up to the jeep and still couldn’t shift it at all ,(yes we took the linkage off and tried it with vice scrips ),I recently rebuilt my transfer case so everything init is almost new except for the shift mode selector ,but that shouldn’t have an affect on it not being able to move