BW 44-44 to BW 44-45 Swap

[Moparman16]

I'm getting ready to change mine...first 4x4 ever owned I was just wondering if there are gaskets or seals I should purchase before the switch of cases?

No

 

[E-rok]

I keep going back and forth if I should do this. Last winter, it was so annoying pilulling out of my neighborhood and any other snowy intersections, it just hesitates and spins then lurches forward, really **** poor performance as I had a 2015 F150 platinum that was an absolute beast in snow. But I like "awd" in the winter BUT do not want to run a lockup switch on a 2017 truck. Ugh.

 

[Ken226]

I'm getting ready to change mine...first 4x4 ever owned I was just wondering if there are gaskets or seals I should purchase before the switch of cases?

There are a couple metal boot clamps. I've heard some guys just replace them with zip ties, but I bought replacements and the special tool to crimp them on.

The part numbers for the open clamps are:

5080236AA
And
4798122

The crimp pliars are sold at any auto parts store, like Oreillys or Auto Zone.

 

[TxRam409]

I have a 2011 lone star 1500. I swapped out the
bw44-44 and put the bw 44-45 transfer case. The problem im having is that the Alfaobd app not giving me the transfer case type that he listed. It gives me a list of other codes. when I put it in four wheel drive the front drive shaft locks, but it's not rotating.

 

[chrisbh17]

I have a 2011 longstar 1500. I swapped out the
bw44-44 and put the bw 44-45 transfer case. The problem im having is that the Alfaobd app not giving me the transfer case type that he listed. It gives me a list of other codes. when I put it in four wheel drive the front drive shaft locks, but it's not rotating.

I'm not sure 2011 had the 44-44 to start with?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Moparman16]

2011 trucks never came with the 44-44 transfer case. They still had the NV246. The NV246 will actually lock in 4lock and 4low. They is no need to swap to a 44-45 in your case. Also 44-45 wasn’t offered in 2011 so I doubt the proper programming will be available in AlfaOBD.

 

[TxRam409]

That explains a lot. I seen it had the 4 auto option and assumed it had the 44-44. ‍I have been having problems with the original T case and wanted to change it out. The 4x4 wouldn't engage. Its like the tires wanted to turn, but had no torque like it was slipping.

 

[TxRam409]

I just looked at my old Transfer case that my mechanic took out and it was the bw 44-44

 

[chrisbh17]

Wow, you're right!

https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/parts/mopar-t-case-bw-44-44~52123492ab.html

I bet Alfa has no idea that the 44-44 was available back then.

Or it wasnt selectable in the BCM.....the electronics 2012 and earlier are generally pretty different than 2013+

 

[smoothee]

Yeah I was about to say I'm pretty sure they changed to the BW mid 2010? I know mine has the 44-44 as well.

 

[Moparman16]

All documentation I have ever read indicated that 2012 was the first year for the 44-44.

Learned something new today

 

[TxRam409]

How do i get the Alfaobd to work with my truck? This is the options it's giving me.

 

[Moparman16]

Is that the options it gives you under transfer case type?

 

[TxRam409]

yes

 

[Moparman16]

It appears you don’t have the needed transfer case option available for your truck. That would have been a good thing to check prior to putting the 44-44 into your truck.

If I were you I would reach out to the designer of AlfaOBD (his name is Alexei) app and see if he can help you.

Good Luck

 

[Ken226]

By chance, have you tried selecting the my2013 powernet bcm, to see if itll connect to what options it shows. If your truck was a late 2012, maybe it got a 13 computer and transfer case.



Or figure out what model transfer case the non-auto Rams used prior to 2013 and try that.

The NV246 and NV243 were the optiions available then. Im not sure which was the non-auto equivalent of the 44-45.

 

[TxRam409]

I brought it to my local transmission shop and they cleared out all the codes from my old Transfer case and the 4x4 started working, but only in low. It would not engage in high.

 

[smiley]

I brought it to my local transmission shop and they cleared out all the codes from my old Transfer case and the 4x4 started working, but only in low. It would not engage in high.

I hope it works out. Can you pretend it is 2012? 2013 there were some more significant changes.

 

[TxRam409]

It gives me the option to select 2013, but when i do it gives me the list of options i posted above. Not the option for the BW 44-46 as suggested. I made an appointment to bring it to the dealership.

 

[Ken226]

Some my past reading has hinted at some interchangeability between the pre 2012 and post 2012 transfer cases.

I looked up the part numbers for the 2009 - 2012 transfer cases and matched them up to the models.

The new venture gear 243 was the non auto part time case, equivalent to the bw44-45

The new venture gear 246 was the higher level 4-auto case. The equivalent of the bw44-44.


Its possible, maybe even probable, that the same programming that works for the nv243 will work for the bw44-45. Kinda the same way the 44-46 synchromesh program does.

And it may be that the nv246 program is the same as the bw44-44 program.

Its up to you how much experimenting your willing to do. But, experimenting is how it was discovered that the 44-46 synchromesh program worked for the 44-45.

If it doesnt work, well, your already going to the dealer anyway. Worst case scenario, they can just reflash you back to stock configuration.


Im curious as hell though. I have a 2013 sport, that ive swapped a 44-45 into, using the 4446 synchromesh program .

The nv243 is one of the options for my 2013, i wonder if it would work for the 44-45.