I too attacked a 08 Sahara with bad transfer case shifter. The first problem was getting the transfer case shifter knob off and we failed with a 4lb hand drill hammer and pipe wrench/vise grips and finally went with a hacksaw. After market shifter knob on order. There is NO excuse for a single use plastic part on an assembly you have to maintain.

But one we got the console off, all was good on the top end, and a quick slide under the vehicle showed the bottom end had popped off.

Luckily I had stopped and gotten the little white plastic bushings from the dealer, changed the bottom one and it went back together. However, I did notice the cable had a "twist" to it. I have to wonder if these cables were but together WRONG with the twist eventually wearing out the cheap plastic bushings.

While this would have been a fun, easy job in July, it took me an hour to clear a bay in the shop (my 62 Town Wagon had come in for some weld repair and clean up work) and then once in the Jeep just dripped snow and ice melt the entire time. It would have helped in the cheap STP brand oil filter I had in stock was machined with clean threads for the TW and not leave a massive puddle of clean oil in the bay.

Personally, I think this is really a parts quality issue...

Howard