Hears another one:Guess this sound!

Thought it was my broken u-joint before I replaced it. Guess what - it wasn't! Can only be heard when coming to a stop, last couple miles an hour. sort of a rumbling thumping sound, seems to come from the front but jeezus i've gone over just about everything...seems to be all the drive shafts are fine i've crawled under and shaken them around and they seem tight, though i see a couple drops of atfd around the rear output seal of the t-case (had that seal replaced in '98!) I know it dam near impossible but anyone have an thoughts?
BTW this is total separate from my other mystery noise..
Thanks

89 xj 3" lift 4.0...blah, stock, blah...

can you describe the sound and its origin?(approx)

Maybe hub bearings
Just a guess.

Definiately not hub$. I've just replaced them. Seems to be a rattle, metal sounding, something fairly big because there is some vibe involved when it occurs. My best approx. is that it is coming from front left. when i'm coming to a stop it it'll go thump thump thump and stop.

....this is pretty much impossible, but any help or new ideas is truly welcome.
Thanks

Control arm bushings, or the conections them selves. I have an axle that I just fixed due to LCA on pass side the bolt holes were oval shaped from moving back and forth.........Re-torqued about a million times and keeps comming loose.

just a thought FWIW

Maybe

A rotor out of round or warped? Just a thought!

Is it a regular, rhythmic clunk, or more like a monster rattle? If the latter, check for exhaust interference. When the transmission mount sags (note "when" not "if"), there is very little clearance for the exhaust over the crossmember. That can make a pretty consistent heavy clunk with felt vibration.

Sometimes a bad tie rod end can make a vibration that masquerades as a loose or warped brake rotor.

It might be worthwhile to remove the front driveshaft and see if that makes a difference.

I am assuming that you went carefully over your own work, and that all bolts are tight, etc. etc. Did you check the hub bearings too? Rmember there should be zero play there.

hmm...Rotors were changed last year, and i don't get any pulsing when braking. If gone over my work and am pretty confident that everything is on the up and up. Teh hubs are brand new maybe 200km on them at this moment. I'm familar with the rattle of the exhaust on the crossmember, fixed that already, mount that connects to the cat was broken. This is a quick, deep rattle, seemingly in the front left, i really thought is was my broken u-joint but it wasn't. Tie-rods...hmm haven't replaced them, the ends looked pretty greasy...somehow though i'm not sold on them, i played with them and they seem tight, though i guess it wouldn't hurt to change (just the wallet.) i'm leaning towards front drive-shaft, though it seemed tight to me. I am reluctant to start pull drive-shafts as I have no experience with them...no time like the present. It's at the off-road shop today, lets see what those robbers have to say!

Doubt this will help but I recently added a larger alternator and it was close to the frame, when I let off the gas and the engine vibrated a lot, the alternator was hitting a bolt to my front tow hook bracket and making a loud rattling noise. No noise when I was on the gas or just idling, only when I let off the gas at certain speeds. Maybe you have something attached to the frame or any "stationary" part that is hitting something attached to the engine when it vibrates enough?