Front end clunk????

[afjeep2082]

OK guys here's the deal I have a 1993 Jeep Cherokee Sport with a RE 4.5" lift.....when I put my jeep into 4wd it clunks real bad from the front end but when it's in 2wd it drives perfect. it never did this until I put the lift in....what the heck can this be? I checked my u-joints by seeing if the driveshaft moves and it doesn't so they are fine.....I have no idea what the problem could be please help!?!?!?!

[DeadEyeJ]

Does it only "clunk" when you hit the gas? Easier to make it "clunk" in 4-Lo?

If so, check the rubber transmission mount which holds the tranny to the crossmember. Just get a big bar and try to pry them apart. If you can seperate them more than like 1/8 inch, replace it.

The clunk may be the tranny/t-case bumping the body. They can get jerked around pretty well by the torque of the drivelines. This is even more apparent in 4WD because the front driveline is off to one side. Of course 4-Lo is worse because of the greater torque of the low gears.

Mine is doing it too, tore the mount partly on Potato Salad at Easter Jeep Safari. But I am too lazy to have changed it yet.

[afjeep2082]

yeah it does it when I give it gas....I took a look at it and it looks like my whole tcase is shifting....hummm that's interesting, so just the rubber spacer then? I wanted to go wheelin with my buddies this weekend (first time out with lift and tires) would it be ok to wheel with it like that untill I get it fixed?

[afjeep2082]

ok I found something else out, It does it when I turn sharply...even without gas...does yours do that too? I also tryed to take a cargo strap and strap the Tcase to the cross member to see if that would hold it from shifting and it didn't seem to stop the clunking even a little....is there something else that could be the problem?

[DeadEyeJ]

When you turn quickly to the side, I'll bet that just the weight of the tranny/t-case assembly is causing it to shift side to side.

No, don't go wheelin without fixing it. If it shifts side to side, then it is torn completely in half. This can wreak havoc down there and cause lots more problems than it is worth. Even the t-case shifter can come out of it's guides and leave you stuck in whatever t-case mode you are in.

To replace it, first support the back of the t-case with a jackstand. Then unbolt the 4 (?) bolts in the center of the crossmember which attach it to the rubber mount. Then remove the crossmember by removing the bolts at the end of the crossmember that hold it to the fake framerails.

I think that only 2 bolts secure what's left of your mount to the tranny, remove them and you're completely apart. Take the part with you to the parts store and get a new one. They are prob less than $25. Reassembly is the same process in reverse.

This is all from memory at 1:45am, so some of this might be a little off. We did this same thing on MightyJeep's XJ in a gravel parking lot in Moab in about 30 minutes.

Have fun getting greasy.