yes another axle noise thread

Let me just start by saying Im a toyota guy and thats what I mainley wheel. Dont flame me though! Im up for wheeling with anyone that wheels their junk


So I took my ladys 2000 xj out wheeling for my bday. The next day when we were leaving in 2wd I noticed a rotational noise coming from the front. I took the truck to my old shop to use the lift and see what my old boss thought.
So heres what I have found. When in 2wd forward , reverse , straight or turned there is a rotational clunk coming from the driver front.
On the lift I spun the tire by hand and could not recreate the noise.
I put the jeep in gear and let the wheels spin @ around 20mph with no load and my boss said he could feel friction if he put his hand on the upper part of the spindle. We checked for play in the wheel bearing. We checked the brakes, calipers and dust shields. After having it on the rack we took it for another road test. We put it in 4high and viola the noise was gone.
This is an axle with no manual hubs. The drive shaft u joints have no play. The ujoint on the axle does not seem to have any play.
Now ive talked with a buddy and he seems to think its the wheel bearing. Mind you, this is an open-open diff so I was getting some major wheel spin when on the trails.
Im am an idiot when it comes to these solid axles due to lack of experience. I think its whatever splines the axles when you put it into 4wd?
Similar to the collar that slides in the add front diffs of tacomas? If thats even the case.
When in 2wd the front shaft does not spin nor will it spin when off the ground and spinning the tires.
So I think im down to three possible answers.
1. the wheel bearing.
2 the ujoint on the axle.
3 whatever it is that makes the front axle spline when put into 4wd.

This is one of the cherokees that has the part time 4wd transfer case if that makes a difference.

Sorry if there is an overwhelming amount of typing but I want to cover all the bases so I can get to the root of the problem.

Anyone with any kind of help would be appreciated!

Thanks, Rob.


btw Ive searched all the axle noise threads and not a single one has the same symptom of the noise going away in 4wd. And im am certain that the noise is coming from the outer drivers side axle.

sounds like the axle is having trouble unlocking.

Blkxjkrawler said:

Your hubs, axles and front driveshaft are always turning on a 2000 XJ, the disconnection is done at the transfer case. there is nothing in the axle that "splines"it into 4wd. Are you experiancing any kind of binding on sharp turns that corresponds to the clunk?

Click to expand...

Nope. no binding what so ever. Its not biased to straight or turned, its constant.

bump

If it is speed sensitive (the noise gets faster as you go faster), I would recheck the u-joints on the axle shaft. They will make the sound you are describing. If the needle bearings are no good, the shaft will move back and forth in the direction that isn't any good.

But putting the Jeep in 4wd, puts power to the shaft and will bind the u-joint up enough to stop the noise.