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Grinding Noise

LOUD02Special

NAXJA Forum User
So I just bought my first XJ, a 96 Country with 138k on the clock with good frame and solid floors. The main concern I have right now is that there is a grinding noise coming from the rear while in motion, sounds mostly from the passenger side. I'm guessing a wheel bearing? RockAuto shows these things at $20 a side at most, sounds too cheap to be true. I'm not sure on what rear axle it has yet, I'm picking it up tonight. There's also what sounds like a loose exhaust hanger, and a kind of burnt smell coming from the engine bay that I need to look at. Engine and tranny are solid though. Can't wait to get it on (and off) the road!!
 
Rear axle bearings aren't that complicated, they are used in many different applications, hence they tend to be cheaper to buy.

Before buying the bearings, pull the drums and check your brake shoes.
 
I'd put the back axle up on jackstands, chock the front wheels and make sure it's in 2wd, then put it in drive and poke around for the noise. As for what rear axle you have, if it's got a cast non-round cover, it's a D44 (not gonna happen on a 96), if it's got a pressed sheetmetal cover with a sort of a ridge around the outer edge and the bottom of the cast housing has a flat edge, it's a chrysler 8.25 (most likely), and if it's got a pressed sheetmetal cover with no ridge around the edge and a round bottom casting edge, it's a dana 35.
 
I'd put the back axle up on jackstands, chock the front wheels and make sure it's in 2wd, then put it in drive and poke around for the noise. As for what rear axle you have, if it's got a cast non-round cover, it's a D44 (not gonna happen on a 96), if it's got a pressed sheetmetal cover with a sort of a ridge around the outer edge and the bottom of the cast housing has a flat edge, it's a chrysler 8.25 (most likely), and if it's got a pressed sheetmetal cover with no ridge around the edge and a round bottom casting edge, it's a dana 35.

I have the 8.25 out back. I've got my mechanic friend coming to look at it soon. I'm hoping it's just a bearing and the axle itself isn't screwed.
 
My mechanic friend is going to be looking at it today or tomorrow and mentioned something about the diff being screwed in some way possibly. If the diff is screwed would it be easier to just swap the axle itself?
 
I have a 98 XJ with the ChryCo 8.25 and I had to have my rear axle torn down at 135k roughly. The grinding noise I was getting were the carrier bearings and the pinion bearings. I hear the axle itself is actually fairly stout. I did not have to replace the axles, ring or pinion gear. Still, the repair ran me around $900.
 
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