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help! When wheels turned she doesn't move

S

Sandydog

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Albany, NY
this morning I went to back my 2000 XJ 4.0 and once I turned the steering wheel she would stop moving and the steering wheel tugs and pulls. At first I thought I had a flat but no. Seems ok going forward and backwards as long as the wheels are straight. Jeep was running fine the day before it was cold about 32 this morning not sure if this matters. Happens in forward also with enough gas she will inch up. What might be causing this?
 
In 4wd? Is it doing this at all speeds or just slow speeds? Sounds like binding from the transfer case/driveline. I don't think its a major issue, mine does it too
 
Sandydog said:
.... turned the steering wheel she would stop moving and the steering wheel tugs and pulls.....
Click to expand...

Check your u-joints, both axle and drive shaft. Seem to me one u-joint is failed or binding. Forcing the Jeep to drive with a binding u-joint can possibly result in axle, transfer case, or transmission damage.
 
Any noise associated with this issue? This sounds crazy but when I have had things of this such happen I have a friend ( smart friend) idle the jeep down the street ( flat street) while I lay underneath it and hang onto the rear axle to see and listen for the issue at hand. If your jeep is high enough you can lay on a creeper. It is dangerous but I have solved more that a few problems this way just be careful.
Also you could put it up on jack stands and diagnos this problem your self
 
1985xjlaredo said:
Any noise associated with this issue? This sounds crazy but when I have had things of this such happen I have a friend ( smart friend) idle the jeep down the street ( flat street) while I lay underneath it and hang onto the rear axle to see and listen for the issue at hand. If your jeep is high enough you can lay on a creeper. It is dangerous but I have solved more that a few problems this way just be careful.
Also you could put it up on jack stands and diagnos this problem your self
Click to expand...

Im not having any issues currently (Did I just jinx myself??). But that sounds like fun! Dangerous as all get-out....But fun, nonetheless!
 
ok so I now learned my son had the jeep running in 4wd fulltime and just before he pulled up to the house placed it back in 2wd.

this morning I drove it back and forth straight 20 feet and it seems to be ok.

is this normal? After switching back into 2wd do you need to drive it a few feet for the transfer to complete?


the behaviour I experienced was strange it refused to move when I had the wheels turned and the steering wheel was bucking.
 
That bit of info changes the situation alot. The transfer case can be stubborn to shift out of Full-Time 4x4 especially if it was driven on dry pavement in 4x4, or if it was not shifted to 2wd while the transmission is in Neutral. Shifting to 2wd while driving or while stopped and in Neutral is the best. If backing up for a bit helps with shifting you can do that also.

If everything is now working normally, no harm done.

I would still have a look at the front axle u-joints for the cause of the the binding and for excessive wear.
 
Last edited:
Sandydog said:
ok so I now learned my son had the jeep running in 4wd fulltime and just before he pulled up to the house placed it back in 2wd.

this morning I drove it back and forth straight 20 feet and it seems to be ok.

is this normal? After switching back into 2wd do you need to drive it a few feet for the transfer to complete?


the behaviour I experienced was strange it refused to move when I had the wheels turned and the steering wheel was bucking.
Click to expand...

Tim_MN said:
That bit of info changes the situation alot. The transfer case can be stubborn to shift out of Full-Time 4x4 especially if it was driven on dry pavement in 4x4, or if it was not shifted to 2wd while the transmission is in Neutral. Shifting to 2wd while driving or while stopped and in Neutral is the best. If backing up for a bit helps with shifting you can do that also.

If everything is now working normally, no harm done.

I would still have a look at the front axle u-joints for the cause of the the binding and for excessive wear.
Click to expand...

Only the 242 has Full-time(and that wouldn't bind the t-case),the OP didn't say what T-case! I suspect its a 242/231 t-case in "Part-time"!
 
RCP Phx said:
Only the 242 has Full-time(and that wouldn't bind the t-case),the OP didn't say what T-case! I suspect its a 242/231 t-case in "Part-time"!
Click to expand...

Sandydog said:
...my son had the jeep running in 4wd fulltime and just before he pulled up to the house placed it back in 2wd....
Click to expand...

Full-Time mode was not mentioned in the Original Posting.

It could have still been engaged in Full-Time (or even Part-Time), but the description of not moving when the wheels were turned, still should have one considering more inspection of the u-joints. Even in Part-Time 4x4 the Cherokee will move when on pavement (the tires will probably be barking also).
 
It's best to take it out of 4wd before you stop driving. All of our stuff is old now, and will slip easily into or out of 4wd easily. I had a '98 ZJ from new, with a 242, and it was a real bear to shift in and out of either full or part time, but as it broke in, worked a little better, but was still very tight, as it was rarely used, and never abused. My son's '96 Classic has a 242, and it feels tighter than the others with 231s, maybe because it came from a warmer climate, and 4wd wasn't used much.
 
Full-time can result in binding sometimes. If the front driveshaft gets the power, then one of the front axles will also be under load. U-joints do not spin on a flat plane, but instead warble as they rotate at angle. There is only one u-joint on each axle shaft, so it is not soaked up by a second out-of-phase u-joint like on driveshafts. And since the shaft is bolted to the axle housing and cannot move, there is nowhere for the warble to go.
 
While the 242 will exhibit u-joint "wobble" or pulsing of the steering wheel in tight turns in Full-time 4x4 mode, it won't stop the vehicle.

I have a 242 and suspect that even though it was shifted to 2WD after it stopped, it did dis-engage. Then, upon moving again, it went from Full-time to part-time and stayed there since it was bound up a little. Remember, the 242 needs to move from full-time THROUGH part-time to reach 2WD. This journey should be done while still moving, preferably in a straight line.
 
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