are my mounts bad? ?

i bought my 96 xj sport about a month ago-so i dont know alot about it yet. when i test drove it, i noticed a vibration in the shifter (or a fast ,light knock) and just figured it was probably a worn tranny mount-so i bought it without too much concern. when i got it home, i crawled under too see if i could tell if it was bad-and i couldnt. i also checked the u joints and they seemed ok. at first, it would do it on harder acceleration from a stop . now, after a month of commuting and wheeling, it has gotten much worse. if i am driving along on the highway and hit a large dip, i feel a heavier vibe in the shifter and heavier rattle under the floor. when i go around a large (highway exit sized) turn at 35-50 mph, it seems as if my entire driveline is shifting to the side with the g-forces of the turn and vibes get noticably worse as if now my u joints are binding up from it. what the heck am i missing? is this the tranny mount gone south? im really having a hard time seeing it by prying on the mount.

Have you chacked your motor mounts?

well, i havent yet but , i am planning to do it tomorrow. whats the easiest way to see them and check them? find an opening and pry againt them? or just put in in forward and reverse and apply throttle? the vibes and underfloor clunk is getting so bad even just driving up the highway-im afraid im gonna cause real damage if i dont figure it out soon.

Watch them while some else revs it. You will see it if they are bad.

This sounds like motor and/or transmission mount. I'm experiencing the same thing right now. Went through it once before (mine's an '88 with 245,000 miles on it) and the noise is the same.

Eagle said:

This sounds like motor and/or transmission mount. I'm experiencing the same thing right now.

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It's definitely one or the other. Motor mounts usually go first so that's more likely.

whenever i change mounts, i change them all, its just easier that way.


Also - when you change the passenger side mount I had to remove my oil filter stab... that was a little more than annoying...

XJ_ranger said:

Also - when you change the passenger side mount I had to remove my oil filter stab... that was a little more than annoying...

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Seriously? I just replaced the orings on the dang thing. It took several hours and busted knuckles to get it done. While I was there I never even thought to check the mount. Crud.

ok - finally got to take another look at this today and here is what i found... i tried like hell to find movement again in all of the mounts and i couldnt find any. then i remembered reading on here about people having their exhausts hitting the crossmember and checked for it. that was what it was! when i was under there the first time , i didnt see it --pretty hard to tell if you dont know. so, the exhaust was original and i replaced from the cat back and no more noises! but.. now i have another issue which im gonna throw up a new question for.