Transfer case squeeking noise, a 242

Stock 93 XJ with 4.0, AW4 and 242 t/c. Just today it starts squeeking real bad and it sounds like it's coming from the transfer case. It coincides with speed and the faster you go, the faster and more obnoxious the squeek is. It also goes up in volume as the vehicle is under load. If you just accelerate normal it is a fairly quiet squeek. If you hold the brake and create resistance while accelarating the noise gets much louder. Since this T/C has a viscous coupler, could this be going south and hence the more noise when under increased load? I shifted through P/T, F/T and 2wd and the noise stays but it does seem to change ever so slightly. Thoughts? This is my friends daily driver and only car so she is freaked and wants me to fix. Please help, I ave not worked on a 242 ever. Thanks, JP

This may come off as a remedial reply, but it sounds like it may just be a bad rear u-joint....crazier things have happened!!

XJ&TJ4ME said:

This may come off as a remedial reply, but it sounds like it may just be a bad rear u-joint....crazier things have happened!!

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Could be, but I've dealt with a bunch of those on my own lifted Jeep and this just seems different. The squeek is not a high pitch or metal grinding squeek and there is no vibes, it's more of the noise that a rubber tire makes on fresh snow but only louder (does that make any sense?).

Front CV/ u-joint.
When I did mine I took the front drive shaft to a shop and had every thing installed and balanced.

Yeah, that was one thought also... but the front driveshaft is not very old, the previous owner had replaced it just before she bought it and she has the receipt even. It still looks new too and has the shops shiney sticker on it still. Not to say it can't be bad, but I figured that it's probably OK. From my window down and head out the window analysis, it seems to be the rear of the T-case where the noise is coming from.. like the tailcone area. What I need to do is have someone drive it while I hang on underneath

JKTXJ said:

Yeah, that was one thought also... but the front driveshaft is not very old, the previous owner had replaced it just before she bought it and she has the receipt even. It still looks new too and has the shops shiney sticker on it still. Not to say it can't be bad, but I figured that it's probably OK. From my window down and head out the window analysis, it seems to be the rear of the T-case where the noise is coming from.. like the tailcone area. What I need to do is have someone drive it while I hang on underneath

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When mine squeeked (shrieked is more accurate), my plan was to pull each driveshaft and see if the noise went away. In that instance, it was obvious, one of the cups was locked up pretty tight. I didn't want to mess with so it was off to Driveline Service.

I want to know about the ticking in mine, I suspect a u-joint.

mine made the same noise and i noticed that my rear diff was leaking around the yoke. put a new seal in and the noise went away. you may want to look at that.