4.0/AW4 flex plate

Can't help you with info but wanted to ask, did it sound like internal engine problems first, or what happened?
Mine gradually got louder and the old one was cracked damn near around the whole perimeter of the crank bolt pattern.

Well its kind of a long story... i bought the jeep and it had a loud knock sounded like a rod bearing and i had a spare short block so i bought it. when i got the pan off i checked all the rods and they were all tight then i looked in the pan and found pieces of piston skirt. So i really cant say how the cracked flex plate effected the way it sounded.

I did have a 1992 XJ 4.0/AW4 that had loose flexplate bolts and it sounded really bad and kept getting worse. i thought the engine must be done for then i learned about the bolts and tightned them and it fixed the noise 100% and its got over 230K and still running.

I THINK that the renix ones are different from the HO ones. I put a 94 flexplate on a 97 engine, fit and is still running. Incidentally, I have a 97 flexplate if you need it.