snow580 said:
When does it make the chain slip sound? When you are spinning or all the time while driving normally when in full time?
It only made the slipping sound when I put it into 4x4 Full Time. It was horrible noise and un-drivable! Not because of the noise but because of the bucking action you would get as the front wheels engaged and disengaged. It didn't make any, or much, noise until I gave it gas. Then the noise would start, and the jerking of the front wheels. Foot off the gas, sound would stop.
I read in the owners manual that you can drive in full time all the time and the gas mileage was the same. Since I was having to instruct my wife in how to put it into full time 4x4 when it started raining, I thought it was just as easy to leave it in full time 4x4. That was about 8 years ago. lol.
Occasionally I would switch it back to 2 wheel drive just so nothing got locked into one place.
I got the lift and 32" tires, went off road once. I was babying it since I would get a tapping noise after driving in full time for about 10 to 15 minutes. My assumption was it was a u-joint. Either drive shaft or axle.
I replaced the drive shaft ujoints, still had the tapping noise. I purchase 297s(?) for the Dana 30 and wheel bearing assyms as my next attempt. About a week before I was going to swap that stuff on the XJ I tried the full time just for grins.
OMG what a noise. It sounded exactly like a big ass chain slipping wildly. The front wheels jerked as something metallic engaged and disengaged.
I asked a bunch of questions here, did some reading on the Internet.
Saw the video of the 1998 XJ with the saggy chain on you tube. So a couple of weeks ago I order a chain and a few other odds and ends. About $150, with the chain being the most expensive thing.
Yesterday I printed off the
"How to break down your NP242" from the Internet and went into the garage.
After getting those damned locking rings off I was finally able to get my answer. The chain was so loose I was able to remove it without taking off the gears! Sound familiar? Removing the gear and replacing the chain was very easy, in fact the whole thing was pretty easy with the exception of taking off the locking washers.
It's all back together, as of last night, and tested. I'm a little concerned if I was able to get the fluid pickup tube connected back to the pump. I think it is ok, I mean they were attached I'm just not sure if the little "O" ring was fully inserted.
I found, previously, that the tcase was very low on fluid. I'm not sure why it was low. Maybe it leaked out slowly over years of use, especially since I was in 4x4 all the time.
I had a rattling noise that came and went with acceleration. I thought it might be a loose front end part. Now I know what it was, it was the loose chain rattling in the tcase.
I think I was extremely luckily to have run the tcase with low fluid and the only thing I had to replace (so far) is the chain.
Everything is very quiet and feels strong. No popping, and 4x4 again! Yay!
I do plan on replacing the two gears that the chain rides on, but I think that will be a part of a full tcase overhaul.
It was raining here today, and it was a great feeling to be back in 4x4 again.
Now I'm trying to think where I can go find some MUD! I really having played since I did the lift and put the big tires on.
