4wd skipping

hey guys, brand new to the fourm, i just bought a 94 xj tonight, the guy i bought it from said he owned it for about 8 years and the 4wd worked untill the last time he went to use it. he said it rode fine down hill and as soon as he needed it going up a slick hill, it start to act like it was going in and out. he thinks it ginded the teeth off the spocket in the trans case. i drove it home and in 2wd it is fine. any ideas? what should i check? when i got it in my shop i looked under it and no front drive shaft.

He did say that his brother has a parts xj i can go get the case from for free, but its 2 hours away, what should i check in case i dont need to make that trip. thanks

If it's in 4wd the t-case chain may be stretched and slipping. You can get replacement, used or even upgraded parts (assuming it's a 231 Part-Time t-case and wide chain kit). www.jbconversions.com sells upgrades, www.quadratec.com sells some replacement parts as well as other sources.

You can put it in low range and see if it does it since you'll have the most torque in that range.

so i should prob go get that other case then????

If the chain is slipping probably. Make sure the years are compatible (21 vs. 23 spline input).

get it anyway you can always sell it

what numbers do i need to look for the diff splines?

94 is 23-spline, unless someone swapped in something else.

You'll need one from a 91-95 XJ 4.0L assuming yours is a 4.0L too.