avanbaggett

I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0L 2WD. I have a problem. When in drive and starting from a standstill there is a loud and pronounced metal grinding noise. Basically sounds like a bad bearing. Only occurs when moving. Also the Jeep seems to buck some. I have since put the back wheels on jack stands initially thinking it was a differential problem. When in neutral and turning the back wheels by hand no grinding noise. Holding one wheel and the driveshaft turns no grinding noise. Checked out the driveshaft and pushed and pulled. The ujoints seem to be fine. The grinding noise seems to be coming from the transmission area. Seems to only occur when in gear.

While on jackstands I put the vehicle in drive and reverse. As soon as I release the brake and the wheels turn get the grinding noise. Even when I slightly barely lay off the brake I get the same grinding noise.

Transmission fluid color and level looks fine.

Codes results have an o2 sensor heater, which I believe is unrelated.

My wife who was driving the vehicle said the blower fan seemed to get really high beyond the highest level. Not sure if this is really related of not but she said it happened right before the grinding started.

I haven't dropped the pan yet.

Does anyone know what this might be?

Need to get this fixed!

avanbaggett

Anyone have any thoughts?

OldTires

Is the noise constant?

Does it change with the speed of the Jeep?

How does the transmission shift when driving? if it shifts fine, it probably is not the transmission.

Let me get this right, you have the rear axle on jack stands and when you put it in drive or reverse you immediately get the noise as soon as the wheels begin to spin?

I would check the ujoints first. Then the rear axle bearings on each side.

Also, look to see of something is dangling or loose and rubbing something else.

Do the simple things first.

Good luck.

avanbaggett

Just pulled the driveshaft. Ujoints looked fine. Started it and put it in gear. Same grinding noise. Something is snafued in the trans. Sounds like it's coming from the back end of the trans.

Van

avanbaggett

Btw it also makes the grinding noise while rolling neutral. Also, while I was under the vehicle and it was in neutral (with the rear on jack stands) I would turn the driveshaft by hand when I turned it one direction it was smooth. Turn it the other way it was binding and very rough. Not smooth at all.

Any thoughts?

BillyBoy

Flywheel bolts loose? Run a search on flywheel. Might help.

BooGTS

A month ago I had an 02 wire fall from its retainer and onto the driveshaft. It wore through the insulation and shorted, throwing a code. The shorting could have led to something that made the fan make noise. Not sure how it would make that grinding noise though. That and I would have thought you would have seen this when inspecting the driveshaft, but just throwing it out there.

avanbaggett

Inspected the flywheel bolts. Tight and no apparent cracking on the flywheel. Doesn't look like the holes are worn also. The interface between the bolts and flywheel hasn't moved!

Also, even weirder its throwing a P0155 code now which is new. This code seemed to start around the same time.

I am a little lost.

XjGuy2.0

Did you ever figure out what the problem was?

BlueRidgeMark

You're getting warmer. That was his last post and it's "only" 5 years ago. Are we seeing a pattern here?

It's rarely useful to drag up ancient threads.