Mudpuppy98

I put my 1998 Jeep Cherokee in 4wd today. It doesnt immediatly go into 4wd. I drive forward about 10 feet and hear and feel a clunk.

Driving straight, I hear and feel a clunk about every 3 or 4 seconds. Doesnt seem to be associated with speed, but distance.

I can also hear what sounds like a grinding sound while in 4wd. That goes away when disengaging 4wd.

When I take it out of 4wd it goes out and back into 2wd with the same loud clunk.

This is my second 98 jeep cherokee and the previous one did not do this at all. 4wd was as quite at 2wd and you never felt it go in or out.

So is it slipping? U-Joint? CV-Joint?

One more thing, the heater recently stoped getting as hot as normal... vacuum leak maybe? Is the 4wd using a vacuum? I thought the 98 cherokee was all linkage and chains... help.

tjwalker

Start by checking fluid level in the transfer case. Has fluid ever been replaced?

Mudpuppy98

I have Jo idea. Kind of doubt it. How do I check that? Never did any work on previous 4wd.

Mudpuppy98

Also wanted to add that I do have a 4 in list wit 32s. Don't know if that makes a difference.

cherokeeaddiction23

theres two plugs on the transfer case, you cant miss them they are big, becareful though, ive heard a lot about the the plugs being seized on there and they strip out and you cant get them out of the t-case, it happened to my buddies wj and he had to weld nuts on the plugs, but it sounds like a transfer case problem, the chain might be wore out

alloutperform

sounds like the zj i just bought to sell...look at the transfer case see if its covered in tranny fluid if it is it was probably leaking and is dry..on the back of the t-case there is 2 big plugs (around 32mm but don't hold me to that) pull the upper one (the lower is the drain) stick your finger in the hole fluid should be right up to the hole....if you cannot feel fluid with your finger get a drain pan under the jeep and pull out the lower plug see what comes out.do not just fill back up chances are the fluid needs change anyways...the zj i just bought was bone dry needed a t-case..

Mudpuppy98

ok, so I am checking the fluids tonight... I have seen a lot of different opionions, but what fuild would I need to put in the TC? Someone said I should also check and fill the diffs. I feel like a big dummy, but this is new to me.

Also, noticed today that the popping/clunking is only when there is a load on the front tires. Even giving it gas, down hill, nothing.

Rolling forward with the tires turned there is a slight knocking sound. I think that may be unrelated though.

Does all that still sound like fluid?

Kmart164

Sounds like a U joint to me. Can you feel it when the popping happens? That's what's up with mine, drivers side U joint is bad as hell, and needs replaced, I get a clunking now and then, but all the time in 4wd. I can also feel it through the floorboard.

Mudpuppy98

Is there a way to check the u-joints without taking them off?

Mudpuppy98

Checked tv fluid. It was low. Drained, refilled with clean fluid. Still does same.

So I guess I will figure out how to check the u-bolts and cv bolts. Any advice?

Mudpuppy98

Ps. My heat went out. Only blows Luke warm air... Vacuum leak? Could the two somehow be related?

Also, I tried 4 wheel low, and it was very difficult to get it to go in gear and twice as hard to get out of neutral and back into 4H.

Thinking about that now, I think maybe the whole transfer case is shot. Maybe the linkage? I just dont know enough about this stuff... too bad the engine isnt messed up. I can fix that!! LOL

Mudpuppy98

so I found this video of someone else and at about 37 seconds you can hear the same sound (or as close as I can find) that my jeep is making.


I am reading about range control linkage adjustments... any chance mine is just out of adjustment and its slipping in and out?

corbin9191

I don't know if you got the problem fixed yet but that sounds like a loose chain to me. I had the same problem with my NP 242 in my 1991 cherokee. Since I had a few more TCs laying around I just switched it back to a NP 231.