zebaffe

Alright, I'm going to explain this the best I can.

When I'm driving it just makes it's normal noise, but when I let off the gas (this is recent development a.k.a. not normal) it makes a pretty awful grinding noise. And when I put back on the gas, it does it again. It was only doing it at high speeds at first, but now it does it no matter what.

Also sometimes (at around 35mph) when I let off the gas, instead of it making the noise real quick, it KEEPS making the noise. I like to think that I am very aware of what my vehicle is doing, and the only thing I've noticed is that the RPM's act funny when it does this thing (when the noise keeps going). As in the bounce up a down with the noise. (not by much)

Also, the other day I took it on the freeway, and I couldn't get him going over 55mph. Its like its refusing to shift. And being on the freeway in heavy traffic, I was a little afraid to push it and see if I could get it to shift at red line (like my old diesel truck did). incase something horrible happened leaving me dead in the water (-or- freeway).

I'm not sure if the two of these are related in any way, I'm hoping they are, that way I can fix one and get both.

Sadly, my jeep is my daily driver, and currently I'm afraid to drive it even to the gym because I don't want to hurt him. Its a pretty awful grinding noise.

In my opinion, it sounds like it is coming from rear driveshaft/tranny/transfer case. I've never worked on anything like those (other than u-joints, and hubs) but it sounds to far back to be my engine.

I hope I gave you enough information to be helpful.

Please help me. I'm not ready to give up the Cherokee.

Turbo X_J

You may want to do a forum search using the terms "noise", "grinding", etc, to see if you can narrow it down a little better. From your description it could be anything from a ring & pinion on it's way out to a dead possum stuck in the wheel well.

zebaffe

HA! well, I've been doing some digging and haven't come up with anything.

I'm gonna do that search that you suggested, but I just confirmed there are no dead animals in my jeep :P

What exactly is a ring and pinion? It sounds very important but simple.

Radi

Ring and pinion are the main gears in the differential.
I'd jack the back end up off the ground, set it in jackstands and spin the rear wheels to see if you can pinpoint the noise.

matiutoro

i had the same axact problem and it ended up being my wheel bearings. u might want to search on that

zebaffe

I'm going to try that, but it only does it at higher speeds (35mph)

zebaffe

Thank you for the suggestion, however just changed those, and I've had some really bad bearings. Isn't that kind of noise.

I guess its a possibility that I got the one bearing that is poop, but for now I'm gonna rule that one out, cuz they're only about a month old (same with my front u-joints)

zebaffe

okay so:

Last night I removed the Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) from my transmission. Someone suggested that might be causing my transmission to do crappy things.

I know that the NSS is bad because my reverse lights don't work. However, I'm not entirely sure what all the NSS does in my tranny.

Tonight after work I'm going to clean it, and put it back on. Also I'm going to jack up the jeep and see if I can't hear any noise coming from the diff while turning the tires.


I have another question. I was checking all my drive lines for "play" (wiggling them, and trying to turn them) Everything is quite solid. Except the front drive line coming out of the Transfer Case (TC). Is this just because its not in gear and thus free floating? or should I look further into this?

And, someone suggested it might be the chain in my TC which would mean that the front wheels have no power to them when in 4 wheel drive. My 4 wheel drive works. I used it last weekend on the beach. (This noise has been going on longer than the visit to the beach).

mentalbreakdown00

try blocking the wheels and leaving the truck in nuetural and then shaking your pinion and see if there is play

zebaffe

How do you shake the pinion? Just turn the tires? or try to rotate the drive line?

zebaffe

bump. Still not fixed

Radi

In a '93 it doesn't do a whole lot, just interlocks the starter so it only gets power in P or N and operates the backup lights. Later years it plays a part in transmission operation, overdrive and TCC lockup.

Get that XJ up in the air and start spinning things, see what groans or feels rough.
What sort of movement did you discover in the front driveshaft? Some rotation is normal, up and down or side to side movement is not.

zebaffe

Just a little rotation. Like maybe an inch if that. no wiggling in and out or anything. And when I was rotating it, it was NOT in 4x4.

Well, I've got that NSS off anywho (and cleaned) so now my reverse lights WILL work :P

But I'm 100% positive that the NSS is not causing my noise. I'm putting the jeep in the air tonight when I get home from work. Hoping its a U-joint, and not my tranny.

Thanks for your response.