Get in the XJ after work tonight and start pulling off, when I noticed a noise from the rear that sounded like metal dragging on the ground. My first thought was my exhaust, but my exhaust wasn't any louder. I pulled around the back of my work and started checking everything out with a flashlight. There was literally nothing dragging, and nothing loose. The exhaust wouldn't move anymore than normal when I tried moving it by hand. Nothing in the rear suspension appeared to be broken or moveable by hand. I checked out the front end too, in case my ears were playing tricks on me. Nothing visibly wrong up there either. Having no choice, I set off for home, but taking side roads and avoiding the freeway. The noise stopped above 20 mph, but as soon as I went below, it came back. It sounds just like chains dragging on the ground. By the time I pulled in my subdivision, I didn't notice it anymore.

The thing that stumps me most is that I couldn't feel anything. If it were in the rear-end, wouldn't I have felt something in my driveline? If it were something in one of the drums, wouldn't I have felt in while braking?

Any ideas?

 

XJ's make some really weird noises...that one sounds ominous. No idea but maybe if you could get all four wheels on jack stands crank it, put it in gear and see if you can isolate the noise????

 

Zombies wearing chain mail armor?

 

Is it only when you go above 20 you don't hear it or when you come outta first gear... Does it shift normal. Check your fluids is a quick guess. And yea def jack her up and see if you can re create the noise. Good luck with it

 

It's not timing up with the shifting, I thought about that too. It's shifting like normal. I'll get it up on the stands and see if I can isolate it.

 

Bearing.

 

Or your rear differential has little or no fluid lol

 

Jesus. If it's the diff, then it sounds like it's shredding apart!

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Time to stop driving.

 

That's what's unfortunate. I don't have a jack or jack stands. I'll have to drive 30 minutes to my dad's place.

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X2

 

Bottle jack and a set of jackstands from walmart or harbor freight for $20-$30

 

Welp, pulled out of the garage today, and lo and behold, no noise! I went down to my dad's to check it out, and didn't come across the noise the entire trip. Got it up on jack stands, and couldn't hear any noise from the bearings. The diff was good on fluid too. We couldn't find anything wrong.

I'm stumped now. Maybe there was something caught up under there that I couldn't see?

 

The story of our lives. Whenever there's a noise and we go around anyone else re noise stops. Then well be alone again and boom sound is back

 

So derned true.