Have a 98 Xj. I have had this issue for a few months and the fact that it only happens when it isnt driven for a few days..

I get clunks from the front end when first descending from park after my jeep has sat for a few days. The noise goes away after driving several feet and does not return. I read on here something similar that turned out to be grooves being worn into the shims on the knuckles.
I have taken my jeep to 2 different places both twice. First place couldnt find anything after 2 visits. Second place thought they fixed it and didnt. Brought it back and now they say they have pinned it down to be the front diff and there might be metal or something broken and eventually it settles after driving a few yards.... Only to tell me that they dont do diff repairs.
Im just not sure what to do at this point

Do i take it for a third inspection of do i find a place that repairs diff and see what they say?
I only found one thread with exactly whats going on with my jeep, but it said it turned out the be the knuckles not the diff.

 

Pull the diff cover and see what's there. Check u joints as well.

 

If it was a U joint, would the sound go away? The whole front end has been inspected quite a bit already and I'm sure one of the 4 times it was inspected that they would have caught a bad U joint.

 

Just throwing out suggestions. As I said though, it's time to pull the diff cover and see what it looks like.

 

I dont know enough about them to know what to look for other than metal flakes.

 

Look for any chunks missing from teeth, it's not too hard. If something's wrong you'll know.. Could always post a few pics here.

 

Thanks

 

I have that same exact problem with my jeep

 

does it disappear and only come back when it sits for a few days? Mine literally stops making the clunks after driving 20-50 ft.. I can drive it all week and not have the sounds until its parked for a few days.

 

it is 100 percent the same... I drive my jeep every day... But if it sits for a few days when I am working on it, it will do the clunking Noices after

 

I have been driving it quite a while like that... I am not sure how bad it is for the jeep

 

I dont drive mine daily, but 2-3 days a week. Have had the problem for about 9 months. There is a thread on here that describes my issue exactly and he said his knuckle had a groove worn in it. So it makes me think twice about it being the differential. Only issue is its hard to get it to make the noise when i need it to.

 

I hope it is only that haha

 

Poor man's way about it...

Test your engine mounts by dry torque.
Brake while revving. Have a bud do it and look to see if the engine rocks excessively. If it does. Do the engine and Trans mounts. Cheap and easy.

If that ain't It,
Go after the axle.

Inspect all your sway bar linkages and tie rods.
Jack it up, wiggle, shake, check those ball joints.

Then it goes to the axle guts if not solved.

First step/elimination. ..
Front u joint to the axle.
Pull it out.
Drive it.
See if it stops.

No stop...?

Step 2.
Pull the passenger side of the axles haft.
It's longer.and more prone to problems.
If this stops it, verify by replacing the main front axle driveshaft to make sure.

Still clunking?

Step 3.
Pull the drivers side axle shaft.
Still clunking?

You probably need either replace upper or lower bushings on your control arms. Although with the axle free rolling, I'd be surprised.


Do the cheap inspection stuff first. Then get turning nuts. Or... take it to a shop and ask what they think. Tell them it's too expensive. Fix it yourself.

Good luck brother.

 

i pretty much did all of that already. Replaced sway bar bushings too. Im cracking it open on Saturday to clean it out and see if theres any metal flakes.