I was under my XJ today dealing with an NSS nightmare...but anyway..... i grabbed the drive shaft that goes from the T-Case to the front diff. and I can rotate it just a little bit by hand and it makes a clacking kind of sound. MY QUESTION IS..... should it do that?
Because when I drive at a slow speed I can hear the same kind of sound, it drives me crazy, I'm wondering if this is it.
I've had this jeep for about 6 months now and I've never even tried to put it in 4wd, the guy I bought it from said there's something wrong with the T-Case, I think the chain slips or something.

Can somebody please crawl under their XJ and try it for me??? Now I'm asking for too much huh, haha.........

 

Mine does the same thing man, but no clunking when driving. I was wondering the same thing you are lol

 

I'm pretty sure that normal when ur not in 4wd. Put it in 4wd (if you can) and try it from what I understand it won't. At least thats how mine is. If it still has play in it you might need new u-joints.

 

the sound just drives me crazy. It sounds like there is rocks rolling around inside the caps on the rims, but there isn't because I pried those off a long time ago.

 

If you can't put it in four wheel drive then just take out the front driveline. If it keeps making that sound it could possibly be your tcase eating itself. Since you can't put it in 4wd that would be a good solution to narrow down the problem. Plus it would save you gas til you get your tcase fixed cause then your front driveshaft wouldn't be spinning and adding resistance when technically you can't even use it right now. You'd be killing 2 birds with one stone.

 

that sounds like an idea. What does that involve? just removing the front drive shaft?

 

never mind I noticed you can't put it in 4wd...that wouldn't be the shaft causing this

As 4x4Utah stated I would just remove front DS and see if it goes away