forgottenheroism

Hey everyone, first time post and new Jeep owner,

So I picked up a new 2001 Cherokee 4dr sport on July 3rd and it's started to have a little clunk that's now clunking a lot more. It only clunks from about 5-25 or so mph but stops when any minimal amount of break pressure is put on. Also it won't clunk until it's warmed up a bit, anyone had a similar experience? There is no pull on the steering wheel, seems to be a bit worse when turning and it'll clunk in gear or neutral, and doesn't matter if I'm in 2H or 4H as long as I'm going between 5-25mph and not pressing on the brakes it'll clunk.

I did a lot of googling and searching around on the forum, and what it seems like is either a bad bushing or some loose bolts. I crawled underneath her a lot this past week both right after the clunking while it was still warm and also when it was cold, nothing seems loose or anything, some of the bushings like a little shot, I'll include a pic on here and can try and grab a video later so you all can hear how horrible it sounds. Any suggestions/tips would be highly appreciated, she's going into the shop this week hopefully.

xjsnake

Replace those sway bar links and the swaybar bushings on the body mounts.

The two bushings on the swaybar body mounts like to develop slop and clunk.

forgottenheroism

Any recommendations for parts? If I'm replacing them I may as well upgrade a bit

bruni86xj

check the axle shaft u-joints may as well replace them they're only like 9 bucks a piece

ThatAintStock00

Ditto on the sway bar bushings and u joints. Those bushings are shot.

Check your hubs as well

xjsnake

Moog makes an upgraded bushing that's about $6 more than the parts house replacements. Well worth the extra cash.

bruni86xj

i would personally ditch the swaybar lol i drive mine without it about 120 miles a day without it its a more comfortable ride imo

96XJ11C

Do not take your sway bar out. It's there for a reason. It's unsafe to remove a crucial suspension/steering component. You won't regret removing it till you have to make a high speed maneuver on the highway. Or brake hard and one side dips harder than the other and your jeep wants to steer into another lane.

xjsnake

The rear sway bar can be removed with no driveability effects. The front swaybar should be removed only for offroad rigs. That's why they make quick disconnects, for those that want no swaybar offroad but understand its necessity on road.

forgottenheroism

Thanks guys, going to pick up new bushings and moog front swaybars this weekend, and she's going to the shop on monday (I know it's an easy fix, but alas I don't have the tools or the know-how really to do it yet)

Anything else that'd be inexpensive but a worthwhile upgrade while they're under there?

s346k

this. mine made a clunk that drove me nuts. I changed them and now it's all good. my end links were cool.

be sure to measure the diameter of your sway bar before going to the parts store.

bruni86xj

like i said guys .IMO. i been rollin with no sways for 4 years and my rig sees alot of wheelin so its just a hassle for me, and really they are not crucial if your rig is built right, on another not goodmorning!

forgottenheroism

Got the new bushings and front end sway bar links with moogs which was $100 worth of labor, and then they said the front right caliper was shucking because the place i got it front didn't include the clips on the brakes, and they said they tightend it and fixed it. However... no joy. My baby still clunks. Guess that's what I get for not doing the fix myself, kinda kicking myself for not just spending the money on tools and a repair manual. So right now it clunks at 5-25mph, as soon as brakes are touched it stops, also brakes are VERY squeaky and when applied it sounds like metal on metal even though they were new. Any ideas guys? I know it's a little low on power steering fluid so i'm filling that up tonight and gonna pop the front right tire off and manually inspect the caliper and such tonight.

hobhayward

My cherokee came with no sway bar, my first task was going to be adding the front swaybar back on, got half the parts and then found out that the previous owner had torched the link mounts off... Swaybar is now low priority as I've gotten used to driving without it :P

I'm guessing the HD steering must have interfered as he welded the steering stabilizer mount in place of the one of the link mounts.

forgottenheroism

Filled the power steering fluid and that's ok, but clunk is still there today. Didn't get too much of a chance last night to use the 2 1/4 ton lift and jack stands to pop the tire off, but if not today than sometime tomorrow I'll do that and post some pics. Also got a Hayes manual and will be leafing through that. It's definitely something to do with the brakes though, I'm just hoping it's not brake lines or something, brake fluid is full though so that's good, could just be a bum caliper.