Sounds expensive what am I looking at?

That depends. This could still be a bunch of things.

When you say the rear tires spin but the front don't do you mean that the front tires were locked up and wouldn't let the Jeep move?

Now, you say you've lurched forward a couple times and got it moving but it's grinding and making a whining noise?

Did I understand correctly?

Where is the noise coming from? Is it coming from the front axle or is it coming from under your seat?

It just got back and the mechanic said its going to need a new front differential.

They are saying 2000 to 3000 is that about right?

HAHHA! No way!!!

They're $99.00 at the junk yard and takes an afternoon to install.

You need to find a friend that is sorta mechanically inclined to help you swap it out.

Where do you live?

If you just want to get it driving again without 4wd then you can remove the carrier and axle shafts (Leave the stub shafts) and it'll just be 2wd.

I live in Harrisburg PA.

I asked about making it 2wd and they said the gears are so ground up that its causing loud noises and making reverse impossible because the front still spins?

Don't take it back to those guys. They're trying to rob you.

You can remove the axle shafts and front drive shaft and you'll be able to drive it again. You don't even have to remove the carrier. Unbolt the front drive shaft and remove it. Remove both front axle shafts, separate the u-joints and put the stub shafts back through the unit-bearings. Stuff some rags in the axle tubes. Done.

I could do this in less than 2 hours. If you were closer I'd be glad to help you out... but I'm not.

It'll be perfectly drive-able until you can replace the gears or axle housing.

Start reading. It's a fairly easy job and can be done with basic hand tools and small floor jack in one afternoon.

If all else fails post up in your local forum and I'm sure there's some local Jeeper that could help you out.

Listen to Lowrange on this for sure. Your whole Jeep is worth $2000-3000, and they want you to pay that for one little pumpkin. Even if you aren't mechanically inclined, this could be a good project to get you into the mechanical side of your Jeep.

Why would it not be able to go in reverse though? I experienced that myself. It would go back a foot and then stop like it hit a wall. Id be happy to try and figure this out but I don't want to waste time if its not possible.

Are there any tutorials you could point me to?

Thanks again guys!

The high pitch wine when moving or sitting still.

Different gear raitos front and rear ?

When transfercase in 2wd does it do this?

The forward and reverse was happening in 2wd I believe, only after i had switched it to 4wd though. The mechanic said they removed the cam shaft and its still clunking and not able to reverse. Did they miss a step? The high pitched RC car sound was happening while I was going forward. Im not sure if it is still making that noise now that the cam shaft was removed.

1. When you say "cam shaft", you mean drive shaft, correct? Cam shaft is a part of your engine that tells it when to open the valves.

2. You should've gotten the mechanic to take pictures inside your differential. With the drive shaft removed, and reversing in a straight line, there isn't too much that's rotating in that differential... Something must be royally messed up inside there.

Maybe I am misreading... So, are you saying that it only "hits the wall" and clunks in 4WD? Or does it do it in 2WD as well?