So this is my first Jeep, its a 99 Cherokee Sport 4WD with 112,000 miles. It's not in fantastic shape but it was lady owned and driven most of it's life.

I live in Michigan so I bought the Jeep as my “winter beater”. I have been using the 4wd only when it snows, and I usually shift while rolling in neutral. The other day I was on my way to work with the 4wd engaged and I was slowing to a stop when all of a sudden a horrible grinding noise started in the vicinity of the 4wd lever. To a car guy, grinding gears is one of the worst noises in the world so naturally I freaked out and grabbed the 4wd lever and slammed it back down into 2wd at which point the grinding stopped.

I chalked it up to a fluke and continued to use the 4wd for several days without a problem. However lately this has been occurring every time I use the 4wd and I have had to stop using it for fear of permanent damage to the transfer case. Usually it happens when I hit the brakes and begin slowing down…once it happens it won’t stop until I shove the lever back into 2wd. It seems like the 4wd lever is actually trying to go into neutral when this happens – I swear I can see it move upward just before the grinding starts.

Is this just a linkage adjustment problem? If so how do I adjust it?

The lady I bought it from claimed that she “pretty much shifted it into 4wd when it started snowing and left it there all winter”. Since the snow here comes and goes, this probably means that it was used on dry roads and probably highway quite a bit.

Any help would be appreciated!!!

 

Shifter adjustment is a easy....but I doubt that's the problem. Time to open up the t-case and have a look around.

FWIW,
Owned/driven by a Lil Ol Lady usually means a severe lack of general maintenance....including fluid changes at the proper intervals.

 

Haha sure, I will just "pull the transfer case and have a look around"!

Before I do that wouldn't it be worth at least checking the shifter adjustment? When it is engaged it doesn't make any whirring or humming or grinding or any other strange noises. It's only when it decides to try to pop out of engagement that the grinding ensues.

Anybody got a link to a writeup or tips for adjusting the shifter? Perhaps a PDF copy of the FSM?

 

do a t-case service and see if there is any metal in the fluid to start and go from there.

 

Loosen the bolt on the linkage.
Make sure the lever is in 2wd.
Manually move the shift arm on the t-case into 2wd.
Tighten the bolt.

The t-case does not need to come out to open it up.

 

its very easy to pop the shifter out of 4wd... i hit it with my knee sometimes and the same thing happens... I just put it back in 2wd or try and find the 4wd again...

 

Thanks, I will take a look at that and make sure it's not out of adjustment.

I will also change the t-case fluid and look for metal. What type and quantity of oil do I need for the t-case? Do i need a crush washer for the drain plug?