knocking or clanking or whatever... Only while at low speeds, once I get into second gear or higher it goes away. Sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side, and doesn't seem like it's the transmission as it'll pick back up while coasting to a stop with clutch pressed and transmission in higher gear. Any ideas?

97 cherokee

 

found the problem. actually wasn't that hard now that I've got sunlight to work with...

Any thoughts on how hard it is to fix this? is this a job I can do on the side of the road or do I need to get it to a shop and have them fix it?

 

Nice. Your U joint is missing its cap. You can tackle that at home in your garage, or dtiveway it it's nice out. Look up "U-joint replacement". It's pretty straightforward.

 

From what I've been reading it sounds like I need to pull the tire off and the brake and hub assembly and the axle and ....

Is there anyway to do this without pulling all that? I'm at a friend's apartment with minimal tools and no space to work.

 

Mine is making the same sound...guess thats prolly my problem too lol

 

Maybe if you get REALLY creative with a portable U joint press and a lot of patience. Tires and brakes will need to go though for the room.

 

where does one get a replacement cap from?

 

You dont, the ujoint has to be replaced. If you cannot do it yourself than take it to a shop. I personally wouldn't drive to fast or far on it.

 

went to get a replacement u-joint but it's only the cross and clips. Not the cap. Is there something else I need to be asking for?

 

The caps are included.

Moog p/n 371

 

Box had just the cross and the clips in it. Nothing else. Unless I was handed the wrong thing.

 

So it was missing the caps like #2? That would be one hell of a QA fail

 

If that's what you're calling caps then yes it had those. But, what's missing from the car is something else than... Bottom one feels like a rubber gasket of some sort. Maybe. There's a gap in the yoke and the u-joint on the top one that's missing and the cover over it.

 

Yeah part of the cap is a rubber seal that keeps the grease in. The joint you should have received looks like the one above, but with the cap on the post and the needle bearings inside.