Mechanic says "Front axle is grinding"
#34
Senior Member
I assume you have basic garage tools and jack stands. If you do, jack up the front of your jeep and put the jack stands under it so you can freely rotate the wheels. I bet the grinding is the hub or u-joints and not the differential/steering. If you do hear the noise when the wheels are turning, check out several youtube videos on replacing u-joints wheel hubs etc.
#35
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#36
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Year: 1985
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 2.5L
Just get some vinyl tubing from Lowe's for cheap that will fit on the tip of the bottle that is about a foot long. Then you can just squeeze it in until full.
To drain the diff I remove all but the top bolt, which I loosen to almost removing it, then use a screw driver or putty knife to pop the bottom of the cover lose, and let it drain into a wide plastic tub or the wide round oil collection pan/container you can get at any auto parts store. I leave the top bolt in so it doesn't fall into the pan when it pops off.
After you clean the mating surfaces, just put some black RTV silicon on the diff sealing surface, the top bolt through the cover and start that, then press the cover on and start putting the bolts in. I usually cross torque the bolts to make sure the cover fits nice and flat. Use the tube to fill it up and replace the plug and you are done.
To drain the diff I remove all but the top bolt, which I loosen to almost removing it, then use a screw driver or putty knife to pop the bottom of the cover lose, and let it drain into a wide plastic tub or the wide round oil collection pan/container you can get at any auto parts store. I leave the top bolt in so it doesn't fall into the pan when it pops off.
After you clean the mating surfaces, just put some black RTV silicon on the diff sealing surface, the top bolt through the cover and start that, then press the cover on and start putting the bolts in. I usually cross torque the bolts to make sure the cover fits nice and flat. Use the tube to fill it up and replace the plug and you are done.
#38
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Alright. The noise seems to be getting a little worse. By that I mean I can hear it at higher speeds than before.
This is a shot in the dark, but I took a video to try and record the noise. You can't hear it very well, but you can kind of tell it isn't constant and seems to kind-of happen randomly. I was going in a straight line around 40 mph during the video.
This is a shot in the dark, but I took a video to try and record the noise. You can't hear it very well, but you can kind of tell it isn't constant and seems to kind-of happen randomly. I was going in a straight line around 40 mph during the video.
#40
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#42
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Year: 1985
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 2.5L
U-Joints can also make a similar sound if they are wore bad enough. Also motor mounts, and any other bushing under there. Also maybe grab the middle of the front drive shaft and push it up and down and see if it is wore where the two halves slide together.
#43
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#44
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Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Get under there and start looking & feeling around. Take a crescent wrench with you. Control arms, shocks, driveshafts, skid plates, engine/trans mounts, etc. Look, push/yank on everything and put the wrench to every bolt you can find to make sure nothing's loose. Be careful trying to torque stuff down with the crescent, better to use a proper tool, it's just an easy handy tool to check stuff out with. Look at all the suspension bushings, that's where I'm guessing it's coming from.
#45
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Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 Litre I6
Get under there and start looking & feeling around. Take a crescent wrench with you. Control arms, shocks, driveshafts, skid plates, engine/trans mounts, etc. Look, push/yank on everything and put the wrench to every bolt you can find to make sure nothing's loose. Be careful trying to torque stuff down with the crescent, better to use a proper tool, it's just an easy handy tool to check stuff out with. Look at all the suspension bushings, that's where I'm guessing it's coming from.
Lol