Ok this is my first time to ever post any kind of thread so bear with me please.
I have seen several cherokees over the years and thought it would be nice to someday have one. Well I bought one "88" Chrokee yesterday for a wopping $500. I looked hard for a Cherokee with a standard transmision. The first " and second" magazine i looked at tell me the Standard transmission was not the best decision. But it is what it is and i'll stick with it.
I got it cheap because the rear diff is gone and grinding. But what I dont understand is why the front end is not working right. I can put it in gear and let out the clutch and the driveshaft turns but nothing happens, I pushed the cherokee a bit and then the it started pulling. I removed the diff cover and all looks perfect and clean. I must be missing something somewhere. The people I bought it from said the 4X4 will work after the rear diff it replaced. I don't buy that for a minute but something is still not working. Thanks for any input.... ED

You pulled it off and it had no fluid in it? FYI I paid 500 for my 89 and had to change coolant and tstat. Welcome to the CF from Shawn in Alberta, Canada

For the rear, just put some cheap 10w30 motor oil in it and see if that makes a difference. for the front, you probably have a vaccum disconnect front axel. and the Jeep has to move some for the vaccum disconnect to work

check your vacum lines

He said it worked after rolling the Jeep forward, which is typical of a vacuum disconnect

Welcome to the boards. Try the advice you`ve received and if all else fails parts are fairly easy to come by at most big junkyards. Luckily neither of these areas are things that are hard to get at or swap. Usually with thet stuff it is fluid levels etc as mentioned. Standard transmissions arent that common in Cherokees..At least not in those that end up in junkyards. I put a poll on here once and it was almost running 50/50 between automatics and manual transmissions people said they owned but after years of going to 4-5 huge junkyards I have found manual/stick-shift Jeeps are very uncommon in them

Yes, 5spd Cherokees are very very uncommon. I'd go so far as to say that 95% of all XJs made are Auto and the rest are 5spds. the AX-15/NV3550 are very strong and well built transmissions. The Peugeot BA10/5 is a POC

WOW thanks guys that is allot of great info. I think think web site is going to be the besat tool I own for this project..

Fluid looked great.

I am not sure why or how the whole vacumme control works. if it wont work until you move a bit then what happens if you get stuck in the mud in 2wd and then switch to 4x4 you would just still be stuck.

thats pretty much how it goes, or you can buy a posi-lok and make it a mechanical actuator and leave the front axle engaged while you're offroad so if you get stuck in 2wd you just put it in 4wd and drive away. The other option is to buy a non-disco axle shaft, swap that in and get a cover plate for the vacuum location on the D30