New here, bought a Cherokee a few weeks ago that I picked up for a steal. Found a small leak in the transfer case, expected some things like that with a 220k mi jeep, come to find out that it had been leaking for awhile. Long story short on the way home from working in a friends car the jeep started clunking and jerking on acceleration from a stop light. Continued doing that on the way home, on tight turns it was hopping like it was in 4wd, in spite of the fact that the lever is clearly in 2wd. Also checked under the jeep and the shift lever on the side of the t case is all the way in the 2wd position.
Checked and filled the t case with fluid, it was almost a quart low. Problem still exists, but only after driving a mile or so, prior to that it drives normally. Likewise when the problem starts the 4wd lever easily moves between 2wd and 4 hi but will not go into neutral or 4lo without turning off the engine. I'm new to the 4wd game but not to working on vehicles so feel free to let the technical talk spill. I'm assuming the transfer case is worn out and needs to be replaced, but before dropping the cash I would love to have that confirmed. I appreciate any help that I can get.

 

"started clunking and jerking on acceleration"
^
Sounds more like an engine problem.

 

It def is coming, from the transfer case or driveline after the motor, the jerking and clunking that I'm getting feels more like a binding or gear slipping/tooth missing. The motor runs fantastically for having 220k mi. Not to mention the being stuck in 4wd, leads me to further believe that it's something transfer case related.

 

The np231 (part time) transfer case needs to be shifted into 4hi while driving, otherwise it will be very hard to engage it and vice versa. And for 4lo you have to be in neutral. You can be rolling for 4lo as long as your in neutral. When I first got my xj I tried to engage 4hi while stopped, it's not pretty.

 

Up until about 4 days ago the transfer case was working perfectly, 2wd was 2wd, I've used 4hi twice while playing around in some mud, and tested 4lo just to make sure it worked. No issues. Then while driving one day all of this started happening. Despite the truck being in "2wd" 4wd is still engaging. Just looking for some things to check to see if the t case is broken

 

Prior to 4 days ago the t case was working properly. I used 4hi twice while wheeling in the mud, checked to make sure 4 lo was working right after I got the xj and it was. Otherwise it always stayed in 2wd. Then while driving one day all of these issues started. It's in 4wd even though the gear selector is in 2wd. Just mainly looking for a good way to make sure the t case is the cause of my problem before I yank it out and replace it.

 

Now it sounds like the linkage (either internal or external) is at fault. It happens when 4 wheel drive is not used for a long time then suddenly engaged. If you are sure the external linkage hasn't bound up or rusted off you can pull the t/c & open it up to see what happened. Once fixed the way to lessen this is when driving straight down the road shift to 4 hi & back to 2 hi (I do mine once a week anyway).

 

Here's how to shift your transfer case.

And why do people buy vehicles, take them out and run them, without verifying fluid level and condition? That should be absolutely first thing to do!!

Here's how the factory suggests you shift the transfer case and I've been doing this since these things were new and I worked at the dealership. Quoted from the owner's manual.

"To engage, shift the transfer case lever from 2H to 4H while the vehicle is moving at any legal speed". I let off the gas, throw the lever, and then tap the gas and let off.

4L position: " To engage, slow the vehicle to 2-3 MPH , shift the transmission to Neutral, then shift the transfer lever to the right and pull firmly rearward to 4L".

 

Well, I had checked my fluids, transmission/ oil/ coolant levels, and they were all fine. I'm used to mitsubishi's and subaru's awd systems that use the same transmission fluid for the trans and transfer case. So this was new to me. With that being said what could be causing the banging that I'm hearing on acceleration that is coming from the transfer case? You can feel the clunking in the t case shift lever when this happens. And it's a stead thud, thud, thud. Under acceleration at sub 45mph speeds.

 

That could be as simple as a bad trans/transfer case mount causing the exhaust pipe to bang on the crossmember.

 

So all of these things to gather, the clunking, being intermittently in 4wd despite the lever being in 2wd and the feeling of gears slipping sounds like my transfer case to me. Anyone else have a second opinion to that?

 

Does the problem (clunking / jerking) get worse going around a corner ie. wheels turned?
If so you're almost for sure in 4WD despite what the lever says.

Part time 4WD systems don't like corners on dry pavement. They don't even like going straight ahead on dry pavement.You have no differential action in your transfer case so you need wheel slip on dirt, gravel, etc. to keep from getting wheel hop - and that jerking action you're describing.

As others have said, start with linkage problems and then you may be into opening the t-case. Sorry.

 

Yea it is definitely in 4wd but not all of the time, when I first start out driving it acts normally and during driving it begins jerking and clunking as well as acting like it is in 4wd. The linkage on the outside of the case is seemingly functioning normally so it looks like it may need to be pulled

 

Try this:

Transfer Case Linkage Adjustment
Straight from the FSM:

SHIFT LINKAGE ADJUSTMENT
(1) Shift transfer case into 4L position. (make sure your shifter is fully in the 4L position)
(2) Raise vehicle.
(3) Loosen lock bolt on adjusting trunnion (Fig.
87).
(4) Be sure linkage rod slides freely in trunnion.
Clean rod and apply spray lube if necessary.
(5) Verify that transfer case range lever is fully
engaged in 4L position. (you can do this under the vehicle at the transfer case)
(6) Tighten adjusting trunnion lock bolt.
(7) Lower vehicle

 

I'll give that a try, I pulled the front driveshaft so I could get to work, and while I'm going down the road I can hear it trying to go into 4wd as I come on and off the accelerator. It'll grind as 4wd engages and disengages. I'll attempt to adjust the linkage, but it definitely looks as tho the easiest thing to do is going to be finding a functioning t case and just swap it. I appreciate the help guys.