firewalker

Ok I have searched and found a lot of threads about clunking noises in the rear but they all say "what could this be". I know it is in the rear end not the drive line or trany. When I bought my xj the previous owner had the idol turned up because he said it tried to die when he turned the air conditioner on. When I pulled it in the driveway I went from rev to drive and herd a loud clang come from the rear end. I adjusted the idol and I have put several hundred miles on it now and it runs great. However I have a lot of slack when going from R to D and it clunks pretty loud. Does anyone think something is broken or can I some how adjust the slack. It is the 8.25 axel with 456 and lockers. Not sure the brand but it's the kind that has the gears or something. Idk much about axles but it clicks and pops sometimes when turning sharp. any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

xjmarc

Scotch the tires, put it in neutral and see if you can turn the rear drive shaft or move the yoke in and out. Either could be from worn pinion bearings or a u-joint but you said you checked that already. But if you checked it in park it wouldn't move anyway, only in neutral would you feel the slap.

firewalker

I'll have to try that. Thanx. I did have my wife go from R to D several times and I can see the whole shaft assembly moving in one motion. I am almost 100% sure The slack is in the diff. Doesn't seem to do it ne'er as bad when it is cold and I first start it up but it may just be coincidence.

flyingstick

Clicking and popping are normal for a locker. The heavy slack from F to R is not.

firewalker

I thought it was normal but as for the slack is that something I can adjust or is something broken or bent ?

flyingstick

Sometimes you can adjust the 8.25. I've tightened up a few. First you have to determine where the slack is at. First chock the tires, put it in neutral, get under it, turn the yoke back and forth. You should be able to tell when the pinion hits the ring gear (about a 1/16 of an inch). It'll turn a little more when the slack is taken out of the locker.

firewalker

Ok thanx I'll try it today and post the results. I know when it goes from D to R it looks to be almost a 1/4 turn.

BotakBeng

Check your fluid, if they are in order, try this.

GL.

firewalker

Ok so I put it in N and I see no play anywhere in the driveline but I can turn it by hand and it has about an inch of play in it. How much should it have and how do I adjust it? I am pretty smart when it comes to mechanics but I have no experience with diff. If I could find some good instructions I'm sure I could fix it without paying someone hundreds of $$. Thanx for any suggestions.

flyingstick

An inch of play is about right. By the time your locker, center pin & axle gears move all the slop out of the way an inch is about right. An inch and a half and I'd be worried. Pull the driveshaft, I'd be willing to bet it's somewhere in your driveshaft. You can always take off the rear diff plate and have a look see. Clean as much caked dirt off as you can so you can drain your oil into something clean to see if you have metal. There is also a slim piece of magnet on the floor under the ring gear. It will need to be removed and cleaned. It will have metal on it. They all do.

firewalker

I appreciate all you help. I am getting ready to pull the cover in the next few days. I'll take a look around for anything out of the ordinary but I'm afraid I am not femilier enough with it to tell if anything is wrong. And I'll check the driveline again. I know it shouldn't clunk like this so I'm sure something is wrong I just need to find out what.

JCKustoms

I have noticed a few spartan lockers in both the 8.25 and D35 with this "slack", and it's just the way it's designed. Yes it's loud, but its the side gears of the locker slapping against the center pin when shifting from R - D and visa versa. If you don't have a spartan or another brand lunchbox locker then you definitely have a problem. Open it up and you'll see. Take a pic after its open and post it here.

firewalker

I will def post a pic because I wouldn't know the difference. I have just checked the fluid and it if full but dirty. I will be replacing soon. I did notice thoe when it's cold I can go from D to R with no clunk. And as the motor warms up the clunk gets worse. I checked the trany fluid and again it's dirty but full. Is it possible my trany filter is dirty and not letting the fluid flow freely and the warmer it gets the more backed up it is? Just a thought.

firewalker

Just laid under the jeep wile a friend shifted from D to R and I am pretty sure the noise is coming from the trany or transfer case. Is their a chain or something in the transfer case that could have been streched when the idol was turned up to high? Any help would be much appreciated. Not sure on forum dedicate should I start a new thread in oem for trany transfer case prob. Thanx

flyingstick

Sounds like the driveshaft yoke. Pull the shaft and grease the yoke inside.