I have a 97 Cherokee Sport with 3" lift on 31's. It has the chrystler rear end. I have a weird noise coming from the rear end. Most of the time when driving, if i let off of the gas and coast it makes a weird "wah" noise or like a grinding type noise, its really hard to explain. It doesn't it doing constantly it will do it off and on. At lower speeds it doesn't do it when accelerating but when driving on the interstate today it seemed like it was doing it a little while crusing at 75.

I Changed the diff fluid today. I cleaned out the inside and replaced it with new fluid. The noise may have quieted down a very small amount but it still there. Any ideas?


before


after

I did notice one thing when changing. if i moved the wheel back and fourth the small gear at the top of the pin has some play in it. Is that normal?


thats the piece with some play.

 

The spider gears have a little play. If it just started then my guess is that is probably a bearing going out. It might be time to start considering what gears you want to upgrade to

 

what bearings would that be? And do you have to regear it? I don't really have any extra cash to be spending on it right now.

Would that be whats causing the noise?

 

I know most of the time that sound is a bearing going out. My D30 makes the sound. I'm not sure for the rear but I know for the front many (me included) don't fix it as it's not an huge issue until I regear. You have to set all the same stuff as if you were regearing when going through the hassle of pressing the new bearings on so you might as well regear at the same time. It can be the carrier or pinion bearings.

 

My 94 makes that noise if I'm lightly on the gas going downhill or barely on the gas slowing down from 60 plus.

Sound is hard to describe. Kind of like a whining grinding noise with some "rrrruuurrrruuuurrrr" in it. Has the 8.25. Oh well.
Will run it until it blows. Axle is easy to change.

I do have a 3in lift with no sye or shim..may be the problem. But I'm usually always in the gas or off the gas to keep the noise from happening so IDK.

 

It will likely run like that for a very long time.

 

^This, mine has made noise since I got it and I have yet to find out why. I have pulled the diff cover twice to change the fluid and both times there were no metal shavings, no excessively worn gears, and no noticeable play in any of the bearings. If it breaks I'll replace it, but I can't see replacing/rebuilding it "just for the heck of it" when there is nothing noticeably wrong.


From what I've heard the Chrysler 8.25" has a reputation of being a noisy differential and only gets more so with age, if you're not seeing any metal shavings, gear wear, or play in the pinion, carrier, or wheel bearings you're probably fine if you don't mind the annoying noise.

 

The D35 in my XJ started making the same sound as soon as I installed a two-inch budget boost. On deceleration, it makes a subtle humming/growling noise that sounds like it's coming from the rear end. No additional vibes or anything. It bothered me at first, but I've kind of gotten used to it.

 

How many miles on it, how many are yours, and have you ever changed it before?

Chysler must be good at noisy diffs. Had a 70 Duster decades ago that was noisy. Friend that had a shop said then that that's just how they are.

 

Mine has 220K on it and I have yet to change the diff fluid since I've owned it (since 155K), but it's on my to do list.

 

I was actually refering to Awork.

Yours is probably 120K overdo

 

Thansk for all of the replies! Mine only has 8700 (assuming its the original cluster). I just chanted the diff fluid yesterday and it didn't have any metal shavings in it.

So several people have ran it with this type of noise for awhile? It doesn't really seam to get any worse and haven't noticed any other problems with it.

 

I noticed today while driving that even with slight pressure on the gas the noise goes away. Could it possibly be something with the driveshaft angle when letting off the gas? I have tightened the axle ubolts before but may try again. I also thought about changing the driveshaft ujoints just because they probably need it anways.

 

Mine's doing this. I figure the throttle tap is because of axle wrap straightening out the driveline momentarily or loading a worn bearing or gearset.

 

That sounds very typical for gear noise. I would bet new gears are the only solution but like a few of us have said, it will probably go forever making that noise with no other problems.