Seemingly random knock/clunk
 

I've done a bit of searching, and I couldn't really find anything to help my diagnose this issue at all. I've noticed that my Jeep (1995 Cherokee Country, 4.0HO, AW4 tranny) will make a knock/clunk/rattle noise at seemingly random times. Sometimes if I stop at a light, it'll start. If I put the tranny into neutral, or when I take off, it stops. Sometimes it'll happen if I'm going around a corner, or going up a hill. It's not dependant on engine speed, so I don't think it's anything to do with the driveshaft or transmission; it stays one constant speed no matter what revs the engine is at.

However, I cannot for the life of me recreate the issue. It always happens when I'm not in a position to diagnose the issue, but will never, ever occur when I'm actively trying to figure it out. Has anyone else had this issue? What did you do to correct it?

Sounds like...... the 20 years I spent as a mechanic whenever a customer brought in a vehicle.:tongue_smilie:

Sounds like a wild goose chase. How many miles on the rig?

Just shy of 150k. The engine starts right up and runs strong, and I haven't noticed any sort of performance drop or inhibition of the drivetrain at all. It's not a particularly loud knock, but it is noticeable inside the vehicle. My main worry is that it's something innocuous that will turn into something bigger. I'd like to nip it in the bud before that happens.

This may sound odd but try pushing down on the TC handle and see if it goes away. Sometimes it can rattle/knock at random.

I did read about that, and I tried it. Sometimes it seems like it helps, other times it seems like it does nothing at all. It's very perplexing. It's like it can't figure out exactly what it wants to be wrong with itself.

Haha. Well Im out of easy ideas. :wallbash:

Me too...I had hoped this was a common issue with the Cherokees and an easy fix...

I know its common to fix them :bangin:

In an old Ford I had, I would just start slapping/hitting things until the squeaks, rattles, knocks, chirps, and whatever else went away. Would work till the next pot hole or bump in the road. Then it was back to square one.

It does need new shocks on all four corners. I have a lift coming from Rough Country; I'll wait until after I put that on, and see if that fixes anything. I may discover some blatantly overt issue while I'm putting it on, or the new shocks may fix it.

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My 96 does the samething. Drives my nuts I have 250k on mine. I am a master ase tech too. Mine sounds like its coming from the oil pan or bell. I checked converter bolts and flex plate and was ok. some day I will find it. You should check yours bolts and flex too

If it were the flex plate, it would modulate slightly at slower RPMS, and it would be a constant thing. The sound of a broken flexplate is also a slight whine, whereas this is a clunk.

If it were a constant thing, it would make diagnosing this so much easier, as would it if it changed with engine RPMs. As it is though, it's far too random for me to pinpoint it at this time. As I stated before, I'll do the suspension change and refresh and see if maybe that helps it at all, and report back.

Good luck. Hope it works out for you.

My 00 xj is doing the exact same thing. It may be a tranny mount or tcase mount. I haven't had a chance to look yet.