Squealing Belt

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Jun 23, 2010 | 04:12 PM

#16

93gc40

CF Veteran

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 2,750

Likes: 3

From: Visalia, Kalifornia, ussa

Year: 1996

Model: Cherokee

Engine: 4.0

Quote:

Originally Posted by hubs97xj

Go to NAPA, get a Krikit II belt tension gauge. If you put 5 guys in a garage with a Jeep, you'll get 6 different opinions on what's "tight enough". A used belt should have between 140-160 lbs of tension. Too loose, and the belt will slip. Too tight and you can wreck your PS or water pumps.

If your belt is really good, and the tension is correct, pull the belt, and spin everything by hand to see if there are any pulleys dragging. The compressor clutch is an obvious culprit, but I'd check the simple things first.

And when you replace the belt, I recommend the Goodyear Gatorback over the parts store brands.

Do this BEFORE you do anything else. Loose or too tight serp belt. is the #1 cause of belt and belt driven component squeaking.

Jul 13, 2010 | 09:54 PM

#17

Scotty

Newbie

Joined: Jul 2010

Posts: 1

Likes: 0

Model: Cherokee

Your a/c compressor is going out. The squealing is either the compressor clutch or the belt slipping because it cant turn the compressor anymore. Putting belt dressing, soap, etc on your belt only causes the belt to slip and doesn't fix the problem. The bearing on the clutch could be going out, but that would make more of squeak, sqeak, squeak noise. the constant squeal when the a/c is on is the clutch or belt fighting against the seizing pump.