Does the front drive shaft turn when you are NOT in 4WD????? I've got this annoying as hell clicking sound that I suspect is a bad U-Joint. Just trying to see if I should replace front and back since I really don't use the 4WD.

 

I just replaced my first U-joint last week and also had a clicking noise before. What you can do to determine which shaft it is is put on your parking brake, put the tranny and T-case in neutral, crawl under, and turn your driveshafts by hand and look for play at the U-joints.

 

Yeah I saw your thread a few days ago, I plan on following the steps in the youtube video to do mine. I actually just found the answer to my question on another youtube video, so I guess the front shaft does turn all the time. I think the clicking is actually coming from the front shaft on mine, but I'd like to replace the joints on both shafts for maintenance purposes. So I guess the question is now... how many joints are there? 2 on the front and 2 on the rear?

 

Yeah, there's 2 in front and 2 in the rear. Front probably has different part number than the rear though, just so ya know.

 

depends on what front axle you have. if you have a vacume disconnect then no the front shaft dosint turn it 2wd.
if you don't have a disco then yes everything spins even in 2wd just no power going to it.

 

the front actually has 3 if it has the double cardon joint. Haven't seen one that hasn't yet. but i haven't seen them all yet.

 

Remove the front shaft and then see if the noise goes away. Could be the centering ball in the double cardan joint.

 

is it safe to drive around with no front drive shaft if I decided to leave it out long term?

 

you will be fine with no front driveshaft just dont get into a situation where you need 4wd cause then your screwed

 

Just keep the shaft in the jeep when it's out. At least if you need 4WD you can reinstall it.

 

Yeah something is wrong the chain in my T-Case and who knows when I can get it fixed... Thanx for the help guys....I'm gonna go remove that shaft now... hopefully a bolt head doesn't snap off in the process from the corrosion!!!!

 

OK got the drive shaft off, not too bad of a procedure. Don't think the U-joints are that bad though, the rust is holdin' em tight!! Any way that click clacking sound is in the T-Case, when I spin the joint for the front drive shaft by hand I can hear the sound. My XJ is more of a pavement pounder any way, cars are kinda ifee in these Tucson Monsoons, that's why I sold my Olds and bought the Cherokee.