First question:

I am planning a long raod trip. Actually we are moving from Vermont to Alaska (4300mi) and will be towing a 4x8 uHaul trailer with our 2001 Cherokee Sport. It has 155,000 miles. Here is a list of the maintenance I have done to prepare for the trip, please let me know if I have missed anything important:

-new shocks front and rear
-new brake pads/shoes rotors/drums
-new thermostat and coolant
-new serpentine belt
-tranny service (new fluid/filter)
-new plugs and boots
-new engine temp. sensor
-new sway bar links (front)
-new sway bar bushings (front)
-new tires (225/75/15) all seasons
-greased all grease fittings
-new power steering stabilizer

Anything I missed you think? I will be towing less than 1000lbs so I figure no tranny cooler needed if I keep it out of overdrive on the hills.

Second question:

There is a "howling" coming from the rear that increases with speed to a certain point until you can't here it. At first I thought it was the rear brakes, but after replacing those completely I can rule that out. I fear it may be something to do with the rear end or bearings. Here is what I have been told:

When I had the tranny serviced I asked them to inspect the rear end as well, he said the fluid level was fine but never took off the inspection plate and looked at things. When I replaced the rear brakes there was no sign of fluid either.

When I asked a mechanic about rear axel bearings, he said "they should never have to be replaced"... 0_o

What should I do to address this howling noise from the rear?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT- serpentine belt squealed a bit when i replaced it, and I'm sure I have the right tension... is this normal? Has mostly gone away now except for a brief squeal when starting on occasion.

 

How old are the radiator, water pump, fan clutch and diff(s) oil? Usually a squealing belt is a sign of improper tension (loose).

 

As far as I know all those things are stock. The squealing belt is intermit. and does not worry me.

The howling coming from the rear is what worries me.

 

When u say stock, do u mean original (maybe never been changed)? Intermittent slipping/squealing is prematurely wearing out a new serp belt....just loosen the bolt in the middle of the tensioner pulley, turn the adjustment bolt a little and re-snug the the bolt in the middle of the tensioner pulley. Towing (even a light load) places extra stress/strain on virtually everything, including the howling rear end. Your '01 has the infamous 0331 cyl head (easily cracked when overheated) and a 4K mile trip while towing will really test the cooling system this time of year. Much easier to continue with your maintenance wile still at home vs out on the road between point A/B. Finishing the cooling system....+/-$175 in parts....uneventful trip car repairs wise....priceless.

 

What's left to do to the cooling system in your opinion? You think I need a new water pump? My systems sits at a happy 190-195* as it is right now after T-stat replacement and flush.

 

I've gone cross country in a cherokee, from NC all the way to california, then north to washington state. The only problem we had was worn out tires, so make sure yours are set before you take off. It was not a good experience pulling into a gas station and seeing all four tires worn to the belts. Even worse was the shady guy trying to sell us tires at a grossly high price. At the very least, check them out.

You'd better have a spare in case of a blowout. Now I've learned the hard way that the lug nuts actually have a thin aluminum cap on top of them, and those will break off at the worst possible time. So I recommend you have a nice long breaker bar and two sockets: a 3/4 in. and an 18mm. Make sure you have a jack as well, but you already knew that.

 

The tires are brand new with less than 3,000 miles on them, and I replaced all the lugs to an 18mm non-jacketed lug. Thanks for the input though.

Still no thoughts on a solution for the rear-end?

 

Change the rear differential fluid. Instead of pulling the cover, you can draw it out of the fill hole with a fluid pump.

Capture the old fluid and look closely for metal particles. A some fine small particles will be normal. Chunks or slivers would indicate rear gears are going/gone. Usually if the rear gears are gone it will growl, not whine.

The whine might be from the pinion bearing.

 

Regarding the cooling system, the 3 items in post #2. The way I look at it, If it ain't still covered under factory warranty, it's a maintenance item.

My diagnosis of the diff noise (over the Internet) is gears/bearings/both.....takes about 30 min to drain/refill a diff but I've never seen a fluid change make a diff quieter. My experience is, if it's howling, it's way too late to just change gear oil.

 

Aside from what has been mentioned...

Bleed brakes
Change diff oil
Make sure spare tire is good/inflated along with jacks and all
Make sure your heat is working great to help ensure at least heater core isn't clogging...AKA cooling system, AKA overheating, AKA cracking your head as djb383 mentioned
A/C working all right with no squeals when turned on with the full 1.25 lbs and properly oiled?
Battery terminals clean with no corrosion?
All lights working?
Nothing blocking air flow to radiator?
All fans working?
Air filter clean?
If your current tires have 3,000 on 'em, go ahead and rotate before the trip. I like to rotate every oil change anyway... And I don't see oil change mentioned either, so...
Wipers good?
Wiper fluid full? Lots o' bugs

 

I've been fixing mine up to do the exact same thing.. Except I only got a 10 hour drive to get where I'm going..
What I have planned is replacing hoses, and throwing some extra parts in the back, and I can return them when I get there if I don't use them.
Like an extra belt, water pump, alternator, a gas can, in case I get out on a stretch of road, like I did last time, at 3am with no open gas stations in sight.
Extra jugs of fluids, my tools, CB radio for traffic reports from truckers, duct tape, hose clamps, zip ties..
Just common things that could go wrong, and some common things that can hold things together and get ya to a safe spot to work on it if need be.
Have road side assistance on the insurance too..

 

The howl from my rear diff was the carrier bearing. It howled for a while, always the same, then basically destroyed everything in the diff. I'd get it torn apart and looked at by someone that knows what they're doing before the trip.

 

About how much will that cost?

 

I'd definitely have the rear differential and axle checked out by a different mechanic. My 99 Ranger had a whine that stayed the same for a while, barely noticeable, then it started getting louder and within a few hundred miles the gears self-destructed!

I drove my 96 Sport XJ from Rutland/Killington area out to Winter Park, CO a few years ago loaded to the roof, but without trailer. It's a long story how, but I ended up purchasing my jeep 2 weeks before I left so I had no money and no time to fix on it before I left. It made the 2000 mile trip with no problems whatsoever! I was nervous the whole way, cuz it had 160K on it when I hit the road and I knew nothing about it. Now, without any doubt, I love my Jeep! (I also know I was lucky so you're doing it right!)

One thing I noticed you didn't mention is the Transfer case fluid. I'd check that just for good measure since it's easy and cheap! Also, how old is the battery? I know VT can be rough on batteries and I bet AK is worse!

Have fun! Even though I was nervous the whole way, I had a BLAST when I moved with my XJ! (and all I got to look at was Iowa and Nebraska most of the way hehe) Good luck!

 

For carrier bearing and axle bearings? I am sincerely hoping it is just axle bearings, my $25/hr mechanic will do axle bearings, not carrier bearing he said.