Hey all - long story short, bought a 95 XJ with an AX15 on 35s, 6.5" lift earlier this week, first XJ. Seemed noisy but having nothing to compare it to I didn't think anything of it.

Well it sure seems all this noise is coming from the tranny, possibly clutch - goes away when clutch is depressed. Sounds like some sort of clicking/grinding.

What complicates things even more is today my driveshaft u-joint let go on the interstate - boy that was fun. Managed to pound on it for 20 minutes and finally get it out of the transfer case, put it in 4-High and drove home. So it also started making this weird pop/click, after which the usual grinding seemed to stop for a fraction of a second.

20-second video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14hA...ature=youtu.be

So is it worth having my transmission looked at? Also sometimes it's slow to get into reverse - or should I just look for another AX15 to put in? Any idea what I might be looking at here?

Sorry for the stupid questions - I'm new to XJ land but loving it despite everything that's happened so far :/

 

Have you checked the fluid levels your transmission and transfer case?

 

I have not - I am a stupid noob but that's the very next thing I will do!! Thank you 00t!

 

Don't use GL5 gear oil in the AX15. It'll shift like crap and slowly eat the synchros. Use Redline MTL or MTL 90, synchromesh or synthetic motor oil 10w-30.

 

Yeah, I've been reading all about that just now - since I just bought it and it's had at least two other owners in the last year, maybe there's really not any way of even knowing what I do have in there? May be best to drain it and refill with MTL??

I'm really kind of hoping maybe it's just low and when I fill it everything is dandy again - I had enough other mechanical issues today!!

 

You could always take a sample of the fluid and send it in for analysis, Blackstone is a popular company for fluid analysis. That could give you a better idea of whats in there. I dont think the analysis will tell you it a specific product, but you can take the results and compare them to several products MSDS sheets to try and figure out what it is..... Then you'll know if it just needs an empty and refill or a good flush and refill with something else....

 

Sounds like it's time for a rebuild. Honestly, it could be anything. Does it do it in gear driving along?

 

It's the clutch, if the noise goes away with the pedal depressed.. Change the fluid to Redline and see if anything changes. I'd drive it until it actually starts to slip or get noisier, then replace it with a factory LuK clutch. The AX-15 isn't nearly as noisy as the NV3550 that I have. It sounds like a whirling can of marbles when you have it in neutral with the pedal up. That's the normal sound.

 

I'd definitely look at the clutch stuff.

However, a couple things that stand out - based on your driveshaft issue. (First off, that happened because your lift is huge and the angle without a SYE is waaaaay off, so it's over stress on the u-joints - Slip Yoke Eliminator is necessary at 6.5" of lift).

You mentioned you had to bang on the driveshaft to get it off. This is not normal. The rear driveshaft should slide right off the transfer case, by hand and with minimal effort. Something is screwed up if it doesn't.

The other thing is that on a 95, the transfer case seals by having the rear shaft on the output shaft. You drove 20 miles without it, so you surely lost most (if not all) the transfer case fluid (ATF is used). This is different from the newer style transfer cases that seal on the output shaft and require manual lubrication of the output shaft and slip yoke.

 

OK so the clear place to start is tranny fluid, would be great if it was just low. I've read about MT-90 vs Mobil 1 10W-30 until I'm blue in the face - I kind of hate to spend $60 on MT-90 if I need to just get a new tranny - is that stupid? On the other hand it might need MT-90 to work properly.....is it worth trying a refill with 10W30 to see if it makes a difference??

Yes, I had to SLAM on the driveshaft with a hand sledge for 20 minutes to get it off. It was very hard. maybe something bent when it was whipping around right after it came off but before I got pulled over - hoping maybe it was the driveshaft and not the transfer case.

I did a lot of googling on the side of the road and someone somewhere said fluid shouldn't escape the transfer case like it would have on earlier models - might as well drain and replace that too once I get the driveshaft parts in.

 

Ok well I owe everyone here an apology - I've finally had a chance to reread all of this and see that I completely missed the boat and that the clutch is the primary suspect. I did just go start her up, but when I left the clutch out in neutral, that sound was absent, even when revving, so maybe it's not the clutch after all?

THE PLOT THICKENS

So I got a better, not-on-the-interstate look at the transfer case. I was expecting to see evidence of all the fluid leaked out, but saw nothing. Which means, if indeed this is the original 95 transfer case, that I guess there was nothing to leak out.

IT GETS BETTER

Here's a pic of the back side of it:



Look how off-center the...spindle? is. No wonder it was so hard for me to get it out!!! I'm ordering an SYE Monday but this complicates things pretty good. Should I just look for a new transfer case? Here's the sticker if that's any help:



Honestly thank you all so much for all of your help here - I've been in the XJ club for less than a week but I'm really having a great time despite everything, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your advice. Wish I could buy all of you a beer! Maybe someday.

 

I use 15w40 diesel oil in my AX15.

 

From the looks of that t/case output shaft, I'd say there is no fluid in the t/case at all. That slipyoke is supposed to slide on the splines to adjust to changes in chassis height and it appears to be rusted from not being lubricated. Either the case is dry or the pump quit. If it was locked up, it was putting stress on the pinion bearings which probably caused the u-joint to fail.