MikeDup4TMI

Hey guys!
I'm new to the Jeep club, but very excited! I just purchased my first Jeep. A 1996 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It's beautiful! 2 door like I wanted, black, big tires, etc. It's got 117,000 miles.

I've noticed that when I drive it and hit speeds of 30+ I begin to hear a sound from the front driver side wheel well area. At first I figured the large tires are probably rubbing on something. Nope. There is absolutely nothing that the tires can rub on. I later noticed that when I turn left, the sound goes away. But when I drive straight or turn right, the sound stays. I have also noticed that as I accelerate, the sound gets louder. I know that it sounds like it is just rubbing on something, but I can say with 100% that it is not.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

ZINGGG

Welcome to the addiction!! Sounds like you may be in need of replacing an axle ujoint. That'd be the first thing I'd check

What you wanna do is get a buddy to hop in the car, start it up, and with you sitting in front of the car, have your buddy turn the wheel all the way from side to side as you closely inspect for play in all steering components (hubs, ujoints, etc) This will be the easiest way of showing you what the culprit of that noise could be

MikeDup4TMI

Thanks man! It's good to finally have one! I purchased it from a dealership for $1500 and the first day I took it home, I found a large fuel leak. Turns out the fuel tank had a hole in it. Dealership paid to replace it (took two and a half weeks to fix though ) I was frustrated, but I finally have it!

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely check that out tomorrow! About how much would that be to fix if that was the issue? Also, is there anything else you would recommend I check that usually go bad in these? Or anything I should look out for?

Thanks!

ZINGGG

First jeep eh?! You're gunna have a blast with it. Does it have a lift of any kind to go along with those big tires??

Bunch of things to look out for with an xj. Oil leaks at the valve cover, rear main seal and oil pan. Depending what transmission you have, the neutral safety switch (auto tranny only) is prone to get dirty/go bad over time. Cooling system is not the greatest on an xj so all components need to be in tip top shape. These are the main things I can think of off the top of my head (it's late and I'm tired haha)

Other than that, you have one of the strongest motors you can possibly get. So treat it right (and get it dirty!!)

MikeDup4TMI

Good to know! I'm very excited!

ZINGGG

Jeez, like I said I'm tired and didn't even answer your question haha. If your problem is a ujoint, it's a 15-30 dollar part (depending on the quality you buy) and it's not too difficult to replace. A couple special tools would be required (ball joint press). But if you took it to a mechanic to do, you could be looking at upwards of $100