Getting some squeaking noises in the front end when i turn and a little bit of grinding sound. IMO i think it is the wheel bearings/hub assembly going out. I want to be sure that it is this before i start tearing apart and throwing money at my XJ. Anyone else with similar problems in the past? I could use some advice thanks.

 

Front axle ujoints....

 

anyway to test either to make sure? not questioning your ability just want to be right the first time

 

Get under the jeep and look at them. Try and pry the shaft up/down/left/right. If there is movement, they are bad. It's pretty common...more so than a bearing. Bearings seem to last quite a long time if it's a timken and torqued correctly.

 

could a bad front axle u joint also cause vibes? vibes usually occur at around 60mph and up. im only getting the squeaking when turning corners, otherwise it is quiet and smooth til i hit 57-60 area then it gets vibes and starts to hum like i have big tires

 

Yup. A bad axle u-joint can vibe you. To determine if it's a joint or hub, lift only one wheel at-a-time. If you can manipulate and wobble the wheel up-down, left-right or fore-aft then likely you've found a bad hub/bearing assembly. If you can rotate it foreward and reverse, and there's a lot of slop (perhaps noises too), then you've found a bad axle u-joint. While each wheel is up, you may as well test ball-joints too...

 

so if we are talking about the u joint on the front axle it would be 25b in the pic

 

are the u joints the same on each side or are they different? if they are the same im just going to get 2 297x/760x replacements

 

They are the same on both sides, BUT, Cherokees come with two different sizes, grab the bigger and the smaller ones and just return whatever one doesnt work.

My 95 uses the larger ones, my 96 uses smaller ones. Its really a hit or miss. Think its like 1/10th" difference.

 

from what i read on quadratec 92-99 overlapped as having both sizes, i got a 2001, thanks for the info though, hopefully i can make it another week or so

 

so i finally got under the jeep and tried moving the shaft around and there is definite play on each side, so i guess they will be getting changed soon, any pointers? almost looks as if they need pressed out, im working on a 2001 xj, maybe i will see more when i take it all apart

 

Cut them out

 

1) rent a GOOD press. 2) get a 12pt 13mm socket for the 3 hub bolts.

Get 3 "sacrificial" bolts with the same thread as the hub bolts and thread them in. Beat heads of said bolts with a minisledge to get the hub off. The whole axle will slide out. No need to remove the spindle nut, you would just be making more work for yourself and possibly screw up the torque load on the bearing. Another way to press out the hub is with the power steering. Place a long socket against the spindle and hub and turn the wheel (engine on).

3) Use anti seize on the hub. Your going to be thankful you did when you replace the ball joints in 6 months.

 

OP sorry to tack onto your thread. butI thought these hub assm could be fixed at home and no press needed.

 

He's not touching the hub. Just getting the whole hub/axle/spindle out as one unit. Early wheel bearings are serviceable (if anyone wants to), but later one are not. they are replaced as a whole.

The press is for the ujoints. By now, they are probably just a pile of rust. You are going to need more than sockets and a vise to change them.