Im a newbie to the jeep world..I've always been a import guy. I have a 96 Cherokee Classic 4x4, its all stock. Just recently Im hearing a clanking noise? I was told when I bought the Jeep that it needed a transfer case..but was also told that it wasnt necessary right away if I was just keepn it in 2WD? Its got pretty bad and has heads turning everywhere I go cause its soo loud! I believe its coming from the camshaft area? Im a dummie when it comes to Jeeps! Im moving to NC from FL with my wife and daughter. I want to make sure its safe enough to tow a uhaul trailer. I greatly appreciate any info and look forward to modding my jeep after the move!

 

theres this one guy on here whos quote is "whats that noise?" "idk. its a jeep it makes noise..."

that being said... not all noises warrant just turning up the radio. i would deff need more info on the issues you ar eexperiencing. if you bring your jeep to a mechanic, they should be willing to put it on a lift and give you a good idea of whats going on. the TC wont be an issue if you are in 2wd. but engaging the 4wd will engagae the TC. check your driveshafts both front and rear. you should be able to yank on em w/o any movement. i recently had to replace to rear u joints. they were totally shot and there was a BAD vibration when at speed. i also though i was having TC issues cause anytime i put it in 4wd there was this terrible noise that sounded like the internal chain in the TC was loose and rubbing on other internal parts... turns out it was my front driveshaft (DS) the cv joint (constatant velocity) was bad. these have a tendancy to do this... 85 bucks from the JY, easy fix... other stuff... bushings, or any other parts in your front end like the control arms (upper and lower), tie rod, TRE, or track bar ar e all good things to look at. i dont think this addresses your issue, but like i said, more info would be good...