Agreed!

 

To me it sounds like the front differential bearings. Have an assistant run it up to speed on a lift and listen with a mechanics stethoscope. That'll pinpoint the cause of your noise.

 

Wow my ex GF had a 2000 grand with the same complaint, we're not together anymore, but we took it back to the dealership so many times for that same noise...did you ever figure it out?

 

Nick, this seems like a subject you have some knowledge of. I get the clicking/grinding noise that has been described in this thread but ONLY when turning left (any amount) and accelerating. Can the position of the steering wheel effect the Transfer Cases performance? By the way the TC is a NP242. Thanks

 

I have a 93.5yr grand cherokee lim 4.0 ... i just replaced the CV's due to a metal on metal whine followed by a clunk/pop - gotta love descriptive adjectives...

Well new CV's did not cure the elusive sound!!

now i'm pointing my finger at U-joints on the front axle, differential gears, bearings on housing, and maybe the transfer case.

i made the mistake of putting new tires on the front... and not the back, the tread depth seemed insignificant... but maybe the compensation has proved detrimental.

any ideas as to what makes a similar sound as worn CV joints... but is not a CV joint?

 

k, so i just that the 93 jeeps have a troublesome double cardan u joint on the front driveshaft which may be my problem... we'll see, i'm going to yank it and have a look.

 

askaround and see what it will cost for a transfer case reapair.let me know what you come up with i might be able to get a rebiult out here cheaper including shipping. my guy will rebiuld trannys for about $400

 

so my mystery sound was not the CV joints, not the differential despite the seal leak (minor), and not the double cardan or front U joint -

........its the F'in Transfer case - Duh, little did i know what miserable sounds a cooked Viscous Clutch sounded like - it sounds like all three of the above problems combined but put under a pillow, muffled... like it inside something... like a transfer case, lol - shi*t ... the most expensive repair! but i did find...

a 1990 cherokee limited with a 242j and 118,000miles on it - not bad eh?

sooo ...what i've deduced is this -

my 1993 grand cherokee limited has a 249 Transfer Case (TC) and its finally failed after 233,000!!!!! not bad for a viscous clutch - but i miss the Select-Trac i had on my old red 1990 cherokee limited - went to a salvage yard for guys like us to rip apart after the engine caught fire (injector o-ring failure)

What i would like to know now is this -

would a newer (1993-98) 242 transfer case simply "drop right in" against the 42re transmission on my 1993 grand ltd?

I FOUND A NICE 242j - like i said - but its a 1990 - and I think they have a lesser spline count at 21 splines. I believe by 1993 has 23 splines. These splines are located on the male end of the transmission's output shaft! Given the male end, why would the input shaft length matter? Didn't the 242 come on the 42re in 1993 grand's? This might just be hard to find.... if so. I'm now assuming the the input shafts on the 242 TC's were different lengths due to the many different Transmission's jeep used 93-98? right?

so i guess the bottom line is this - will the 242j selec-trac from a 1990 cherokee ltd {WHAT DOES "J" STAND FOR ANYWAY} fit on my 1993 grand cherokee?

i think the answer's YES - but likely - due to having different spline counts and different transmissions - i think i will have to swap the input shafts for both their length and spline count.

am i on the right track?

 

Heather, you should invest in a Haynes repair manual and a nice set of tools. You will be able to do this and so much more with your Jeep if you just get the parts and follow the instructions. I just replaced my transfer case for $100. (used of course). Remember that once you show an interest, people will most likely help you out too.

 

Any updates?? I'm very curious how this turned out... I'm stuck in Nashville with very similar problems, and running out of money fast with the more repairs I do without fixing the problem....

Makes no sense to me how the sound will go away while turning to the left and NOT be the bearings... Plus the smell.... Plus the little bit of side to side play in the drive shaft entering the front diff... Guess I just drop the diff cover and fluid and check for chunks of metal and what not? How hard are these quadtrac front diff's to rebuild? Is a total rebuild kit necessary if it's just the bearing?

 

id love to hear any news regarding this