Looking for a 2nd opinion, my 95 jeep cherokee's 4 wheel drive started clicking/clunking really bad a while back. It not only makes this noise in 4 wheel but also 2wheel, especially when i would turn the steering wheel all the way. Seaming like anytime the front drive shaft/axle is under a load it pops/clunks. I took the front drive shaft off and she's running great! but doesn't have 4 wheel....

any thoughts?

i was thinking its the transfer case, that seams to be where the noise is coming from.

 

Were you putting it in 4x4 on pavement and then turning the steering wheel to full lock?

And since it also clunks when it's in 2 wheel drive, I'd suspect you have some bad ujoints in the front shaft.

 

I don't remember ever turning on pavement full lock. But i didn't hear about that until recently.

how hard is it to rebuild a transfer case?

 

check your front axle u-joints

 

If you took out the front driveshaft and the clunking went away, I'd say it's safe to assume that's where the problem lies. Replace the 3 ujoints in it.

 

Ballpark cost to replace all 3 u-joints of an XJ by a mechanic?

 

around here for me it was cheaper to go to the jy and get one. most the time for me $20-$40 from the jy.

 

If the front ds needs all 3 ujoints you should probably get a new one, if the cv knuckle in the big end of the ds is worn out, the whole thing is scrap. It can be rebuilt but it wont be cheap or easy, you would be better off replacing it IMO.