red.ken36912

have a '00 Jeep Cherokee AWD. When I got it and was finally able to drive it after replacing all the blown brake lines I noticed a weird chunking noise in the front end only when I made a left turn and accelerated. It progressively got worse and it sounded like a CV joint or something in my front axle or in my transmission. I took my front axle out when it got really bad one night and it seemed to help some. I still had the noise when making a left turn just not as bad. Within the last day it started making the same noise without making the left turn. I drive 30 miles back and forth to work every day and today probably drove 60 miles. I put it in reverse and once I started backing up it felt like I hit something but there was nothing there. Drove for a while to pick my pregnant wife up from work. Once I got there I put the Jeep in park and when I went to put it in reverse to leave once she got in it just locked up completely and wouldn't back up. Any ideas what could be wrong. Could it be the gears in the front assembly or my transmission? Looking for any advice you guys can give me. Also
Just to add I haven't checked my tranny fluid since I took the front axle out. I'm gonna do that first thing tomorrow. I know what to look for with the tranny fluid. Should be nice and red not black or brown and shouldn't smell burnt. The clunking sound seems to be coming from the transmission but mainly on left turns and accelerating and as or recently while accelerating with the wheel strait. What should I check before buying parts or sending to a mechanic. I can do the work myself with no problem if I can just figure out what it is. Please help with any possible information pertaining to this specific problem. Would the gears in front differential cause it to lock up when in reverse if they are damaged or wore out? I really don't want to buy a new transmission if that isn't the problem. It was just kind of weird the transmission still had the clunking noise after I took the front driveshaft completely out. Could it be the bearings and if so why would they still make noise after the driveshaft is out? Even the gears in the front differential. Like I said when I took the front driveshaft out it seemed to help for a while, then progressively got worse again. I'm open to any and all ideas to help keep me from replacing the transmission. To me it seems like it's more likely to be something wrong with the front differential. What do you guys think???

CityCountry 4wheeler

hi, I'm not a mechanic but I have 2 Cherokees, an '89 and the 2000. The 2000 def needs more attention. But they're both great vehicles. In the 2000, I've replaced the Headers, the compressor, the water pump. And one year ago dropped a new engine in and replaced the catalytic converters.

investinwaffles

Kind of hard to read the post. Please use paragraphs to separate it out in the future.

What it sounds like is a bad u-joint in the front axle-shaft. When you say "I removed the front axle and it seemed to help some", I am assuming you meant that you removed the front DRIVESHAFT, because the axle shafts are secured with a very large nut plus you need to remove the brake caliper and rotor

Check your u-joints in the driveshafts, and in the front axle-shafts. At the same time, I would do a full suspension/steering check up front. Have a helper get in the Jeep, start it up, and start turning the wheel back and forth.
Look for components with any play, especially the tie-rod-ends, upper and lower ball-joints on the steering knuckle, and bushings like the sway bar bushings. Also look at the track-bar mounts for any excess play.

For the trans, check fluid level first. If the level is good you might have a weak solenoid but I am not great with automatic transmissions so someone might be able to chime in with a better idea.

Honestly, Jeep parts are pretty cheap. You can get a full front end "refresh" for like $400 in parts (Ball joints, Steering linkage and TRE's, bushings and sway bar endlinks, wheel hub/bearing assy, etc)

HighOnLift

^^^^ Great Advice.

I replace brake rotors every other brake pad change just because I'm right there and they are cheap to buy...

Just got done fixing EXTREME death wobble in my jeep, and pretty much decided similarly that if I'm ever doing ball joints, may as well just get a new bearing/hub too. I'm right there and it's cheap. Also firm believer that parts can be bad on Jeep and not necessarily show it. Especially with loud tires. Those hid the sound of a wheel bearing going bad for quite a while.