Ive been doing some work on my front end - suspension and steering. I work on a few things so I'm not sure these actually go to the cherokee but I'm pretty sure they do. Big c-clips with the holes in the ends where you would use pliers to take them out. About a half dollar size around. No idea where they go, possibly on my axle shafts in the front?

 

Are they the right size for the radiator hoses?

 

Not a clamp. Retain clip. May be called a snap ring. Came in a bag with a cotter pin.

 

U-joint snap rings. The cotter pin may be for the hub nut.

 

I joint on the axle? You sure? I ordered new hub assemblies but nothing for the axles. Seems odd. No snap rings on the ball joints, tres, etc right? Stupid question but want to cover my bases. If I haven't taken the u joints apart I don't need to replace them right?

 

This is hard without pictures!

If you did the hubs, did you pull the axle shafts to see what the u-joints are like (one on each end). Maybe you have CV joints instead of u-joints. Maybe it's the c-clips from the front diff.
I don't know the age or axle of your jeep.

I put a picture of the nasty u-joints from my '87.

 

look again at the lower ball joint. There is a large C clip there. here is a picture of one. That ring holds the joint in place.

 

Yep. Ball Joint. Thanks

 

A picture would have helped. That's not a c-clip, it's a snap ring.

 

Sorry! So looked at my lower joints. Side closest to the tire is a but less that a 1/4" sticking up through the hole and the far side is an 1/8" past. No groove for the snap ring I can see. Should the ball joint be angled like that? Should the other side with the rubber cover be up far enough so the rubber cover meet the bottom of the hole?

 

I read C-clip and pictured an XJ on the side of the road sitting on 3 wheels because the axle took a lunchbreak. Thats where a C-clip is used, to keep the axle from pulling out. Like said, whats pictured is a snap ring.

Not all vehicles use snap rings on balljoints, but are sometimes still included, should you need them. I bought Spicers (still in the box) for my 97 and there were no snap rings included, but there is a groove present. The balljoint lip should sit flush all the way around where it is pressed against the axle. If thats flush, youre good. The boot should fit tightly around the balljoint, and may or may not sit flush against the axle.