Jeep Cherokee. UNKNOWN ISSUE

JEEPSTUFF

MEMBER
1994 JEEP CHEROKEE
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
300,000 MILES

What would cause a loud metal on metal sound under a Jeep while driving and without touching the brakes? I know that I need to replace the bearings on the rear axle, but my brother believes the noise is coming from the u-joints on the drive shaft. If so, how bad is it to hear this kind of sound?

1 Reply

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

YOU REALLY NEED TO GO UNDER AND "SHAKE STUFF", NOISES COULD BE ANYTHING, PRIOR TO PINNING DOWN AREAS OR LOCATIONS

I WILL TRY TO HELP YOU ANYWAY!

YOU ARE THE EYES AND EARS

I DO NOT KNOW YOUR RIG REAL WELL, EXCEPT FOR GENERALIZED STUFF

BAD "U" JOINTS CAN EVENTUALLY FALL APART, CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR JEEP, CATAPULT YOUR JEEP INTO THE AIR, WEAR OUT BEARINGS, SEALS, OTHER, COST YOU MONEY AND MAYBE YOUR LIFE!

TO VERIFY WHETHER YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM OR NOT, I HAVE TAKEN SOME PICS UNDER MY 2ND JEEP. THIS IS MY 1946 WILLYS, HIS NAME IS "WILLY"

BASICALLY, YOUR JOINTS ARE CLOSE TO THE SAME AS HIS, ON 4 WHEEL DRIVE THERE ARE 2 PER DRIVESHAFT, AND THERE ARE 2 DRIVESHAFTS. MY PIC IS THE FURTHEREST BACK "U" JOINT, AGAINST THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL.

CHOCK OR BLOCK YOUR WHEELS SO THAT YOUR JEEP WILL NOT ROLL IN EITHER DIRECTION!

PUT HIM IN NEUTRAL

THEN CRAWL UNDER AND DO THIS SIMPLE TESTING FOR ALL OF YOUR "U" JOINTS.

LET ME KNOW HOW THIS WORKS OUT FOR YOU

I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU CHANGE THEM, IF NEED BE, I HAVE SOME PICS OF THAT PROCESS TOO.

YOUR TURN

THE MEDIC

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