I have a 2001 jeep grand cherokee 4.0L, straight 6, 4WD and I cant tell you how plz'd I am to hear that someone else has this problem. I know exactly what you are talking about, mine does the same thing. It made the noise before I had a rebuilt transmission installed and it does it now. My mechanic checked everything and could not pinpoint the cause. It has been making that noise pretty much for 8 yrs now and doesn't seem to be causing any problems. It's the strangest thing. 4WD works great I have had no issues at all.
Lol. I just wanted to let you know that you're not crazy and that you're not hearing things and this is real. Can't tell you what, why or where it's coming from, but it doesn't seem to be anything more than just a noise. An alarming noise but just a noise.
P.S.
I''m not a mechanic or tech.
I'm just voicing my opinion as a grand cherokee owner (I actually own 3 jeeps, I love jeeps lol)
have a great rest of your day!
Charlotte :)
Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 6:25 PM