I've got a 98 Cherokee, automatic, 4WD, that I just bought about a month ago. It's been driving and steering great until two days ago. I was on my way home and realized I hadn't tested the 4WD out, so I pulled it into 4 high and it worked perfectly fine so I put it back to 2WD, but now when I try to make turns going slow (under 10mph) the steering is VERY stiff and almost feels like it locks up and hops and won't move at all unless I really rev it up. Going over 10-15 mph the steering feels absolutely fine, not stiff or hard to steer or anything.

I tried to look for threads with a similar issue but every one I found was modified or had a major lift on it, and mine is completely stock (for now). Any thoughts? Could it be power steering or could it be stuck in 4WD? This is my first 4WD vehicle, and I'm not the most mechanically inclined, any help is appreciated before I run it into a shop. Thanks!

 

Sounds like it's stuck in 4WD.

 

4WD part time too, you should get it back to 2HI before you damage your transfer case. Keep the wheels straight and shift the transfer case back into 2HI - then rock forward a few yards and back again until you hear a Clunk. If that doesn't work you're going to need to get underneath and adjust the linkage.
If you can do this on soft ground, all the better to unwind your driveline.

 

Definitely stuck in 4wd. It feels this way because the axle shafts turning cause the steering to sort of bind up and hop, which you feel at slow speeds when it is generally harder to turn the wheel.