Yesterday I drove about 60 miles, and towards the end of the drive a I could hear what seemed like a slight clunking coming from the front end. It seemed like form the front diff. I could jsut barley hear it and could feel it through the steering wheel. I was near where I was going to park so I check out underneath and nothing seemed out of place. The Cherokee was parked for a couple of hours, and when I got back and started driving the sound was gone. I thought it may haven even been my imagination. Today I went on a long drive and it started the same noise but much louder and more often. It definetely happen more when turning.

BTW this is not when it is in 4wd. This is just drving in 2wd on asphalt. I pulled the front diff plug and there was plenty of oil. Any one have an idea of what might be making the sound? I have included a photo of the diff for identification.

 

does the diff always leak? or did that just start happening. check your front ds for play, try removing it from the vehicle and driving around to see if the noise is still there. i'd say check all steering components for play and whatnot, also could be axle shaft ujoints.

 

As far as I can tell it doesn't leak. The oil in the picture is from when I pulled the plug to see that it was up to the correct level and it was. I will check what you mentioned.
thanks

 

check the ujoint
on the axle and the drive shaft
they could be getting dry and after a longer drive they are getting hot
and causing the knock

 

also could be the spindle bearing

 

I see where there are grease ports for where the front of the front axle connects to the front diff, but don't see grease ports for the us joints on the drive shaft or axle us joints. They must be there thought I am just not seeing them? Also I can rotate the front drive shaft back and for maybe a 1/8" to a 1/4" back and forth. Is that normal?

 

that rotation is normal

you may not have gresable u joints
the joints may not be bad enough to have slop in them yet
but they may need greasing quickly before they go out

go for a drive long drive then touch the ujoint the hub and around the axle

things should be hot but not burn
any thing is to hot to touch that would be indacation your problem is there

 

on my us joints the grease fitting are flush mount hard to see. looks like a flat head screw with a ball in the middle.
you need a grease needle on the grease gun to fill them.
on the ds i couldn't find them ether.

 

Mike

thanks for the info. I took a drive like you suggested and checked everything. he axle joints were not warm at all. The front driveshaft joints were both hot along with the the drive shaft itself. Not sure if that has to do with its proximity to the exhaust though. I went and picked up a grease gun and greased everthing I could find. The only thing drive train related was the front drive shafts grease port for the drive shaft itself, not the u joints.

Today I ended up driving 100 miles, with no noise. I can't see that anything I did fixed it but I guess I will see.