XJ_95_in_GA

"My Jeep" is a '95 XJ (Country) 4 WD (Command Trac) - 200K Miles. I am getting a rattling/grinding/scraping type of noise that seems to come from the front wheels, and I am trying to chase down source of noise. I would appreciate thoughts...

Is it brakes, wheel bearings, shock bar pins, front axle U-Joints, or transfer case on the 4 WD?

Although I have owned "My Jeep" since Day 1 for 25 years, I let the Kid drive it now. I kept it like new, but recently Junior wore out the front brake pads to the extent the rotors were eaten up and had to be replaced with new pads and calipers (Fall 2019).

The New Brake Pads are SEMI-METALLIC Pads from NAPA from their "Proformer" line. The car has stopped fine since the repair, but the brake dust on the front lattice style wheels on the County has been EXTREME. There is so much brake dust, I wonder if new calipers can somehow be sticking??? Doubtful???

I jacked up the front end:

The front shocks are solid on bar-pins...

When I turn the wheels I hear noise.... When I turn the front Driver side wheel, the front drive shaft turns back to the transfer case... Should this front drive shaft turn while in 2 WD??? If not, does this noise point to issues with the transfer case?

Sadly, I have not changed the fluid in the Transfer case.

Thoughts?

Also, should I be getting this type of brake dust? Is there a better pad vs Semi metallic? Total Ceramic Pads?

BwanaBob

The driveshaft idly turning with the driver's side wheel in 2wd is normal.

I have used Bosch, Mopar, and Bendix semi-metallic pads and have not
noticed much dust. Sometimes little grooves can wear into the bars that
the pads slide back and forth on and thus cause the pads to hang up.
If that is the problem, fill them in with weld and grind them smooth again.

Have you ever changed the front hubs/wheel bearings? Are they making
the noise? Also check the u-joints for each front wheel.

If you don't know when you last changed the differential oil (front and rear)
or the transfer case oil, this is as good a time as any. Look for any metal
bits in the oil.

dave1123

^^^what he says^^^ Semi-metallic is OE. With new calipers and greased pins, the caliper brackets are the next suspect. Most brake systems today use stainless clips as wear preventers, but jeeps have a habit of wearing grooves in the brackets from the pads. AND the brackets are not removable and are part of the knuckle. They are made of forged steel so welding is easy.

lawsoncl

For the noise, check that the dust shield behind the rotor isn't rubbing anything.

XJ_95_in_GA

1995 Jeep XJ - 4.0 Liter - 4 WD Command-Trac - NP 231 Transfer Case... 200K Miles

In regard to Front End Noise, I took the Jeep back to the folks who did brakes and complained of excessive Brake Dust and possibility of sticking calipers creating front end noise. Without even driving, they shined a flashlight on brakes and said there could be an issue with "Defective Pads". They cleaned the brake calipers/pistons and agreed there was excessive dust, but said all was well. They said the NAPA Semi-Metallic Pads are good, and I just have to live with dust. I have never had this much brake dust! I may upgrade to Ceramic Pads at some point. Nonetheless, the Front Brakes are eliminated as the source of the noise.

Today I checked the fluid level in the Transfer Case associated with the Command-Trac Part Time 4 WD System on the Jeep (NP 231 Transfer Case). The Transfer Case was COMPLETELY EMPTY!!!! See attached photo of drain plug hole with the plug out. Are those metal Shavings? The small gray fragments are not sharp. They appear like graphite powder. I filled the Transfer Case with 2.2 Pints of Dexron +4 Automatic Transmission Fluid (Dexron II is no longer produced), and the noise seems to be gone.

Has the transfer case been damaged? Would the debris at the drain hole opening appear to be dust/dirt versus metal shavings? It seems to drive fine...

WHY was the Transfer Case Empty? Obviously, it leaked (Didn't evaporate)... Where is a common point to leak on the NP 231 T-Case? Can it be fixed vs swapping for a Rebuilt T-Case? If anything is suspect on the bottom OF THE t-cASE, I see RTV falling away from the center of the T-Case where the 2 halves of the cases are mated together... Should the Case be removed, cleaned and re-sealed? Are there other seals on the case?

If the T-Case is removed from vehicle, I imagine it would also be wise to replace the U-Joints too.... The U-Joints are original x 25 years old.

Thanks in advance for thoughts.

lawsoncl

If it's aluminum shavings, the chain could be worn to the point it's dragging on the case.

XJ_95_in_GA

Since noise is gone... assuming nothing is dragging inside case... I should have put magnet on the shavings...

Wondering if there is a magnet by drain hole and those fine bits are “normal”???

BwanaBob

My transfer case has had several leaks and I have just gotten into the
habit of checking the oil levels of the transfer case (and both differentials)
every month or two. Here is what I've had leak:
-The RTV holding the case together lets oil seep out.
-The O-ring for the speedometer gear housing.
-The front output seal going to the front driveshaft.
-The rear seal at the slip yoke for the rear driveshaft.
-The drain plug itself.
-and maybe the front input seal a long time ago.

Now that you've got it filled up, you'll soon be able to see where it is leaking.
If and when you do pull it, you might as well change all those things.
Look here for some helpful info for your 95: https://xjjeeps.com/

dave1123

In my opinion, you should be looking for a replacement t/case or plan on rebuilding yours. All that debris doesn't put my mind at ease.

Ceramic brake pads are good for street vehicles because they take heat better than organic or semi-mettalic do, but they work better after they get hot. For most low speed driving, they tend to squeak a lot.

Remus Redbone

Is it brakes, - possible, but should be easy to confirm
wheel bearings, - very possible if the noise happens with wheel rotation.
shock bar pins, - not likely
front axle U-Joints, - definitely possible. Should get a lot worse when rotating the front wheels when they are cut sharply to one side or the other
transfer case on the 4 WD? - not too likely, but I have a 95 with a growl in the txfr case and it’s driving me a little batty.

XJ_95_in_GA

Jeep went up on rack today... I had refilled case, and it was leaking horribly.

The Transfer Case is Cracked and cannot be saved.

Cost to swap out with Remanufactured is just North of 2 Grand...

Shop Owner says best Remanufactured Units are from ETE Remanufactured Transmissions our of TX... 3 Yr Unlimited Mileage Warranty

Cost of Unit is $1,775

Does the cost of the part seem justified?

lawsoncl

That price is out to lunch. I'm curious what part was cracked? If it's just the tailcone, that can be replaced without even taking it out of the vehicle. But with the shavings, you would want to open and inspect yours either way. I suggest checking the salvage yards and craigslist. A used case should be under $200. My local pull-it-yourself yard charges $65. A decent rebuild kit is $150ish and not terribly difficult. Swapping in a used case is fairly easy. It's literally just disconnecting the driveshafts, shift linkage, speedo, and 6 bolts.

Some interchange info. If you've got an automatic, you can use one from a manual as well.
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/np-nvg-input-gears