Black Dog

Hi guys i'm a new member, so I would like to say Hello
and give your brains a pick to try out this forum.

I just bought 97 ltd. 5.2 Lt. 4 Hi and Lo TC... I only managed to drive it home (about10 Klm) and park it in the yard there was a loud growling noise from the front end of the jeep I don't think it was coming from the TC but more toward the axel
The yoke seal on axel is leaking a fair bit. (The heater blower is loud as well and sort of drowned out the noise from the front until I turned it off) would CV joint make a noise like that even going strait ahead ?? also later when I tried to move it up a slight incline on grass I noticed only the left rear tire was driven and spinning... so it was stuck until I put a traction mat under that wheel. The front was now making more of a knocking sound and the wheels not driven at all
Any Ideas on where to start with this mess??? I can do some mech. part swapping,
but have no experience with 4WD.
Thanks in advance for your input

CrazyWJ242

Welcome to the forum Black Dog!

I recently picked up a 93 ZJ (4.0 and 249 transfercase (same as you 4 Hi and Low)) and am in the same boat as you man, luckily i've got a paddle!

so my ZJ made a terrible sound from the front axle as well consistent with speed, and clunked a bit when i took a turn, quick look under it and the passenger CV boot was broken and poked inside, it was missing all the bearings! if yours are in tact these are probably NOT the issue... although you can usually pick one of them up for under $100... major tool you need is a 36mm socket and a looong cheater bar (spare tire helps get that 36mm socket off!)

id remove that front differential cap and check the fluid level and quality, if its full and not too bad of a colour or full of metal id save the fluid and take the cover off and inspect the teeth inside...

Usually if your cv boots are find and you still get that grinding noise, then its the differential itself, check it for missing teeth, as well as the pinion way in the back...

swapping a ring and pinion is quite a job, i have done it once and its a nightmare shimming it up, id tear it down as much as possible and bring the axle to a professional and have them do it with it out of the vehicle (unless you feel like playing with feeler gauges lol or probably paying extra to have them put it up on a lift, most shops will do that!)

just let me how it looks, and if you get some more questions, i have been down this road (this week) i'll be able to help ya out!

Black Dog

Hi CrazyWJ242,
thanks for the input, I'm thinking ring and pinion as well. I really haven't had a chance to get under the ZJ as yet ( I still have other transport) I was told the truck was parked for a couple of years and I got it cheep, hopefully I can find some time to pop the cover off the diff this weekend, I also found a 95 parts ZJ with another axel that I'll swap provided the ratios match. I'm hoping an axel from 4.0l is the same as a 5.2 Both are ltd. ZJs. Damn I wish I had a hoist. Time for some bareback dirt crawlin'
I will post what I find , maybe some pics

Black Dog

just for an update, Good news well better than ring and pinion anyway,had a peek under the ZJ and found pieces of the left CV bearing cage on the L lower control arm I'm surprised the boots looked almost new (except for the little grease smear between the folds),and amazed the joint held together and made it home

CrazyWJ242

yep thats pretty good news, hopefully its not the ring and pinion aswell lol usually its one or the other...

the easiest way to get that 36mm nut of the CV axle is to put your spare tire on, and set it back on the ground, you can clearly see the nut in the center of the wheel, using a long (and i mean long mine was 6ft!) cheater bar, you should be able to take it off with one hand! otherwise some jumping on your breaker bar will be in order... that thing is on there pretty good...

id still drain the fluid when you pull the CV out, odds are it probably has some miles on it and could use a swapping...

Black Dog

Ya, I will pop the cover, the pinion yoke seal is leaking so I'll want to change that for sure and probably the tube seals as well, maybe the axel bearings too. Like I said i have other transport so there is no big rush to get this done, I may as well make sure I only have to do the job once.

job plan: Park jeep close to wall, remove axel nut and wheel, remove brake caliper and rotor, remove hub from knuckels, slide axel out... cut hole in wall so axel will come all the way out...head to clinic for stitches in knuckles.

Black Dog

Well I started the job. got the calipers and rotors off ok, broke my breaker bar trying to get the axel nut off, after getting the axel nut off with a bigger B-bar and pipe... and the hub bolts are frozen, been soaking the bolt ends and under the head with liquid wrench for 2 days after first trying to get them off, snapped the end off the 12 point 1/2" box end wench after pounding on the 9/16" end with a 2lb. dead blow mallet (only wacked myself once on the kneecap) maybe tomorrow I'll try some heat on the hubs near the bolt ends... anyone know a better way?

04WJGuy

Go get some PB Blaster from Canadian Tire, liquid wrench and wd-40 do nothing to bolts that are rusted in place.

Black Dog

got some, I will give it a shot I also bought another breaker bar. I wonder why that axel nut requires 175 foot lbs. of torque

CrazyWJ242

i ended up doing the same on my WJ...

PB Blaster is designed for those stupid bolts lol, it penatrates in and lubricates the bolt too use lots, let it soak in, and spray more! i soaked mine for about 2 hours! dont forget to get the bearing to knuckle crack too, every bit helps right?

and i actually used a boxed wrench instead of a socket wrench to break it loose, and slid a cheater bar on it... the wrench is more likely to bend than break when you have a cheater on it... their such a pain to break loose... and yeah i broke my 1/2" and had to use my 13mm, and yes its got a permanent bend in it and doesn't really fit in the case anymore :-p