numb

If a u joint has gone "bad", how can you find out which one?
Loud squealing noise while in gear...
Dealership can't pinpoint, they replaced the serpentine belt and the belt tensioner already. Not to keen on this guessing game, any help is appreciated!
2004 Jeep TJ

Mr White

iTrader: (1)

If its a the wheel raise the jeep wheel off the ground and move it from side to side and with one hand on the bottom of the wheel and the other at the top lift and shake it slightly (its helps with someone looking but can be done alone) its should be solid if lots of play then you have wheel joints gone.If the upper is gone suggest u change both on that side, cost in long run is less then later on having to remove it again to do the other one.
DON'T mistake this squealing for a piece of stone or hard dirt cot inside your brake drum or on the disc brake

Sid1966

pycically grab the driveshats close to each u-joint try to move up, down side to side there should be no movemeht from side to side ,between the yokes,axle joints are checked the same way,there should not be any side to side movement,check the cv joint on front driveshaft most are not greasable but have a tiny hole in cv body under u-joint ,if all joints are tight try spraying wd40 or equivilant on each joint one at a time to see if sqealing stops on test drive http://www.rblewis.net/personal/bronco/driveshaft/ this shows how to rebuild the cv joint ya i know it is a bonco site but the process is the same Good Luck

jeepjones

Quit going to the STEALERSHIP. Find someone to help you with this and save your money, almost any shop other than Crappy Tire is better than the STEALERSHIP.

jetmerritt

One thing that wasn't mentioned was to look for rust bleeding out of one of the u-joint cups with a flash light.

The rust is usually very obvious unless you just swamped it in the mud or something.

If there is rust bleeding out, it needs a new joint. Even if you can squeak some grease through it if it is greaseable, you are only prolonging it.

Jet