Since I trust you guys a lot more than I do others.

[Pen_Two]

I could ask the Jeep forums...but I haven't found another forum that is as helpful as the good ol' CEG.

So I have some problems with my Jeep.

It's a 2001 Cherokee Sport with no ABS. Has 4WD and the 4L Inline 6 mated to the Autotragic.

I'll list the problems and try to elaborate them as best as possible. Just to clarify...they all seem to be on the front end.


1. Front end makes rapid clicking noise.

Under heavy braking or any moment the front end pitches forward/down I hear a very rapid/loud clicking. If I remember correctly...it goes away with the drive shaft out. I checked the pumpkin and the gears are amazingly in very very good shape, no chips or shavings in the fluid. The cardinal joint and U-joints on the drive shaft are in good condition though.

Could it be the fact that every bushing on the front end is so shot that the drive shaft keeps the axle in place and the track bar jumps around?

2. Strange noise, almost like a grinding noise when turning right.

If I turn left, it stops, immediately. It ALWAYS makes the noise when turning right or holding the wheel to the right while the vehicle is in motion, forward or reverse.

3. Clunk when turning in any direction.

It seems to do it sporadically, but if I turn right, it'll clunk and then turning left it will do it again. Doesn't seem to matter which direction I turn...it'll do it. It also does it while the vehicle is sitting still.

4. Tire wear on front axle.

The outer edges of the tires seem to be wearing VERY bad, and they have the correct pressure in them. I'm guessing this would tie in with all the problems I've listed thus far though.



That's the gist of what's wrong for now. There's a few others that I need to address as well...but they don't completely interfere with the drivability of the vehicle.

Thanks so much in advance, I really appreciate it!

 

[KyleQ]

Sounds like you have quite a few problems going on - I'm betting on suspension and joints. Why not take it into a shop? All the shops around here will take anything apart and tell you what is wrong, if you cannot afford to fix it/want to fix it yourself they will put it back together and send you on your way for nothing.

 

[Pen_Two]

A lot of the shops around here love to rape people. If they even touch it, it's at least $50. Between my average bills and what unemployment is giving me...I can't afford to pay a shop to look at it.

I posted here so hopefully someone with a little knowledge of what to look for can point me in the right direction on what to look at first before throwing money I don't have at it.

 

[Dyoel182]

Really sounds like a suspension problem to me. The clunk could be balljoints or bushings and the grind could be a bearing.

 

[fordcupcar]

The grinding noise is a wheel bearing. Jack up your car and pull back and forth on the wheel. If it has a lot of play in it, that's the side with the bad bearing.

If you are willing to pull off the steering knuckle, the ford dealer by you might press the bearing in and out for like 20$. I just went through this before christmas.

 

[SniperUML]

okay the simplest things first:

The tire wear on the front tires is most commonly due to an alignment issue. have the alignment checked (as i said most common issue but not always the case)

when turning to the right you get the grinding noise, this can be due to a bad ball joint or cv joint with the 4wd. you might also have some issues with the cv shafts grinding against other things dealing with the suspension, i would also just for the hell of it check the power steering pump and the pully on it to make sure that its ok.

the clunking when turning in any direction i would say has something to do with the steering knuckle or the power steering pump directly (again something very difficultto check yourself unless you have the right tools and you know what your doing)

the rapid clicking under braking can be one of many issues, it could be that the pads are adjusting; check to see on how the pads/shoes are doing, also check for abnormal wear on the pads and rotors... it could also as mentioned before be bad wheel bearings or joints and its only present undre heavy stress.

again if its anything to do with the bearings or joints i recommend giving to a shop that you trust, don't hold me to what i have just said but its what i have seen before on other vehicles.

 

[Pen_Two]

I appreciate your input. The rotors and pads are less than one year old, and the noise was still there before I replaced them.

I suppose tomorrow when it's a tad bit warmer, I'll throw the jack under it and take the front wheels off and start snooping around.

I just figured I'd get a little insight as to what to look for though.

 

[Pen_Two]

God a good look at things today and it really needs wheel bearings on both sides. From what I can gather the rapid clicking could be from the play with the bad bearings.

The clunk while turning seems to be in the area of the Pitman arm. Not sure if that's considered a tie-rod or not...

It also could use a steering stabilizer too.

Edit: I'm guessing it's a tie rod, and unlike it's older brothers...I only need to buy the end and not the entire bar.