Mudderoy
09-26-2011, 11:18 AM
I think everyone already knows that keeping up with minor repairs on your Jeep XJ has it's benefits, but I think all too often we put things off, sometimes too long.
Recently I started hearing a noise coming from the bottom of my Jeep that sounded like a small bearing going bad. It was a real light sound so I didn't think it could be anything very big. At first I thought it was my stretched chain in my transfer case.
After listening (windows down) for a couple of days to and from work I decided it must be a u-joint on my drive shaft.
I stopped at NAPA on the way home one evening and purchased 2 u-joints for my rear drive shaft. In my defense since the rear drive shaft had the newest u-joints I had replaced the u-joints in the front drive shaft some weeks earlier.
This meant that if it was a u-joint going out, it must be one of the rear u-joints.
Some easy inspection that I had not done would have told me where the future problem would be...
That hole is where the grease fitting should be!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XnwEZ04zsns/TnwLTsVze5I/AAAAAAAABPk/w2-vKsAEVss/s1024/2011-09-22%25252021.11.04.jpg
After removing the drive shaft I could feel how bad the front u-joint was, and removing the caps just confirmed what my ears and popping I was feeling in my hands.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZBU2Nx5OjSM/TnwLG1ULHaI/AAAAAAAABPg/bFkEvSZdGD4/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.15.21.jpg
So for about $31 and a couple of hours of my time I was able to go from a smooth running Jeep to an even smoother running Jeep! Now the rear view mirror isn't a constant blur when I'm moving down the road! :smiley-laughing021:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--uWvokSZHnY/Tn9E48n2CbI/AAAAAAAABQM/k4_R_pZ_eYQ/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.46.19.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s7ZEBQm-29w/Tn9E-FRrU4I/AAAAAAAABQQ/FlDdG913feE/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.46.32.jpg
Recently I started hearing a noise coming from the bottom of my Jeep that sounded like a small bearing going bad. It was a real light sound so I didn't think it could be anything very big. At first I thought it was my stretched chain in my transfer case.
After listening (windows down) for a couple of days to and from work I decided it must be a u-joint on my drive shaft.
I stopped at NAPA on the way home one evening and purchased 2 u-joints for my rear drive shaft. In my defense since the rear drive shaft had the newest u-joints I had replaced the u-joints in the front drive shaft some weeks earlier.
This meant that if it was a u-joint going out, it must be one of the rear u-joints.
Some easy inspection that I had not done would have told me where the future problem would be...
That hole is where the grease fitting should be!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XnwEZ04zsns/TnwLTsVze5I/AAAAAAAABPk/w2-vKsAEVss/s1024/2011-09-22%25252021.11.04.jpg
After removing the drive shaft I could feel how bad the front u-joint was, and removing the caps just confirmed what my ears and popping I was feeling in my hands.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZBU2Nx5OjSM/TnwLG1ULHaI/AAAAAAAABPg/bFkEvSZdGD4/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.15.21.jpg
So for about $31 and a couple of hours of my time I was able to go from a smooth running Jeep to an even smoother running Jeep! Now the rear view mirror isn't a constant blur when I'm moving down the road! :smiley-laughing021:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--uWvokSZHnY/Tn9E48n2CbI/AAAAAAAABQM/k4_R_pZ_eYQ/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.46.19.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s7ZEBQm-29w/Tn9E-FRrU4I/AAAAAAAABQQ/FlDdG913feE/s1024/2011-09-22%25252022.46.32.jpg