I have two problems with my '93 Jeep Grand Cherokee:

1) There is a clunking noise coming from the front (driver's side) and it feels like something is loose, although mechanics have looked at it and they say everything is "tight" in the front. It's not a constant clunking, but when I go over uneven points or bumps in the road. Obviously, something is wrong but no one can seem to pinpoint it. Help!

2) When traveling on the freeway, if I let off the gas and coast, it makes a kind of growling noise that I can feel under my gas pedal foot. What's the deal?

well for the Clunk check the transmission mount I had a problem that I actually stripped the nuts (that are welded in the frame) out. and whenever I hit a bump I heard a clunk here it was the Transmission mount dropping a little more each time I would hit a bump.

check the mounts maybe yours is doing the same, and for the growling noise, I'm not sure what it is? but I think it maybe coming from the transfer case or differentials, check the Fluid levels in the transfer Case, and differentials, and tranny.

1) There is a clunking noise coming from the front (driver's side) and it feels like something is loose, although mechanics have looked at it and they say everything is "tight" in the front. It's not a constant clunking, but when I go over uneven points or bumps in the road. Obviously, something is wrong but no one can seem to pinpoint it. Help!


Another source of the clunk that fits your description exactly is caused by the disc brake pads bouncing in the caliper bracket.

Try going over a series of bumps and applying the brakes midway through. I'm sure you will find that the clunk disappears when you do that.

What you will find is that there is wear on the top and bottom pad supports. Some replacement pads come with a set of shim clips to install on the bottom ear of the pads. These are sized in 10,15,20 and 25 thou thicknesses. you selective fit them to reduce the clearance to 5 to 10 thou of an inch at each pad. It will take the clunk away for awhile.

The more permenant fix is to replace the caliper/pad support for $400 per side.

I have considered building them up with a hard-surfaceing rod but machining them back to size and other considerations with heat create more problems than it is worth and I don't think epoxy will stand up to the operation conditions involved.

Ask at the jeep dealer parts if they have the shims or another auto parts store might know about them.....happy hunting


JD

you will probably find wear that looks like this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/jdpascal/jeep%20brakes/left_top_pad_way.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/jdpascal/jeep%20brakes/right_front_pad_way.jpg

The concern is not the wear on the top of the pad support that you can see. The wear causing the problem is on the surface 90 degrees to the wear you can see.

JD

If it is not your brakes try looking at your ball joints , maybe a bad hub or a cv joint.

what engine and transfer case do you have? if you have the NP249 tcase then that growl could be the Viscous Coupler. After you begin hearing the growl go somewhere like a parking lot and try to make a hard turn. if you here a clunking noise that probably your problem, if not repost your findings.

The clunking over bumps could be a lot of things. But if I had to guess I'd say it's the shocks. The Grand Cherokke uses a bar pin set up on the bottom. When it gets worn it clunks over bumps. You have a couple of options if that's the problem. Replace the shocks or get a bar pin eliminator kit. If your shocks are pretty old then I would replace them. Other wise KevinsJeepParts.com sells the JKS parts. read this and see if it sounds like your problem. http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/jksbpes.html
I have bought from Kevin before and he is great.
ByronP