Tranny problem?

When I shift into to drive it clunks hard jumps a little bit, but when i put it in reverse it takes a second for it to get into gear.

I have an automatic 1996 Cherokee sport 210,000
Any suggestions as to why it does this?

Two thoughts come to mind.

First, how long has it been since the fluid in the trans has been changed?

Second, the clunk could be caused by worn Ujoints in the driveshaft.

I just bought it and I'm not sure, how often should i change the tranny fluid?
Also how much would it cost to get my u joints replaced"?

I'd change the tranny fluid right away, just drop the pan, change the filter and refill. Then change every 30K or so, or if it starts acting up again. Some folks say that you should flush the system and get rid of all the fluid at once, and that's not a bad idea. But I've found that 2 or 3 frequent changes (30K or so) does just as well. You might also look at this product, which I've personally found to work as advertised: http://www.auto-rx.net/index.html


Not sure how much Ujoint replacement will cost, I've always done them myself. Figure the parts cost about $20 each, so $40, then 100% markup so parts $80, and probably 1.5 hours to install @ I dunno, 60 per hour? All told, estimate of around 200-250?

Oh, and in my 2000 it's two torx head screws holding on the filter.