busted transfer case ?????

[Jeep-King]

i have a 1989 jeep cherokee pioneer. its an automatic with a 4.0 inline six. about a year ago i let a frieng drive my car. i had too rescue him because he had the part time four wheel drive on in the rain. and when it stopped raining he forgot to take it out of 4WD. so after a couple miles he pulled over and called me saying the the transfer case was smoking. i managed to dissengage the front axel and it was fine. well a couple months later during a snow storm the 4WD stopped engaging it had worked fine for months after the insedent but just stopped suddenly. i figured it was probrably the vacume hose. truthfully i never bothered to replace it because i was moving to texas were there is no snoe and this jeep is not in the right condition for off roading. after a while i noticed a shifting sound comming from it when turning almost like a bolt was loose causing it to slide around like half an inche when turning. i also notice that i can feel a gringing feeeling while turning left and accelerating(this is only when i go to meake a left turn you know a 90 degree turn at a low speed.) but i just ignored it.

Ok now that you know the history of this problem time to get to the point. just yesterday i was driving down the road when i spotted a great trail that i figured my jeep with brand new p235 75 R15 bridgstone DULERS could handle even in only two wheel drive. And shame on me I went down this trail. i was right my jeep handled the trail fine. but on my way back through the trail i think i might have hit a bump a little too hard and dameged somthing under my jeep . i did not think anything of it untill on my way home i noticed that every time i hit the accelerator my car would start shaking . this only happens when i hit the gas and the faster i am going the worse it is. on my way home when i accelerated to 50 miles an hour my car shook lke crazy the faster i went. but the second i relesed the gas pedel my car was fine.

i am not sure what is causing this i don't know if it would be the transfer case an axel or even a engine mount but seeing the history with the transfer case i am leening towards that. i also don't know if it is worth fixing or if i should just get a new car . mabe one i could acually take off road with the new tires i bought. Anyones 2 cents or sugggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeep-King]

ps. i am sorry for the really long post but i figured the more information about the problem the better.

[Ray H]

Im leaning more towards your transmission mount being the problem. Your tranny mount is on the crossmember. Its not easy to tell because you need to get up close and personal with the bottom of your Jeep but place a jack under the tranny pan (use a block of wood to spread the weight out so it doeant dent the pan). Jack the tranny up just a little, just enough to tell if the rubber tranny mount is seperating.

[Jeep-King]

if the rubber mount is busted is that somthing i could fix myself or would i have to get a proffesional to do it. also do you have any idea how much this would cost.

[Ray H]

Originally Posted by Jeep-King

if the rubber mount is busted is that somthing i could fix myself or would i have to get a proffesional to do it. also do you have any idea how much this would cost.

You can fix it and I dont think they are more than around $60. If you do need a new one, dont be talked into getting a Polyurithane one, stick with rubber. Rubber is much more pliable.
Also- The only sure way to tell if your tranny mount needs replaced is to look at it but you can probably crawl under and shake the rear driveshaft real hard to see if it moves the whole drivetrain alot. Thats a good way to get an initial idea if tranny mount may need to be replaced.

[Saudade]

I'd check all engine mounts. Like Ray said, you can change them out yourself using only some basic hand tools and a small jack.

[Jeep-King]

ok i now have new information. after driving the jeep for another couple of days i relized that the shaking seem to be originating from the back of the car. i was also wrong about the speed having anything to do with it i now relize that the shaking happens more when more power is applied (meening the harder i hit the gas the more it shakes regardles of speed). i also noticed that the back driver side wheel is farther into the wheel well then the one on the right. leading me to belive that the susspension might be damaged. i no longer suspect the transfer case and am doubting a mounting problem, mostly because the shaking feels like it is coming from the back end. i have also noticed that when idleing and standing still i can faintly hear a sound coming from what sounds like under the mid section of the car, this sound is like a high pitched ting ting ting that coincides with the idleing movement. almost like a washer bounding around a big bolt.

Again i appreciate all the help and hopefully the new info will help.

[oljeeptek]

Get out you tape measure and check for a broken spring, locator bolt, spring mount etc. You should also check the ujoints and yokes.

I'd alsotap the cat converter with a rubber mallet and see if it's where the other noise is coming from.

[Jeep-King]

ALAS:
I finslly got the nerve to put the jeep in gear while it was jacked up. and guess what . It turns out that when i hit that rather large bump that sent my jeep in the air for a second or two when i landed i must have landed hard because one of my leaf springs was flat and the other was accually inverted making it bend upward. i then found that my car shook because of a bent drive shaft. I could not see it untill i put it in gear and observed the under part of the car but it is ben t and then some. i must have landed so hard that my drive shaft hit the bottom of my car and bent while destroying the leaf springs. i came to this because nothing hit the bottom of my car and my exhast pipe that wass parrelel to my drive shaft was fine.

Anyway it will only cost me a total of $175 at the salvege yard to get the parts i need to replace. And with a little work i should be able to put them in myself.




ps. i would still like to know if i should be worried about the slight shifting feeling coming from my transfer case or if it could just be the front drive shaft i know that my drive shaft has a little play in it but not to much when i turned it by hand but i dont know if that is relevant

thanks for the assistance and any new info about my last concern will be appreceated