94 cherokee: need help deciding what i should do about transfer case

[triplesixjuggalo]

ok, i've never submitted anything to any of these forums but my 1994 jeep cherokee is giving me tremendous problems and i figure someone here can lead me in the right direction. ive noticed that alot of what i read on here isnt really detailed so im going to make this long with all the information i know about the problem. i bought the jeep for $1500 a year ago and when i got it the 4 wheel drive didnt work and the passenger side rear tire wobbled. the previous owner told me that when they bought it the dealer put in a new transfer case because it didnt work then as well. everything worked fine for him until he had it in 4 wheel drive one day and fishtailed on a left turn and hit a curb w/ the passenger side rear wheel. since then the 4wd stopped working for him and thats when the tire began to wobble. so when i got it i took it to my father-in-laws mechanic, at the time. i was told by this guy that the tire probably had a broken belt in it and that he could get me a used transfer case and have it all fixed for about $300-500. i agreed and gave him a down payment of $150. well, to make a long story short he had the jeep for 8 months and gave me the runaround everytime i contacted him(parts on the way,too busy,put together but still not working). so recently i got fed up and had him drop off the jeep at my father-in-laws. when i got it back it was in worse shape that it was when i gave it to him. 4wd worked but it was locked in and when you turned the wheel it makes a very loud popping sound. so the in-law got under it and we got it to pop out of 4wd by manually shifting the transfer case from underneath. after that it drove a little more smoothly but it still pops when you turn the wheel. i just got back from testing how bad it was in a parking lot and i turned the wheel all the way and it pops and the jeep tilts from side to side when i drive in a circle either way. is this caused from the tranfer case or is it a suspension problem. oh yeah this 6cyl country edition. i will be returning to see anybodys input on this problem and please dont hesitate to ask me questions that could help you better understand the problem. i really dont know what to do. the jeep looks great and starts right up and i really want to keep it so please help me w/ my decision to fix it or sell it. i also have a digital camera and a camcorder so if any pictures or video would help let me know.

[cherokee_guy82]

sounds like the ball joints on the suspension are getting dry, could be something else though but I would start with the suspension first, also see if the transfer case has any fluid in it because when it is dry, it will pop and you will not be able to get the 4wd to engage. I would suggest trying to look at the obvious things first, then reconsider after that

[triplesixjuggalo]

well now that u metion it i noticed that there was a puddle of fluid collecting underneath the transfer case. where do i add fluid at for this. also is there any way to check the ball joints to see if thats whats wrong?

[gtmud]

Ok, to check the ball joints lift up each tire just enough to get a jack handle underneath, have a buddy watch the ball joints, lift up on the tire. There should be NO play up and down, if so you will need to take it to a good shop to have the ball joints removed and an alignment done. Also check your track bar, goes from your DS frame to the PS axle. If this is worn, it will chackeverytime you turn the wheel. To check your fluid on your T-case, look at the back,DS of the T-case, there should be (2) bolts, or align bolts slightly offset from each other. remove the most upper one, fill till the fluid begins to come back out. Recommend Mobile 1 Synthetic. Will take less than a quart. Hope this helps.

[triplesixjuggalo]

i tested the ball joints and felt no play when i lifted it up or down. i didnt check the track bar because i really didnt know exactly hwere it was but i just want to reiterate that it not only makes a popping sound when in full turn it also rocks the jeep from left to right and also sound like the tires are dragged for a split second. i also want to say that the jeep didnt even pop and sway when in turn before i gave it to that guy to fix the transfer case. i guess what im asking is: is this all possibly caused from the transfer case? or do problems like this have nothing to do w/ 4wd? im going now to the store to buy a booklet on the jeep and the fluid to see if that works. im also thinking about looking for places to rebuild my transfer case. is this a good idea? do you think i could get this done for $500 or less? if not what is a reasonable estimate? thanks again for everyones help so far. off to the auto store!

[triplesixjuggalo]

ok i checked the fluid level and it was just slightly under the hole so i topped it off and nothing changed. i drove the jeep around the block and it just seemed like it was in 4wd so i tested it on some dirt and the front tire spun out so it is now back in 4wd somehow. the linkage to the 4wd lever to the transfer case is all torn apart because my in-law wanted to try to put it into 2wd manually underneath the jeep a while back. it seemed then that it was in 2wd and i noticed a difference in the knocking sound. but i guess between then and now it has locked itself back into 4wd. so im going to try to put it all back together with the book i got but i dont think thats going to matter because we couldnt get it to shift out of 2wd when it was put together but at least ill know it is as tight as possible.

[bmwilson]

There is allways the posi-lock system, it is either on or off. No more vacuum system to deal with.

[Cam7]

Try Jacking all 4 wheels off the ground with jack stands. Start the Jeep and try the 4 wheel drive You should be able to find the source or see if the linkage is working or if the problem is the vacum acuator. I fyou have a bad transfer case you can find one at a salvage yard for a couple hundred.Not that hard to replace.

[1more88XJ]

triplesixjuggalo, You don't want to use motor oil in your transfer case! Use any mercon/dexron/atf trans oil, it coats better and is recommended. If there is a noise when turning like screeching or knocking/clicking check the u-joints on each wheel, I learned a long time ago that if u-joints are put under a tremdous load or impact the life span is shortened, or it is immediately torn into shreds. If you are not able to move the lever that switches 2 wheel to 4 wheel and 4 - 2 the transfer might just be bad. My step father found that out after having his trans worked; on a 85 jeep grand wagoneer, they tryed to pry the lever from 2 wheel to 4 and it didn't budge.

[tgissel]

First off there should be no vacuum on a '94 front end. Check and make sure the hubs / frontend wheel bearings are good, make sure the gear ratios match this could have been the reason for the jeep hitting the curb in the first place, gear ratios need to be the same in the front and rear axle or tires turn at different speeds. Checking the four wheel drive on dry pavement is probably not the best thing for the jeep it is going to grab and pop, called crabbing. Good Luck