[UTmike]

I've been noticing whenever I accelerate a little hard I hear a couple clicks coming from underneath me towards the front of the jeep. The harder I accelerate, the harder the clicking. It sounds almost like it's coming from the driver front axle u-joint, but it's hard to tell for sure since I'm in the vehicle. Do axle ujoints click like that before going out? I wouldn't think so b/c I'm not stressing the front axle while in 2wd, so they shouldn't be clicking. What about the front driveshaft ujoints? But I wouldn't think they're under stress either in 2wd???

[Kiwi Jeeper]

Is it a clicking sound definitely?

Otherwise it could very well be the bushing on the anti-sway bar. When you accelerate, weight shifts to the rear and the front left end lifts up a little (thats how a TJ engine rotates). Its a possibility.

[Dogman]

I had a clicking sound that was driving me crazy. It would happen while turning sharp and also when I would first accelerate from a stop. It was my passenger side u-joint.

Get down there and grab ahold to see if you can feel any play in the joint.

[McLovin]

yep check your U-joints, they dont last forever. Be sure to buy genuine spicer 760x's. The house brand u-joints like napa and autozone dont seem to hold up well to our off roading and bigger tires. I also prefer sealed over greaseable.

[Thunderstrike]

Originally Posted by UTmike

I've been noticing whenever I accelerate a little hard I hear a couple clicks coming from underneath me towards the front of the jeep. The harder I accelerate, the harder the clicking. It sounds almost like it's coming from the driver front axle u-joint, but it's hard to tell for sure since I'm in the vehicle. Do axle ujoints click like that before going out? I wouldn't think so b/c I'm not stressing the front axle while in 2wd, so they shouldn't be clicking. What about the front driveshaft ujoints? But I wouldn't think they're under stress either in 2wd???

Just courteous, how many miles do you have on your rig?

[UTmike]

Originally Posted by Thunderstrike

Just courteous, how many miles do you have on your rig?

about 70,000

I'll have to check for play in the ujoints then. I know my front drive shaft has about half an inch of play in it, but it's not at the ujoints. Is that normal?

[CNY]

What king of play? Rotational?

[Kiwi Jeeper]

There will always be some rotational play in the front driveshaft as NP231 is a chain driven transfer case. As long as there is no play between the components on the driveshaft itself, it should not raise any alarms within reason.

[UTmike]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Jeeper

There will always be some rotational play in the front driveshaft as NP231 is a chain driven transfer case. As long as there is no play between the components on the driveshaft itself, it should not raise any alarms within reason.

Yeah, it's just a little rotation and it's not across the ujoints. I'll give the axle ujoints a look at.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by UTmike

about 70,000

I'll have to check for play in the ujoints then. I know my front drive shaft has about half an inch of play in it, but it's not at the ujoints. Is that normal?

I lost my first U-joint at 38,000 miles FYI

[UTmike]

Originally Posted by Shawn_c

yep check your U-joints, they dont last forever. Be sure to buy genuine spicer 760x's. The house brand u-joints like napa and autozone dont seem to hold up well to our off roading and bigger tires. I also prefer sealed over greaseable.

I found some that are spicer 5-760x. that's the one's right?

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by UTmike

I found some that are spicer 5-760x. that's the one's right?

Yep...Have you seen the write-up on Stu's site?

[UTmike]

Well all my ujoints feel solid up front. I noticed that the bushing on the pitman arm was warped and lopsided. Can these pop when they're worn and need to be replaced? I'm gonna order a ujoint too just in case though.

[UTmike]

To update: I replaced both the front axle shaft ujoints last week and to my disappointment, the problem was still there, unchanged. I've also noticed that it doesn't click as badly or at all when it's real cold outside but does it a lot worse when the temp gets up to the 60s and 70s. I also had someone stand outside while I hit the gas and they thought the clicking was coming from a little further back, around the xcase or transmission. So to bring up the question again, the front driveshaft shouldn't be under stress while accelerating in 2wd right? So the front driveshaft ujoints shouldn't be clicking louder and harder, the harder I hit the gas if it were them, right?

[daveg13]

Did you check your trans. mount?