Help.03 Liberty about to grenade

[MHamilton]

Sounds like something is about to come through the floorboard! It has a lock knock, almost like a drive shaft or cv axle slapping something. All front end parts are brand new including cv axles and hubs. I took it to the shop and of course it didn't do it, that was last Mon, I drove it all week and today it did it again. The shop checked everything and said it all looked good. One thing I did notice is it would grind if I tried to shift into 4x4 on the fly...was working fine before. Any ideas I can tell the shop tomorrow?

It's an '03 Liberty auto 4x4 with an OME 1.5" lift. 124k miles

 

[ltd02]

Check the two CV joints on the front driveshaft. The one on the Tcase side is recessed and if it cracks and the grease slings out or you get crud in there it will make all sorts of noise.

 

[MHamilton]

Check the two CV joints on the front driveshaft. The one on the Tcase side is recessed and if it cracks and the grease slings out or you get crud in there it will make all sorts of noise.

That was my first thought but they are brand new with less than 1000 miles on them. What concerns me is it won't shift on the fly into 4wd...it just grinds.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

That was my first thought but they are brand new with less than 1000 miles on them. What concerns me is it won't shift on the fly into 4wd...it just grinds.

What he is saying is to check the CV joints on the front driveshaft - you indicated that you replaced the CV's and front hubs. Those aren't the same as the front driveshaft.

The front driveshaft connects the transfer case to the front differential and runs lengthwise right under the drivers seat - and when its rear CV especially goes bad it creates all kinds of noises. The symptom you describe in which the grinding gets worse when you put your Jeep in 4WD - to me that indicates the front driveshaft CV's.

Both the front and rear CV's are available at driveshaftparts.com and are easily replaced. Don't let a shop tell you the entire driveshaft needs replaced. Check out this How-To: Change Front Driveshaft/Driveshaft Head


Bob

 

[MHamilton]

Check the two CV joints on the front driveshaft. The one on the Tcase side is recessed and if it cracks and the grease slings out or you get crud in there it will make all sorts of noise.

That was my first thought but they are brand new with less than 1000 miles on them. What concerns me is it won't shift on the fly into 4wd...it just grinds.

 

[MHamilton]

Sorry for the double post, don't know what happened. Can the driveshaft make it not go in 4wd on the fly? It'll engage at less than 5mph but anything faster and it'll grind. The shop said they checked my driveline and everything looked good...I'll go check myself. If memory serves me correct, I put it in neutral and check for play, correct?

 

[ltd02]

Have you serviced or at least checked the fluid level in the transfer case? I would think if there is sufficient driveline bind the tcase won't shift properly. Are the tires matched and equally inflated? My FT setting is really sensitive to tire pressures.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Sorry for the double post, don't know what happened. Can the driveshaft make it not go in 4wd on the fly? It'll engage at less than 5mph but anything faster and it'll grind. The shop said they checked my driveline and everything looked good...I'll go check myself. If memory serves me correct, I put it in neutral and check for play, correct?

Look at the pictures in the How-To I linked to above. If the boot on the rear CV looks like the first picture it's cracked or missing and needs replaced. The front CV boot doesn't usually rip or disintegrate but it may be bad as well depending on miles on your KJ. Crawl under your Jeep and take a look at that rear CV - I think you'll find your culprit there :waytogo:

Bob

 

[MHamilton]

Look at the pictures in the How-To I linked to above. If the boot on the rear CV looks like the first picture it's cracked or missing and needs replaced. The front CV boot doesn't usually rip or disintegrate but it may be bad as well depending on miles on your KJ. Crawl under your Jeep and take a look at that rear CV - I think you'll find your culprit there :waytogo:

Bob

Think you solved it. There is slack on the rear of the driveshaft inside the housing.

Will this not allow it to shift on the fly?

 

[ltd02]

Yes. The 242 t case is pretty sensitive to issues with the driveline. Any bind or irregularity like that torn boot can affect its ability to shift. I'd still service of check your tcase ASAP too.

BTW Like Bob said, Driveshaftparts.com is the way to go.

 

[MHamilton]

Yes. The 242 t case is pretty sensitive to issues with the driveline. Any bind or irregularity like that torn boot can affect its ability to shift. I'd still service of check your tcase ASAP too.

BTW Like Bob said, Driveshaftparts.com is the way to go.

Great!! I'm pulling my driveshaft tonight so I can still get to work in the AM and will order parts tomorrow! Thanks and I'll post my results!

 

[MHamilton]

Great!! I'm pulling my driveshaft tonight so I can still get to work in the AM and will order parts tomorrow! Thanks and I'll post my results!

Wasn't my problem! I made it half way down my street and it started banging again, but this time I made it to the shop and they heard it. I suspect one of my new cv axles is bad. I went ahead and ordered the rebuild kit for my front driveline so at least I'll know I won't have to mess with that anytime soon.

 

[MHamilton]

Here's a head scratcher, the passenger side axle had pulled out of differential. They were able to get it back in...hopefully the OME lift didn't cause it, it could have been my error during installation but I make sure I knocked the crap out of it with a rubber hammer and even pulled on it a few times to make sure it was locked in.

 

[ltd02]

Here's a head scratcher, the passenger side axle had pulled out of differential. They were able to get it back in...hopefully the OME lift didn't cause it, it could have been my error during installation but I make sure I knocked the crap out of it with a rubber hammer and even pulled on it a few times to make sure it was locked in.

Did the half shaft pull out of the intermediate shaft or did the half shaft and intermediate shaft come out?

 

[CzarKJ]

HOW that's a tight fit!

 

[MHamilton]

The intermediate shaft came out of the differential. The shop seems to think that I might have been sold the wrong one and it's just a little too short. Time will tell if it slips out again.

After rereading my post it looks like I described the whole intermediate shaft coming out. What actually happened was it came out just enough past the lock ring to cause my problems. I assume it got a wobble in it, don't really understand how it could happen either.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

The intermediate shaft came out of the differential. The shop seems to think that I might have been sold the wrong one and it's just a little too short. Time will tell if it slips out again.

After rereading my post it looks like I described the whole intermediate shaft coming out. What actually happened was it came out just enough past the lock ring to cause my problems. I assume it got a wobble in it, don't really understand how it could happen either.

Sadly many of the CV axles for the Liberty are too short, especially those sold as new. Remanufactured CV's from NAPA are the correct length and won't pull out of the diff or cause other problems.

Did you go with new CV's or remanufactured?

Bob

 

[tommudd]

^^^^ What Bob said, a lot of the ones from Flatozone and others like that are too short especially on lifted KJs
I ran stock CVs on my 04 at over 4 inches of lift and never had an issue , so what you experienced just points to a CV that is too short

 

[MHamilton]

Well I'll be! It was a new precision from Oriellys. Good to know about napa, thanks guys!

 

[tommudd]

Well I'll be! It was a new precision from Oriellys. Good to know about napa, thanks guys!

There is your problem, China junk