Questions and Answers

Jeep Cherokee Noise And Vibration Q. I have a 1985 Jeep Cherokee 4WD with 200,000 miles on car. Recent upgrades have been Jasper engine, clutch, rebuilt transmission and transfer case, new brakes, front end re-bushed, steering stabilizer, new shocks and new A/C. After the transmission work, the car was so much quieter that I began to hear and feel vibration from the front end.

It starts to vibrate and produce a drumming sound at 35 mph and continues on up to highway speed gaining pitch as it goes. Although the noise and vibration is there with the car going in any direction, when going around a long right hand sweeper the noise and vibration is magnified by 2 or 3 times. When slowing down and approaching 35 mph the car sounds like a P-40 fighter in a power dive!

My mechanic thought it was a bad left hub assembly. and we replaced it. No improvement. Now the noise has gotten much worse and the floor, pedals and steering wheel picks up the vibration at all speeds even when coasting to a stop. The problem is there in any gear with clutch in or out.

The tires are three years old with approximately 30,000 miles on them. They were rotated, balanced and the front end aligned when we first started to troubleshoot the problem. So far, nothing has improved the situation and it is getting worse.

As you can tell by the amount of money I have put into this vehicle. I got it free from my mother-in-law, if you call $6,000.00 in repairs free. We love the old beast. We towed our two motorcycles to California and back in 2000 and we made it over some 11,000 foot passes. And with the 2.8 liter V-6 and a carburetor that isn't bad. Any help would be appreciated. We're headed for Montana in the spring.

Thanks,
Graham

A. It is extremely difficult to try and diagnose a noise or vibration problem in this venue. About the only thing I can say with any degree of certainty is it is, most likely, a drive line vibration.

I would guess that one of the drive shafts or front axle shafts are out of balance. Another good possibility is a frozen U joint. The vibration you are feeling is often a symptom of a frozen U Joint.