Yep, 'twas the front driveshaft causing my nice noise/knock. New one on, and not a peep from the front now. Drove it home and not a single noise to be heard. I'm really glad that one's finally over with!
I do have the old one that I'm going to see if I can take apart a bit to see exactly it wore.
For those who may be ordering, I would have to recommend worldpartsexpress.com. They had the best price on the net that I could find, and that site was recommended to me from a fellow LOST'er. I placed the order, but I didn't have the VIN on me. They replied back and said that the driveshaft was for a manual and just wanted to verify that's what I wanted (I didn't think they offered a manual in '02). I sent the VIN, and I get an email with the subject "price adjustment"....ugh. To my surprise, it was CHEAPER!! WooHoo!
They were in constant communication regarding my order, continuously updating me on my order status. Great customer service. Basically got the driveshaft for just over $360 shipped IIRC.
Hope this helps you guys out there! Kolesy, if it's still under warranty, I would think they would definitely cover it.
Funny thing was, when I was at the shop when I dropped it off, I was flipping through their magazines, and there was an article on someone who had a Grand Cherokee that was doing the same thing, with the same mileage, and ended up being ........the front driveshaft.
For putting new ends on the existing shaft, you could also check out Rockford Driveline in Rockford, IL.
