Ok so I bought a 03 model Jeep Cherokee everything is great except for some niggling little problem (I know it is a JEEP THING) ok so my problems are as follows:

1. Clunk/Thud or Thump when selecting Drive or Reverse frome either Park or Neutral but when I put the transfer case into Neutral and change into Drive or Reverse there is absolutly no thump/thud or clunk so am I right in assumming that the noise is from the transfer case gear shifts whilst driving are smooth. Is there an ajustment that can be done to take up the slack or adjust how the Transfercase engages. And YES the Fluid in the gearbox is FULL I checked

2. When accelerating and releasing foot from pedal I have started to notice a whizzing/gerrrrrring noise I think it could be the viscious fan how would I check this. Could it be the turbo spolling off???????? (first Turbo)

3. When I hard stop (dipping nose forward) I get a kind of release from the rear of the car feels like the driveshaft is compressing into itself although on the JEEP we have a solid driveshaft, this has driven me nuts but today I noticed that the release happened after I had already started to roll forward leading me to think it could be sticking brakes. Any thoughts???????????

4. The engine idles louder and differently when I have stopped in Drive (foot on brake at lights) putting the car into Neutral smoothes everythingout and idles nicely although there is that clunk/thud or thump when I move it into Neutral from drive (see Question 1)

This is my first diesel and my first auto 4wd the wifes auto lancer changes gears to drive neutral park etc etc very smoothly no thump/clunk etc and idles nicely at the lights.

The truck still has Statutory warranty and a warranty that the car yard gave me that I am sure isn't worth a pinch of doo doo so if I could have some advise to go to them with that would be great.

Thanks heaps in advance

Since yours is a 03 Cherokee that tells me your not in the US Back when I had Cherokees, the original ones 1984 to 2001, the rear drive shaft splines would not slide properly and gave a "thunk" after a stop and starting off. The solution is to remove the drive shaft and to lube the splines with never seize. I don't know if this applies to our KJ's or not. There has also been cases where motor mount bolts have caused problems on CRD's

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

I think he meant a liberty. The liberty is called the cherokee overseas.

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2005 sport crd-SOLD No regrets

Sorry Guys you are correct I live in that far off place called AUSTRALIA and over here we call the Liberty's "Cherokee's" they are the same car but the steering wheel is on the wrong side although they left the bonnet release catch on the side on the passenger side (this is the drivers side for you guys) I guess somethings weren't important to move. I had thoughts about the splines but this is my first JEEP and they have a solid shaft (every other car I have owned has had a split shaft with grease nipples). So know my question is how do I grease the splines on this baby. The feeling could be a sticky shaft.

The later XJ's (Cherokees in the US) don't have grease fittings eather making what I suggested in my first post necessary I just looked under my 06 KJ CRD (Liberty in the US, Cherokee elsewhere in the world) and there's a bellows covering the front of the driveshaft where the splines would be. If yours is like that then remove the hose band and drop the shaft and lube it

onthehunt. My first reply I said "I don't know if this applies to our KJ's or not" I knew right off his "03 cherokee" meant he was not in the US and it was a KJ

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

1. Clunk/Thud or Thump when selecting Drive or Reverse frome either Park or Neutral but when I put the transfer case into Neutral and change into Drive or Reverse there is absolutly no thump/thud or clunk so am I right in assumming that the noise is from the transfer case gear shifts whilst driving are smooth. Is there an ajustment that can be done to take up the slack or adjust how the Transfercase engages. And YES the Fluid in the gearbox is FULL I checked

This noise is most likely the rear-end - when you put the T-case in neutral, the drive shaft isn't sending engine torque to the rear axle, which would explain the lack of thump. To verify, have someone watch the driveshaft while you shift from park to reverse or drive - see how much the driveshaft rotates. Some noise is normal, a lot isn't

2. When accelerating and releasing foot from pedal I have started to notice a whizzing/gerrrrrring noise I think it could be the viscious fan how would I check this. Could it be the turbo spolling off???????? (first Turbo)

Could be turbo, but if the noise has changed since you started, could be something else .... ?

3. When I hard stop (dipping nose forward) I get a kind of release from the rear of the car feels like the driveshaft is compressing into itself although on the JEEP we have a solid driveshaft, this has driven me nuts but today I noticed that the release happened after I had already started to roll forward leading me to think it could be sticking brakes. Any thoughts???????????

Could be the driveshaft slipyoke sticking .... (someone else has already mentioned this )

4. The engine idles louder and differently when I have stopped in Drive (foot on brake at lights) putting the car into Neutral smoothes everythingout and idles nicely although there is that clunk/thud or thump when I move it into Neutral from drive (see Question 1)

My diesel does the same thing - it makes more of a noise when it is idling under load - in neutral, no load, less noise.


Hope that this helps a little bit - good luck with it!

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2006 CRD Sport 4X4, bought 6 July 2006, born 5/20/2006 1900 hrs.
Mods N Things:
235/70r16 Wrangler SilentArmor, ProVent, Gasser airbox, CAT filter, Kennedy lift pump, fuel cooler, Evic from wrecked 05 KJ, factory skidplates, towhooks, OME 2" CRD lift, Magnaflow 12256 muffler, Alpine stereo & XM "stealth antenna" install

THanks guys I will try to see if the driveshaft moves excessively and also try to grease the shaft I have the weekend off so I should be able to get it done.

OK holy SH#T I just had the wife change gears from drive to park (this was done with the hand brake on) and get this when she changed from drive to reverse yes the noise is there but worse I think is the fact that the tailshaft rotates nearly 1/4 of a turn upon the gear shift change and then it rotates back when the the wife changed gears back to drive. It seems to twist the driveshaft fairly easliy at first (say the first 1/8 of a turn) but then bogs down from what seems like some enternal resistence and struggles to turn the last 1/8 of a turn. This has really got me worried as the changing of gears is diffinately causing my noise and I am almost certain that this twisting of the driveshaft is the culpurt, whats more my last 4wd was a manual and had some major backlash but this was evident as a "thump" when you pumped the clutch or when I release the gas pedal and then reapplied it (I could actullay make it go thump, thump, thump) by tapping the gas pedal like a beat. This doesn't happen on the Jeep when I lift my foot off the gas pedal and reapply the transition is smooth.

So where is the slack in the driveline coming from? My possible thoughts are:

1. The diff
2. The driveshaft
3. The tranfercase
4. The gearbox
5. The hand brake

Ok you may be wondering why the handbrake well it is a long shot and by that I mean a "long shot" but something else I have noticed is that even when I apply the footbrake and engage park then pull on the handbrake, I shut the car off and release the footbrake the car still creeps forward about 5-6 inches (maybe a little more). So my thought was maybe the slack is in the handbrake and the driveshaft is picking up that slack until the handbrake "HOLDS" although this can't be 100% exact because get the thump even when I am not using the handbrake (have I just rulled the handbrake out all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I think this is going to cost me if I don't find out what the problem is before my warranty ends.


Please any help would be great.

I would think that the majority of that slack is in the rear diff - sounds like the backlash is off or their may be a bearing going bad. How many miles are on it? Could be that the rearend needs an overhaul.

Their might be some slop in the transfercase as well, but you would need to jack the rear of the jeep up and put the rear axle on safety stands (the rear tires should not be touching the ground.) The parking brake needs to be off for this, but the transmission needs to be in park. Turn the driveshaft back and forth by hand and see how much it moves either way - shouldn't be a whole lot (1/8 turn at a guess) - BE CAREFUL DOING THIS - THE FRONT TIRES SHOULD BE CHOCKED TO KEEP THE JEEP FROM ROLLING EITHER WAY - This will need to be done on LEVEL PAVEMENT with a good set of safety stands - not just a jack!

I am sure you know this - but I remember a teenager having a Jeep fall on him & being killed (this was on another board) - so I'd rather re-emphasize it just in case.

Good luck - let us know what you find out!

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2006 CRD Sport 4X4, bought 6 July 2006, born 5/20/2006 1900 hrs.
Mods N Things:
235/70r16 Wrangler SilentArmor, ProVent, Gasser airbox, CAT filter, Kennedy lift pump, fuel cooler, Evic from wrecked 05 KJ, factory skidplates, towhooks, OME 2" CRD lift, Magnaflow 12256 muffler, Alpine stereo & XM "stealth antenna" install

What you are experiencing is so common it has a name, “drive line snap”. I’ve been in and around Chrysler products for 45 years. Some don’t do it and some do it worse than others. Some do it so bad that just letting off the gas (or diesel) at 15 or 20 mph and hitting the pedal can cause an audible metallic clank.

I have rebuilt transfer cases and differentials and there is not much inside of a transfer case that can contribute much to the problem. There is plenty inside of differentials that can produce slop and noise and the u-joints can contribute too.

Look for metal particles in the differential oil when it is changed. Best to remove the differential cover so you can see what is in the bottom of the case. If the oil is fairly clean and there is not a quarter inch of sludge in the bottom of the case then the differential is just a little lose and probably okay. If the pinion bearings are going then the pinion seal should start leaking or at least weeping. Of course, the pinion seal can go bad with out the bearings going bad (unless it’s run out of oil).

If the u-joint(s) are going bad then you could hear a chirping, squeak, or rumble and or feel a constant vibration above, say, 40 mph. I would just drive it. If the u-joints are not making any running noise or vibrating and the pinion seal isn’t leaking you are probably okay. Parts may have just broken-in in the rear differential a little on the loose side and there is nothing to worry about.

I had a 1974 318 Duster that had 237k miles on it before I got rid of it – same color as Al Bundy’s Dodge Demon – lots of drive line snap. You could put it in park, jack up one rear wheel and turn that wheel over 1/8 turn of play yet the oil was clean (no visible metal) and the pinion didn’t leak.