1982 CJ-7

That really sounds like one of your hubs came loose and blew up or the grease inside is sooo dry it isn't letting the lock ring slide down to fully latch. The hubs are supposed to be periodically cleaned to get the mud out and they call for a 'little' light white grease.

To verify, I would go in 4x4 with the hubs open and see if you have noise, then lock one hub at a time to find the stuck or busted one.

I blow the stupid stock ones up all the time. I now have one Warn lock with the other going in as soon as I bust the next one.

Mike

Norman wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Mike, I'm going to try your test and and take Bill's advice to get her on a rack. I have her lubed every 3000 miles and I have only driven her

I'll report back here once the problem is found.

Thank you very much for the quick response.

Norman

--------------------------------- Hello Bill,

There's nothing loose, so I'll get her to a garage and on a rack this week. Thank you very much.

Sincerely, Norman

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----- I engaged 4 low without locking either hub, stomped on the gas and heard, the same awful clanking noise. I'm assuming that the transfer case is the problem.

Thanks Norman

Don't eliminate a bad u-joint. You are spinning up the drive train only now, so your hubs are fine. A dead u-joint will make a pile of noise before it explodes. You have 4 u-joints up front, two on the driveshaft and one on each axle.

The next test would be to remove the front driveshaft and put it in 4x4 with the hubs open.

Mike

------------------------------------ Thanks Mike. I will try that next!

Norman

It could also be a bad transmission mount. Years ago my CJ made a noise in 4WD that sounds like the OP's description. It turned out that the bad mount was letting the transmission swing far enough to the right to let the U-joint on the front shaft whack the floor pan.

----------------------------------------- I now have 2 new U joints on the front drive shaft. When I engage 4L without locking the hubs, I still hear the same awful clanking noise.

Have I now narrowed the problem down to the transfer case, or should I check the mounts next?

I appreciate the guidance.

Norman

-------------------------------------------------------------- What is the best way to check the mount?

Thanks,

Norman

---------------------------------------------------- No noise with the transfer in neutral and the transmission in gear with the engine running.

Take the front shaft back out and try again?

Thanks Bill, Norman

Did it make noise with no front driveshaft in there and the hubs open and in 4x4?

The reason I mentioned that test, was to also eliminate the two other u-joints at the axle ends and to eliminate an issue with the front pumpkin.

If the front driveshaft is out and you are in 4x4, then the noise has to come from the t-case.

Mike

------------------------------------------ I'll test it with the front shaft removed this weekend.

Thanks again, Norman

I still am putting my money on a u-joint.... Two more to go up there...

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------------- The mount that holds the transfer case to the frame is loose. When I put a wrench on the plug to check the transfer case gear oil level I was able to move/slide the entire assembly about 3 inches left and right. I'm sure that the awful noise that I heard was the case banging from side to side.

I thank you all for helping me track down the problem and eliminate other items. My front U joints were in bad shape too.

Sincerely, Norman

Three inches?????? I know you're exaggerating, but most of that is in bad engine mounts:

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- The bad mount was allowing the case to slide and hit each edge.

Thanks again, Norman