Shaking in 2WD

Pantaloonz

Pantaloonz

New Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2023
Messages
4
Location
Florida
02 Wrangler X here.
Getting some serious shaking when in gear. The shaking happens when I start moving and is much more violent in high torque/low RPM situations. At higher speeds it turns to vibration. In 1st and second gear.

Sometimes this is accompanied by a sort of scraping sound which is rhythmic with the turning of the driveshaft (in other words, not constant, more like a scrape.....scrape....scrape...scrape..scrape as I speed up). By sometimes I mean I can go a full day or 2 not hearing the sound at all.

If I put it in 4WH then the shaking and the sound are gone. Seems like I am dealing with a Transfer case problem, but looking for any advice, and confirmation of my diagnosis. This is my first Jeep and I am pretty skilled at mechanic work, but have no experience with 4WD vehicles. So I don't know if I can fix it , or if I have to replace the transfer case.

And before it is asked, the rear driveshaft U joints are good (replaced 2 years ago). Front U-joints at wheels were just replaced. Guy I bought it from said the transmission and clutch are brand new.
 
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Pictures! Front end especially showing the steering... driveshafts...all would be helpful.

Never assume new parts are good. These days I'm replacing or doing over and over jobs trying to find working new parts.

Have you checked the fluid level in the transfer case? Two plugs in the back...upper and lower...lower is for draining and upper is where it's supposed to be filled too. ATF-4.

-Mac
 
Oh...tires...what are you running, how old are they and have you had them rebalanced?

Does rotating them change the wobble?

-Mac
 
macleanflood said:
Oh...tires...what are you running, how old are they and have you had them rebalanced?

Does rotating them change the wobble?

-Mac
Click to expand...
I was thinking tires as well and plan to have them balanced and rotated. However the scrape noise and the fact that the issue is not present in 4WH turns my attention away from tired immediately. If it were a tire problem, or a steering system issue, the problem would persist across 2WD and 4WD right?

Have not checked TCase fluid. I'll look at that.
 
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Going off on a tangent.
Check your Transfer case and your driveshafts WELL.
Make sure you don't have interference anywhere.

I had a similar issue, that ended up being caused by improper Transfer Case clocking.
Driveshaft was slightly warped, and contacting the skid plate, causing the vibrations & that "scrape - scrape - scrape" you mentioned.

1705613574593.png

Also, I would check the driveshaft joints, and make sure they're proper.
You could remove a shaft, to see if you can eliminate the issue.
At which point you can narrow down your possibilities and fix the troubled shaft.
 
zachpeakee said:
Going off on a tangent.
Check your Transfer case and your driveshafts WELL.
Make sure you don't have interference anywhere.

I had a similar issue, that ended up being caused by improper Transfer Case clocking.
Driveshaft was slightly warped, and contacting the skid plate, causing the vibrations & that "scrape - scrape - scrape" you mentioned.

View attachment 492545

Also, I would check the driveshaft joints, and make sure they're proper.
You could remove a shaft, to see if you can eliminate the issue.
At which point you can narrow down your possibilities and fix the troubled shaft.
Click to expand...

Well the back shaft is for sure good, and the U joints have been checked both by me, and a mechanic. It drives great in 4WH so not the front shaft, and the fact that the problem disappears in 4W means it's not an issue with a shaft, as both are running.
 
I know it's been a while but I wanted to give a final update for this. Ended up being the front U-joint of the rear drive shaft and the yoke. The u-joint was definitely bad and the yoke was cracked. It was very hard to tell with the Jeep on the ground that there was play in that u-joint. Once it was up on a proper lift it was obvious. Funny thing is that the first "mechanic" that I took it to, I provided him with both u-joints for the rear drive shaft, and instructions to replace them both, since the symptoms seemed to point to that. I didn't ask him to assess, just replace them. Well he looked at them first and told me they were both fine, and didn't do what I asked, which is what originally drove me here looking for answers. I trusted he knew more than me.

I ended up bringing it to a really good mechanic that specializes in off-road, and he got it fixed up right away.

Moral is trust yourself.
 
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