Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Does your undercarriage look like this?

5K views 20 replies 18 participants last post by  cbunting24 
#1 ·
Our new '16 Unlimited Back Country has been making a loud "clunk" followed by this obnoxious creaky sound whenever you shift out of park and into either reverse or drive and you slowly let your foot off the brake. It is so loud that people literally stop and stare to see what the noise is as we pull away.

I took a look underneath and it appears awfully rusty under there. Our previous '16 Unlimited Black Bear was nice & shiny underneath.

Both had 7 miles on them when I purchased, though the Back Country has a Dec '15 build date and we purchased mid-April. The Black Bear was a mid-Sept build and we purchased in October.

I am finding leaves and acorns all over in the nooks & crannies of this thing so it appears to have been sitting outside under a tree for some time.

My wife took it in to the service dept for the noise but it was raining and they said they couldn't hear anything.

Will take it back in for this, and the weatherstripping where the freedom tops meet the hard top has already pulled apart (1500 mi ). Wondering if all the rust under here is considered normal? I've owned 5 Wranglers and none ever looked like this underneath. Thanks
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#6 ·
X4^^^
 
#7 ·
Rust is not actually harmful unless it is on rolled steel (ie: frame and body panels). On forged and cast steel, the metal is actually a different formulation and rust forms on the surface but does not eat into it.

There is actually a formulation of steel (trade name Cor-Ten) that for decorative purposes is actually designed to rust to a uniform color. Once the oxide is formed, the inner steel is protected.
 
#8 ·
Early on I emailed Dana spicer and they told me that is by design and actually is a protective oxidation process.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the replies. Do find it interesting that my previous '16 looked shiny & new underneath compared to this one.
 
#13 ·
The rust on the drive shaft is normal.

On occasion I'll hear a little creaky noise from the brakes the first time I use them after the Jeep sat for a few days. That's normal too. Sometimes depending on humidity, or if the Jeep was parked after rain the rotors will flash rust, the noise is coming from the rust making contact with the pads. That comes off after the first stop. Excessively loud no, but what's loud to one person can be a non-event to another. If it is really very loud, have it checked out by the dealership again.
 
#14 ·
The creaking is definitely not normal, it is extremely loud and happens every time you let your foot off the brakes, not just the first time after its been sitting or after its rained or been washed.
 
#17 ·
Some of us affectionately call that noise the Chewbacca brakes.
It's pretty common on Wranglers, some claim to have eliminated it by lubricating the moving brake/caliper parts.

It doesn't bother me anymore, now that I've started talking back to Chewbacca. Try it, it's kinda fun.
 
#15 ·
my 16 Oscar Mike does this too, but only at start up higher idle. Put it in drive, and pull out of the garage, and it groans as you let the brakes out and again when I stop at the bottom of the drive. It is most definitely brake related. It feels as if the pads are disengaging with a touch of surface rust. Ive read this is happening to someone else on the board.
 
#16 ·
New JK with 3k miles on it, got it two months ago. Looks identical underneath, don't worry about it
 
#18 ·
Thanks for the replies. While some chalk up the brake noise as normal for Wranglers, our '16 Unlimited Black Bear was squeak free. I've also owned 3 other Wranglers over the last 20 years and none of them had this issue.

I'll sometimes hear a similar noise on our other vehicles, like has been said after washing them & them having sat for a little bit. But this is every day, every time the brakes are released. Will get it checked out at the dealer here when I get a chance.
 
#21 ·
Looks a lot like my undercarriage except for the shiny black replacement front driveshaft, some scrapes on my skid plates, and some grass stuck in a spot or two.....but my rear driveshaft, which is original is also rusty. Like everyone else mentioned, it all looks okay in your pics.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top