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Grinding Noise and 4HI Won't Disengage

2K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  oldchap 
#1 ·
A few days ago my new 04 TJ started making a grinding noise when I was going fast and his a bump or dip in the road. It sounded like I was hitting a rumble strip and it seemed like it was coming from the passengers side. It got progressively worse so I jacked it up and checked steering and suspension. No problems. I then jacked up the rear end only to see if the wheels made any weird noises or rubbed when they turned. I put it in 2Hi and slowly let my foot off of the brake and the jeep began to move forward. I double checked that it was in 2Hi and it still did it. I then let it down and checked the transfer case. It was almost bone dry and what little tranny fluid was in there was black when I drained it out. I filled it back up and took it for a quick test drive. The grinding noise stopped. A few miles later it started again, and its continually getting worse. Pretty sure something is wrong with the transfer case since 4HI won't disengage, it had barely any fluid, and it was grinding. Should I just pick up a transfer case from the junk yard or is there something else I should test out first?
 
#2 ·
Depending on how long it was run without oil it could need a total rebuild or replacement. A rebuild would be better than a junkyard one but I'm not sure on the cost comparison. Try to find out where the oil went. If you have a cracked housing, just get the junkyard one, if it's leaking from the plug, some plumbers tape may fix the leak. Still need to get it assessed though. Only way to do it is to crack it open
 
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