Jeep Repair: Shimmy - HELP, wheel bearings, jeep wrangler


Question
I have an 89 Jeep Wrangler. Earlier this weekend I started to hear a high pitch clicking sound in the rear. Kind of like when you have a loose center cap with a slight grinding noise. Now after two days when I get into 3rd gear theres more of an shimmy like when a u-joint starts to go bad... But I have tried to wiggle the drive shaft and there is no play in the joints - nor is there any noise as when it started? Help - This is an Automatic trans - I was thinking maybe wheel barrings?

Answer
Jack the rear off the ground and with the Jeep in neutral, rotate the tires one at a time and listen for grinding, try to wiggle each wheel and see if there is "play" in either wheel bearing. You could have bad wheel bearings, carrier bearings, pinion bearing, or slack between the ring and pinion gear.