QuestionSir,
I suspect the rear axle bearings on my 97 JCG limited need replacing. There is a "roaring" noise (No I don't have aftermarket tires) :) comong from the back of the vehicle. My father, (lots of manufacturing experience) thinks it is the bearings too. These bearing were replaced about 2 years ago at a great deal of expense. I can figure out how to do the bearing myself (I have the book), but I need to know before I start spending cash:
1. Is the axle housing bad and causing the problem to re-occur so quickly?
2. Is this common?
3. Which rear axle is on my jeep? or how do I determine? It has the Quadra track system.
4. If it's just the bearings, what else should I replace while I have it torn down?
Thanks a lot!
Shawdaddy
AnswerMark,
First of all, I'm not familiar with the term JCGL. That year Jeep should be a TJ Wrangler, XJ Cherokee, or the ZJ Grand Cherokee. The axle bearings should last longer than that, unless you are going through a lot of water, silt, or sand. In that case, you need to check them fairly often. If you have the manual for your Jeep, it should tell you which rear axle you have, as you would need to know that to order bearings. Most Chilton, or Haynes manuals are fairly good at telling how to identify components. If it's the Dana 35, they had weak axle tubes, and they were susceptible to bending. If this is the case, you would need to replace the whole rear end. There is a chance that the noise could be coming from the differential itself. A pinion bearing, or a carrier bearing could be bad. The gears in the differential may be worn, and causing this noise also. It wouldn't hurt to check the alignment of the ring and pinion gears. Anytime you change the bearings, you need to replace the seals.
Carl
