Hi All. I hope I posted this in the correct forum. I have noticed this problem twice now once in snow and last time in a buddies mudhole in his yard. I have a 2009 X with a six speed. When I put it in 4HI and start playin and the tires are spinning I get a clunking noise in the front end and the wheels jump. It sounds like ujoints banging together but it not just once. It will clunk more than once a secound while you have the wheels turned. My buddy thinks its all the torque the six-speed gives me kinda like tire hop on the back of a truck. My question is this what do you think it is and is it damaging the jeep in any way. Thank you all in advance for any advice you have for me. I love this forum everyone is so helpful and its great to find so many like minded individuals in one place.

Thanks
Robert

 

Errm, that doesn't sound right to me. I never have had any clunking in 4Hi. You may want to get it looked at quickly, since you have a Jamboree to go to and all.

 

sounds to me like the JK has too much traction to be in 4wd. 4wd should only be used on very slippery surfaces.. if the snow is powdery and your grabbing traction on the pavement beneath, this will happen.

your front wheels, while turning are trying to turn at a different speed from your rear wheels and in 4wd that cant happen...


and yes its bad for the Jeep.



Or, im completely wrong and you have a bad front joint on one of your axles.. thats known to happen, the c clips fall off and the joint rattles around til it breaks

 

based on what you said i would agree that it sounds like you don't need to be in 4hi for the conditions you are in and you are getting wheel hop when you turn the front wheels....if it happens when you are going straight you have a problem, if it is only happening when you turn your wheels all the way one way or the other when making a turn then that's what it is....