In my 04 Liberty (4x4) I hear a grinding noise which becomes louder as speed is reduced through 35 mph - without breaking! 230K miles and runs great so I just changed bearing hubs, breaks, rotors.

10

Asked by kenorourke22 Apr 29, 2014 at 05:03 PM about the 2004 Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

In my 04 Liberty (4x4) I hear a grinding noise which becomes louder as speed is reduced through 35 mph - when not breaking!  Noise is present while accelerating also, but is most pronounced when slowing below 30 mph.  Noise has no correlation to turns or breaking.  The car has 230K miles and runs great so I just changed the bearing hubs, brakes and rotors, but the noise continues.   Any thoughts?   CV Axle?  Transfer case?  Tips on  identifying the location without replacing the entire drive train?

2 Answers

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Sounds like a transfer case bearing. They typically start to make noise under load (accel or decel) when they're going bad. Stepping lightly on the brake can put enough "backward' torque on the bearing to silence it for a while. You'll need to put the car on a lift to trace this properly. As a low-buck trial, try putting heavier gear oil in the case and see if it makes any difference. It's not a fix - but it will tell you if you're on the right track.

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