The Jeep Wrangler’s drive shaft comprises several components, including U-joints, yokes, and other important parts. When the drive shaft fails, it is because one of these components has failed.
Failures usually occur due to wear or damage in the U-joint. A lack of maintenance, such as lack of lubrication, may also play a role in the failure of the driveshaft.
Whatever the cause, clicking is one of the most common symptoms of drive shaft failure. When the symptoms appear, you must examine several parts of the drive shaft and find out the reason.
In this article, we will identify the reasons for driveshaft failure, talk about them in detail, and tell you what you can do if you have a clicking issue in your Jeep Wrangler.
Why Is My Jeep Wrangler’s Drive Shaft Clicking?
Clicking is a common thing for any vehicle, including the Jeep Wrangler. However, when it comes from a specific location in the car, we can be more precise about the reasons.
To be more precise about the reasons behind the clicking issue in the Jeep Wrangler, we have to identify each component of the drive shaft. It is very likely that the crucial components of the Drive Shaft will play the role.
For example, if the U-joints wire out or break, you will undoubtedly have a drive shaft clicking issue.
Specific components of the drive shaft of a jeep wrangler
Here is a list of the driveshaft’s components; we’ll go over each one and explain how they might play a role in the clicking sound.
- U-Joints
- Slip Yokes
- End Yokes
- Tube Yokes
- Stubs and Shafts
- Center Bearings, Tubing,
- and other small parts.
Worn U-Joints
The Jeep Wrangler’s drive shaft has four U joints. When one of these U-joints wears out, you will hear a clicking noise or experience vibration under the Jeep.
There are various reasons for U-joint issues, including wire and tear, excessive u-joint operating angles, a lack of lubrication, water contamination, or a bent yoke.
In any case, faulty joints will create noise and vibration. Also, If the bearing inside the joint has worn out, which usually happens when there isn’t enough lubrication, you may hear an unusual clicking noise.
Fractured Yoke
When the Jeep Wrangler is driven hard, it produces a lot of torque and shock loads. If the yoke and its associated parts become worn, they cannot handle such a load, which results in a fractured yoke.
Yokes can be of three types: slip yokes, end yokes, and tube yokes. When the slip yoke on a Jeep Wrangler is fractured, the vehicle may clunk or bump when moving forward.
Twisted Tubing
Every vehicle, including the Jeep Wrangler, is built with a specific torque and load-bearing capacity. There’s a chance of a twisted tube if the wrangler uses power to move an immovable object.
This can also happen when a Wrangler is climbing a hill or if the driver has accelerated too quickly. In any case, if you have a Wrangler, you should be aware of the risks.
If you hear a clicking sound, there is a high chance that the drive shaft tube has twisted.
Faulty CV joints
The clicking in your Jeep Wrangler could be due to damaged CV joints. The front drive shaft, which connects to the transfer case, may have problems with grease blowing out or the joint cup not tilting correctly.
This might be attributed to the clicking issue of the Jeep Wrangler. If this is the case, the existing CV joints should be replaced with high-angle CV joints.
How Long Will A Knocking Drive Shaft Last?
As you learn from the above discussion, if the drive shaft has a problem, it will first manifest itself as clicking or vibration under the car. You must act immediately as soon as the symptoms appear.
The driveshaft may fail immediately after the symptoms appear, or you may be able to drive for a short period if you are lucky, which depends on the intensity of the problem.
However, I suggest not doing this. You must act quickly as soon as you notice the first signs of a failing driveshaft. You won’t be able to move your car forward if the drive shaft fails.
It’s because the wheel lacks sufficient torque to run on its own. Therefore, you should not drive a Jeep Wrangler if you have driveshaft failure symptoms.
How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Drive Shaft?
If you decide to replace the drive shaft of a Jeep Wrangler, it might cost you anywhere between $800 to $1000, including the cost of the parts plus the labor costs.
On the other hand, if you replace a specific part of the driveshaft, like U-Joints, you have to pay for that particular part only.
For example, the average cost for a Jeep Wrangler u-joint replacement, including labor, is $200 and $300.
There are also some hidden costs, such as taxes, fees, tips, and transportation costs, that may require you to spend additional funds.
What Happens If Your Drive Shaft Breaks While Driving?
To get to the answer, first, understand what a driveshaft does. As the name suggests, Driveterrain shifts the power or torque of the engine to the wheel.
The wheel revolves because it gets power from the engine through the drive terrain.
When the driveshaft fails, the wheel won’t get enough power to move forward when the driveshaft fails. Unfortunately, if it fails while driving, you could lose control of your vehicle and cause an accident.
Preventive Maintenance and Routine Inspection Steps
As previously stated, if your driveshaft fails in the middle of your journey, you may face serious consequences. An inspection of the driveshaft should be part of a regular maintenance routine to avoid such events. Here are some guidelines:
- After a long drive or at least a month, examine the looseness of the output and input end yokes.
- There might be radial looseness. Inspect the output/input shaft for radial looseness.
- Check the ends of the u-joint for looseness.
- Excessive radial movement in the slip spline should be checked.
- Look for any damage to the shaft, such as bent tubing or missing balance weights. As soon as you notice a problem, replace it immediately.
- Check to see if any plugs are broken or missing.
Conclusion
Reasons for the Wrangler drive shaft clicking can be as simple as worn-out parts or as challenging as twisted tubes. It does not matter what the reasons are?
As you have learned about the possible reasons for the clicking issue in the Jeep Wrangler, it should be easy for you to identify the problem and fix it.
Although determining which component is to blame is difficult, if you take it step by step, you can do it. We hope that our efforts were worthwhile. In addition, never forget to get the best professional to solve the issue.
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