I think I may already know the answer, but I've noticed when turning hard (usually to the right) and accelerating briskly, I feel a binding feeling, like something is catching and releasing. Turning tightly in a parking lot or gradual turns at speed don't seem to trigger it. The traction light doesn't come on either, and it's lower frequency than ABS engaging.

I do have the locking rear differential.

 

Yeah....sounds kinda like the clutch packs in the rear diff. When mine exhibited that, it wasn't speed-related, though....but it was that same feel and you could hear a distinct "clank clank clank" sound.

I hope I'm wrong. It's not a cheap fix.

 

Could be the traction control activating your ABS, especially if your suspension bushings are worn... at least that was my experience.

 

...he said the light does not illuminate.

 

Yeah definitely doesn't feel like ABS. It's more a low frequency gentle tugging/binding than a rapid ABS activation.

No noise accompanies it (yet). The PO did have the electric motor replaced due to "chirping" before I bought it according to the service records. The fluid that came from the rear diff when I changed it earlier this year was also a little rough looking (milky, the magnet was covered in shavings).

So I'm leaning towards rear diff, but praying it isn't.

What exactly happened to the clutch packs Houm? Burned out?

 

I mean...nothing "happened" per se except they made that clanking and I could feel a skipping or binding. I probably could have lived with it but I'm really neurotic about this kind of stuff. I changed it all....rear diff, locking motor....even the rear drive shaft just for the hell of it.

 

Missed that...

 

Also neurotic about noises.

You didn't happen to have any of these other symptoms did you?

1. Whirring/scraping sound like a bad bearing, noticeable only at low speeds, worsens when off throttle.
2. Drive train slack, causing a clunk especially when letting off the throttle going up hill.

Wondering if they might all be related. Did some searching and found some mentions of a bad transfer case potentially being the culprit.

 

Check for play at the rear output of the t case.

Also, do you hear a clunk when shifting from high to low? If so, could be the t case.

 

I don't remember any other symptoms like that, no....may have been some slack and clunkiness in turns. I say "may have been" because I don't remember if that episode is what cured that symptom or if it was something else. It was a while ago...