Idler pulley...which is best?

    Smoothed or Grooved: they kind you need depends entirely on how your serpentine belt is wrapped around it. It's not a choice to make. If it's chirping are you sure it isn't the belt needing to be replaced?

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

    Might be the belt, I was thinking it was the bearings in the pulley. I planned on replacing both but started looking at pulleys on rockauto and saw there's a million different options. The current pulley is smooth so I guess I should stick with that. Even still, there are $11 pulleys and $30 pulleys. No real description on what the difference is.

    The price range is the guessing game that we get to do to replace parts. Sometimes the more expensive item has a longer warranty. I usually go for a known brand or middle of the road pricing. You get to balance out how much of a cheapskate you will feel like when the $11.00 part craps out versus how good you get to feel spending the other $19.00. Try pricing unit bearings for a Tahoe. You can buy a pair for $68.00 or individually for upwards of $200.00. How is anyone supposed to decide?
    It is best to replace the idler with the belt, they last about the same amount of time.

    I spent like $20 on mine. It takes literally 10 min to replace. 30k, and 3 years no issues.


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    Nobody belongs anywhere, nobody exists on purpose, everybody's going to die. Have a beer.


    Jeeps Owned... 89YJ, 81CJ-8, 99XJ, 93XJ, 00WJ, 05LJ, 22Bronco Badlands !

    Switched them both out pretty easily but unfortunately this didn't fix a problem I've been having.


    So basically every once in a while when I turn off the ignition it sounds like something is still spinning and ramping down...? I haven't had a chance to quickly pop the hood and get a look when this happens yet.
    Also I can tell (sometimes) when it's going to happen because when I'm stopped, it runs super rough.


    Anyone have any ideas?

    When the fan clutch is cold it should free wheel. It is made so that the hotter it gets, the more the fan blows. It shouldn't really be very noisy while winding down, maybe it has a bad bearing in the clutch.

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