I'm going to head over to a dealer today to take a look at a couple '03 Explorers. One of the things I'd like to test out is the 4wd system, but I'm not really sure how to do this. I've heard that engaging 4wd on dry pavement isn't good for the car, and the last thing I want to do is damage it if I'm going to buy it. That being said, I doubt the dealership would let me find a field to drive through either. What are your suggestions?
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replacing wheel bearing... how serious?
- Thread starter fndngemo
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retiredsparky
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tell the dealer you want to test or you wont buy. its your money. im sure most will even show you how.
spdy0001
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Im sure you can find a gravel parking lot somewhere during your test drive. Most of the dealers near me actually have specific places they take people with SUV's during test drives that is like a grassy area or something
Explorer#2
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I've heard that engaging 4wd on dry pavement isn't good for the car
where did you hear this??? cause its not true
I read it on numerous different posts. Some places seemed to say that turning it on was okay as long as you were driving perfectly straight, but the general opinion seemed to be that 4wd and dry pavement don't mix. I could be wrong though.
I just got off the phone with a dealership that had an '03 explorer I was interested in taking a look at. He said I could come look at it but that it was currently in the service department having a wheel bearing replaced. He said it was making some noise while driving and that's what it needed. I'm a little nervous now as I'm wondering if this could be a sign that something bigger is going to go wrong. Should I back off and look elsewhere, or is replacing a wheel bearing no big deal?
Explorer#2
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then why do porsches and lambos come with 4x4, yes i know the system is different
Explorer#2
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they are both AWD as will be the 03 explorer
snocross1985
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fndngemo, you are correct
Putting any 4x4 vehicle into 4x4 hi or lo on dry pavement will cause binding in the driveline. AWD is different because it allows the front and rear wheels to spin at different speeds via a center differential in the transfer case. If you engage 4x4, you have to be on a low traction surface to avoid binding and potential dmage to the driveline.
Putting any 4x4 vehicle into 4x4 hi or lo on dry pavement will cause binding in the driveline. AWD is different because it allows the front and rear wheels to spin at different speeds via a center differential in the transfer case. If you engage 4x4, you have to be on a low traction surface to avoid binding and potential dmage to the driveline.
ExploringNC
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Hi and welcome from a former NW Ohio Native,
I would think it's kinda soon for a wheel bearing to go out but it should easy to replace. It all depends on the asking price, condition and a good warrenty. I would do one of those searches that checks to see if its ever been in an accident and I would ask them to throw an allignment in. Explorers are big trucks and things wear out and break so I wouldn,t read too much into one problem.
They seem fairly easy to work on especially with the help from this forume and
you can save a ton of money and save alot of downtime if you can do most of the repairs and maintenance yourself. You can find threads on just about any repair that will take you step by step and there are thousands of people on here that can answer any question you have.
Good Luck
I would think it's kinda soon for a wheel bearing to go out but it should easy to replace. It all depends on the asking price, condition and a good warrenty. I would do one of those searches that checks to see if its ever been in an accident and I would ask them to throw an allignment in. Explorers are big trucks and things wear out and break so I wouldn,t read too much into one problem.
They seem fairly easy to work on especially with the help from this forume and
you can save a ton of money and save alot of downtime if you can do most of the repairs and maintenance yourself. You can find threads on just about any repair that will take you step by step and there are thousands of people on here that can answer any question you have.
Good Luck
glfredrick
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The wheel bearings on your Explorer are "unit bearings" (which means they are all enclosed and one-piece units) that bolt on to the spindle with a couple of bolts.
They can be changed at home with a minimum of tools, some time, and any decent auto manual for your truck. You'll have to pull the wheel, brakes, rotor, and then the actual unit bearing.
They tend to make more noise as they wear more. You may also notice the tire starting to lean inward at the top. The bearings do wear out -- especially with larger tires, hitting pot holes or curbs, etc., so it is not inconceivable that yours is worn out. I'd say that you can watch it for a while to see if it is worn or not. You can also jack up the front end and spin that wheel. Listen to what it sounds like compared to the other side. A slight noise spinning by hand is cause to investigate further. See if the tire "shakes" when you pull the top outward. There should be no play.
If it is starting to wear, it will only get worse, and it will let you know when it gets bad. You'll hear a constant "roar" from that side while driving. It is especially easy to hear with the windows down while driving next to a wall or building where the sound reflects back into the window.
Until then, it won't do any more damage, but once it starts to get loose, get it changed. It will affect your handling, your wheel speed sensor, and if it gets so bad that it fails, you could potentially loose a wheel.
Hope this helps.
They can be changed at home with a minimum of tools, some time, and any decent auto manual for your truck. You'll have to pull the wheel, brakes, rotor, and then the actual unit bearing.
They tend to make more noise as they wear more. You may also notice the tire starting to lean inward at the top. The bearings do wear out -- especially with larger tires, hitting pot holes or curbs, etc., so it is not inconceivable that yours is worn out. I'd say that you can watch it for a while to see if it is worn or not. You can also jack up the front end and spin that wheel. Listen to what it sounds like compared to the other side. A slight noise spinning by hand is cause to investigate further. See if the tire "shakes" when you pull the top outward. There should be no play.
If it is starting to wear, it will only get worse, and it will let you know when it gets bad. You'll hear a constant "roar" from that side while driving. It is especially easy to hear with the windows down while driving next to a wall or building where the sound reflects back into the window.
Until then, it won't do any more damage, but once it starts to get loose, get it changed. It will affect your handling, your wheel speed sensor, and if it gets so bad that it fails, you could potentially loose a wheel.
Hope this helps.
They're in the process of changing it now, so I'm not worried about that. My concern was whether the fact that they needed to exchange that might mean something bigger was wrong.
What happened is I called to say I wanted to come look at the explorer I had seen online and he said I could but that it was in the service department right now. He said they noticed some noise while driving and were replacing a wheel bearing. I'm glad they cared enough to actually replace it instead of trying to sell it that way, but as I said I was concerned that might be a sign of bigger problems to come.
P.S. It's an '03 XLS with a little over 45k miles.
What happened is I called to say I wanted to come look at the explorer I had seen online and he said I could but that it was in the service department right now. He said they noticed some noise while driving and were replacing a wheel bearing. I'm glad they cared enough to actually replace it instead of trying to sell it that way, but as I said I was concerned that might be a sign of bigger problems to come.
P.S. It's an '03 XLS with a little over 45k miles.
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