Popping noise after transfer case rebuild ??? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Popping noise after transfer case rebuild ???

divepro99

Member
Joined
June 1, 2009
Messages
32
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City, State
Chattanooga, TN
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 Eddie Bauer 4WD
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2317980#post2317980

I own a 1998 Explorer with about 170,000 miles on it. My problems began with a high speed whine. The noise occurred when above 40 mph and your foot was removed from the accelerator.

Stegall's Transmission Shop in Greenville, SC rebuilt the transfer case. They did a great job and answered tons of questions about it and my other 4WD. The problem was a bad shift motor which damaged the range hub.

Well, after the transfer case was rebuilt, the Explorer began to make a popping type of noise when climbing a hill (under load) - 30+ mph. The noise has not occurred except for climbing a hill. The majority of the time, the noise occurs when you lift off the gas then get back into the gas hard … like climbing a hill with a curve (in the throttle, out for a sharp curve, and back into the throttle and POP - as if something is snapping back into place). Sometimes, the noise occurs when you are in the throttle the entire time on a hill. I have never heard the noise while driving downhill or on flat terrain.

The Transmission Shop (Stegall's) completely rebuilt the transfer case (replaced all of the guts at no charge to me), but the noise still occurs. Then they replaced the transfer case with another rebuilt transfer case to rule it out the transfer case as the problem (again at no charge to me).

The rear diff was checked satisfactory with no issues, the front drive shaft was pulled and the mechanic thought that the front diff was the problem…well, $450 later, the popping noise is still occurring…

The explorer seems to steer just fine and is not a suspension issue - I think. However, I did put new shocks on it this past summer (after the transfer case rebuild)...but I don't remember if the shocks were installed before or after the popping noise began...

Any thoughts? Thinking about pulling front driveshaft again and driving it myself to see if noise still occurs (I know the vehicle better than the shop and know how to make it "do" the noise...).
 



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have you found out what was going on with that popping sound. I have a 1997 with 170000 miles the same exact problem.
Mike
 






Mike,

How long has your's been making the noise? I plan to pull the front driveshaft this afternoon since i finally have the time and see what happens. Stay tuned.
 






mine has been doing this for about 3 weeks just after I put a different t case in it after a year of driving it without the shaft in.
Mike
 






I pulled the front driveshaft, checked a lot of bolting tight (one skid plate bolt was loose), sprayed WD-40 on the ends of the torsion bars. However, the darn thing still makes the noise. Any thoughts?
 






Why were you driving it for a year without the front driveshaft? In other words, what is the story behind your problem?

On the surface, there is too much commonality between "our" mutual problem....

One other piece of info...I did notice that the right front upper ball joint boot is torn in several places ... I jacked up the lower control arm to remove any load and did not feel any movement; however, it will need to be replaced. All other ball joints and their boots are OK....

Anybody have any thoughts?
 






about a year ago my transfer case went (at least thats what my mechanic told me) he pulled the front driveshaft out and the noise went away. it sounded like a ujoint. my wife drove it for a year. I didn't think it would last but the damn thing still runs great, and my wife wanted her allwheel drive back. so I purchased a used tcase from a junk yard and waited to long to put it in needless to say it was no good. my mechanic that my transmission was bad this time anyway he tried to make 1 good tcase out of the 2 this time I tookthe old one out and put the supposed good one in. easy job. the car was good for about a week then it started making this banging noise when I stepped on the gas hard. It's getting worse know it happens just taking off. Its still only when under a load. I am wondering if my front drive shaft is bad. I wonder if it was the problem from the begining causing the tcase to wear.


if anyone has any ideas it would be great.
I wish I traded it for cash for clunkers
Mike
 






I have 96 explorer AWD, HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS WITH VERY SIMULAR PROBLUMS. LOAD KLUNKING NOISE AFTER REVERS TO DRIVE AND STEPING HARD ON THE GAS. THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE JUST PULLED IT OUT SPLIT THE CASE AND NOTHING JUMPS OUT. THE CHAIN IS SOME WHAT LOOSE NOT SURE WHAT IS NORMAL. I WAS EXPECTING TO FIND BROKEN CHAIN TEETH. THE ONLY OTHER THING I CAN THINK THE NOISE COULD BE COMING FROM IS THE FRONT DIFERANTIAL. OR ONE OF THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFTS BAD. I HAD ALREADY CHECKED FOR A BAD CV JOINT. WITH ALL THE POSTS I SEE ON THIS NOISE THERE HAS TO BE A MOTOR HEAD OUT THERE THAT KNOWS THE ANSERE????????????????????????????????????????????????
 






I am experiencing a very similar issue. After mudding this past weekend I found that my 4x4 was poping in and out at high rpm. My first thoughts is my transfercase needs a rebuild. I know its nothing to do with the tcase shift motor, since I had it out and was changing from 4x4 low to 2wd. Had to a few times since the front is locked 100%, makes turning a challenge.

The second issue I experience was this poping noise coming from the front diff. area. I experienced that before in the past. What happened before is the splined hub bearing cracked and the CV shaft spline was slipping. Fix: got a new hub bearing and made sure the hub nut was torqued to spec. I am not sure if this is the issue now since I have not started working on the X yet. I will keep everyone updated if its still a problem for you.

CMAX
 






After thinking I had this happen to me when I added a locker in the rear. A wered poping noice in the rear diff. If you take out the rear diff. carrier it my be the taper roller bearings. Mine were destroyed after a few months with an aussie locker. I did gears and new bearings, no more problems since. I got pics, let me know.

CMAX
 






transfer caseshttp://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2317980#post2317980

I own a 1998 Explorer with about 170,000 miles on it. My problems began with a high speed whine. The noise occurred when above 40 mph and your foot was removed from the accelerator.

Stegall's Transmission Shop in Greenville, SC rebuilt the transfer case. They did a great job and answered tons of questions about it and my other 4WD. The problem was a bad shift motor which damaged the range hub.

Well, after the transfer case was rebuilt, the Explorer began to make a popping type of noise when climbing a hill (under load) - 30+ mph. The noise has not occurred except for climbing a hill. The majority of the time, the noise occurs when you lift off the gas then get back into the gas hard … like climbing a hill with a curve (in the throttle, out for a sharp curve, and back into the throttle and POP - as if something is snapping back into place). Sometimes, the noise occurs when you are in the throttle the entire time on a hill. I have never heard the noise while driving downhill or on flat terrain.

The Transmission Shop (Stegall's) completely rebuilt the transfer case (replaced all of the guts at no charge to me), but the noise still occurs. Then they replaced the transfer case with another rebuilt transfer case to rule it out the transfer case as the problem (again at no charge to me).

The rear diff was checked satisfactory with no issues, the front drive shaft was pulled and the mechanic thought that the front diff was the problem…well, $450 later, the popping noise is still occurring…

The explorer seems to steer just fine and is not a suspension issue - I think. However, I did put new shocks on it this past summer (after the transfer case rebuild)...but I don't remember if the shocks were installed before or after the popping noise began...

Any thoughts? Thinking about pulling front driveshaft again and driving it myself to see if noise still occurs (I know the vehicle better than the shop and know how to make it "do" the noise...).

Most likely when it was rebuilt the forks werent installed right and keep pressure on the engaging fork thus keeps popping it in neutral should have a pro look at it mine did it and i had to have mine rebuilt it kept poppin in neutral.
 






After thinking I had this happen to me when I added a locker in the rear. A wered poping noice in the rear diff. If you take out the rear diff. carrier it my be the taper roller bearings. Mine were destroyed after a few months with an aussie locker. I did gears and new bearings, no more problems since. I got pics, let me know.

CMAX

Fortunate I joined this forum and more fortunate coz your post just helped me fix my problem, thanks to you. Bought new bearings. Case solved! :thumbsup:
 






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