Dubya Deuce
New Member
- Joined
- October 17, 2008
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Muskegon, MI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '04 Mercury Mountanieer
Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and SUV ownership. With first child on the way, I decided to buy a sport utility, and what better than a Ford? I purchased an '04 Mercury Mountaineer from an auction claiming the vehicle had a "slight grinding at the front left wheel, and ABS light on". Wheel bearing assy right? Wrong! Upon further inspection, I found that the front differential housing is busted wide open at the cone, and the pinion gear has ground a hole in the side. I should mention that it is AWD, and a repo, so I assume they towed it away using a wheel-lift wrecker, and snapped it when they started pulling. Question is: what other vehicles share this center section (3.55 ratio), and what is involved in replacing it? I would also like to know how this vehicle is still able to move without the front driveshaft turning the front wheels. I thought the difference between 4x4 and AWD was a "differential" in the transfer case. Am I correct, and does this act like a limited slip differential? I assumed that if (under load) ONE wheel lost contact with the driving surface, all of the power would be unloaded on that wheel, assuming you have open diffs in the axles.
