03 Expo Eddiebauer 160k driveline

[gforceman]

just wondering my 03 eddie has 160 k 4.0 Auto just replaced the tranny fluid and front and rear fluids , at hyway speeds 70mph when i match the engine rpm and driveline rpm i get a noisey vibration from under center of truck wondering if it may be the slipjoint on the driveshaft going bad when i go from drive to reverse the drive line would make a crack sound somewhere in the drive line ,any issues with the drive shaft with hi milage ? also getting a whine from the rear end sounds like the ring and pinion are worn out time for a replacement , truck is in fantastic shape tho ,, OH no engine problems as of yet all good !!

 

[97awdx]

From your description it sounds like a U-Joint in the rear driveshaft. Was their any metal in the rear when you changed the fluids? Also, a whine from the rear could be a wheel bearing, most of the time it is. The Ford 8.8 rear end is a pretty stout little axle, IRS or solid.

 

[gforceman]

ummm when i removed the plug there was a grey gunk on the magnet i guess it was metal filings and i do have the limited slip option all seals are good , i suctioned the old fluid out instead of removing the cover or the large plug i didnt have a tool to remove it . i put the same fluid back and friction modifier, over the last 3 weeks and after a 600 mile road trip the whine got louder i thought this was an issue with 3rd gen rears , how much to rebuild ???? the IRS rear theres 160k on it ,, i will check the slip joint and both universals

 

[gforceman]

upon inspection theres movement in the pinion shaft up and down just a little so i guess the front pinion bearing is on its way out therefore causing the whine cuz of pinion and ring alignment the u joints are ok ,, what would a rebuild cost from ford ? or can i do it myself i have rebuilt trannys never a rear end i have seen a ford tech do it in 30 min just to rebuild not dissasembly included



::::I believe the pinion bearing and crush seal are bad. When I pushed up on the driveshaft/U-joints at the differential connection there was some definite movement/play :::

common prob with 3gen EXPOS i see found statement from another post , statement above describes my exact problem

 

[gforceman]

just got back from ford 1200.00 to rebuild they said the front pinion bearing is shot get it fixed asap or it will cannonball the whole rear , is there a cheaper option ??? i hear the noise at 20mph a wha wha wha noise or i may trade it becasue the truck has 163k on it and the engine was never worked on had an issue with tranny nothing to worrry tho if i sink 1200 now next month 2000k i payed 8k for it a year ago

 

[gforceman]

if i just change the seals and bearings can i just reinstall the way it was ( shims ) without reshimming or do i need a qualified person to do that are there any special tools ? axle removal etc


ANYONE ?????

 

[CDW6212R]

I don't know but try to find someone who has done it or had that done. I suspect that it was an installation problem when new.

 

[97awdx]

Whoa! $1200 to replace a pinion bearing. I have a rebuild kit for that axle. $75 and its yours comes with all the seals and bearings for the rear. If you were closer I would help you rebuild it. Its really not that hard to do. Their are a couple write ups on solid axle 8.8's, its basically the same. You should be able to take the whole third member out of the truck once you have the axle shafts out, then you can put it on a bench to work on it. As far as the shims go, 90% of the time if your just replacing bearings you can use the old shims, just keep everything organized. Their really are no special tools needed since your not replacing the ring and pinion, so you don't need to set the backlash. The crush collar would be the only tricky part. Good luck.