2003 explorer 2wd bearing issues

[southernurse]

Hey, All...
New to the site, found ya out of frustration. Bought her last year and had both front bearings and left rear bearing replaced. Right rear wheel now making that distinctive humming sound, but after all 4 wheels' brake pads replaced, now front end humming again, and it feels like I am driving against it. She don't wanna go easily, and now there is a scraping sound rounding curves. Help, the dealer will see me coming when I go to fix it if I don't have any info!

 

[F1EA]

Maybe the first hum was the differential... but if the noise worsens when turning in one direction its ussually the bearings.

The worst thing is that Ford decided to pair a wear part (bearing) with a non-wear part (wheel hub)... so its pretty expensive to repair the regular wear part that on any other make would be cheap.

 

[prerunner02]

Its not the front diff if its 2wd...
the problem that I have found with newer vehicles is that they say the bearings do not need to have grease put in them. The light packing grease seems to be of very poor quality. So out of the box I will clean them and pack them with mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease, just dont pack them like and old truck, make sure it will still rotate without alot of force. Then install they will last alot longer.

 

[F1EA]

Its not the front diff if its 2wd...
the problem that I have found with newer vehicles is that they say the bearings do not need to have grease put in them. The light packing grease seems to be of very poor quality. So out of the box I will clean them and pack them with mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease, just dont pack them like and old truck, make sure it will still rotate without alot of force. Then install they will last alot longer.

I didnt say the front diff. I have read and noticed from mine, that the rear diff noise is heard all over... somtimes it seems like its coming from the front.

Are you saying its better to grease the new wheel bearings before installation? or can you do it after they are plced? i have a new front bearing-hub (Timken) and it would be good to improve it before installing it, cause i wouldnt like for it to fail again...

 

[southernurse]

I didnt say the front diff. I have read and noticed from mine, that the rear diff noise is heard all over... somtimes it seems like its coming from the front


funny you say that...after my alternator went this past saturday, i told the tech at the dealer (in my neck of the woods, the dealer was the closest to where my truck was dying) about my r-sided noise and he came back with rear diff, pinion gear. I told you these dealer people would see me coming. After new alternator
($216) and battery($99), rear diff @ $1600. I told him that my truck better not make a peep when I make my first right turn out of the dealership or any subsequent right turns I make to circle back if that humming is still there. Just to keep a decent book value has been so costly. While I'm at it, by next winter I may as well make the 2wd to 4wd conversion and find a replacement or alternative for the cracked panel under my rear window (the trademark of stress free design)

 

[eXcali]

Ouch that bites! I have had dealerships try to get me to replace a diff that only needed a fluid change. I'd recommend to anyone who can change their own oil to try a dif fluid change first before sinking a couple hundred to thousand $$ into it.

 

[Limited02]

Mine used to shudder when I would take off from a stop turning a corner. Drained the rear diff fluid, added two things of friction modifier and topped it off with some 85w-140and no more shudder! I bought a pump for 12 bucks that allowed me to pump it back into the differential manually and it made the job so much easier.

 

[jlrapp8]

my 02 mountaineer AWD was making a clunking binding kind of noise when turning wheels all the way. seemed like it was getting hung up on something. someone told me to change rear diff. did that with 85-140 full synthtic and the friction mod. the specs said it should take 2 3/4 quarts of oil. but when filling it only took 1 1/2????? the noise went away for about a 2-3 days and now its back? should i pull the filler plug again and see if it needs more?? any ideas???

 

[jlrapp8]

my 02 mountaineer AWD was making a clunking binding kind of noise when turning wheels all the way. seemed like it was getting hung up on something. someone told me to change rear diff. did that with 85-140 full synthtic and the friction mod. the specs said it should take 2 3/4 quarts of oil. but when filling it only took 1 1/2????? the noise went away for about a 2-3 days and now its back? should i pull the filler plug again and see if it needs more?? any ideas???

any ideas on this?

 

[eXcali]

any ideas on this?

If you pumped it out you most likely didn't get it all. I'd check it again. Also read up on the required measurement of friction treatment, you may need to add more. Usually when you get noise going away and then it returns it's cuz either to little or to much.

 

[alexk]

Would under inflated tires cause the noise?

 

[southernurse]

hey all!

well, 10 days and $1800 later (yes the loaner was free!) I have a perfectly silent truck. no hum, no scraping around curves, and the motor, which was perfect to begin with, can barely be heard over the heat! YAY! The rear diff was replaced, rear bearings replaced. Boy does she run like a champ! Now I know this is a tired subject, but what can I do to repair that stress fracture in the hatch under the glass???

 

[Limited02]

Buy and paint

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