'96 XLT AWD Clunk

[Yamaha0219]

1996 Explorer XLT, 5.0 with AWD

I have two issues (may or may not be related):
1. When I drive on the highway and get off the gas at any speed above about 65 I can feel a vibration in the truck/slight increase in noise (kind of like an engine break on a big truck, but not nearly as loud). I've kind of just learned to deal with it, I don't think anything is going to break, so I've just dealt with it. [I've had tires rotated/balanced/alignment/new tires put on...none of that helps]

2. My latest issue is when I step on the gas hard from a stop, I'll get a clunk, or a clunk clunk clunk. Truck will still move but the clunking leaves me kind of leery about driving it. It doesn't happen all the time, just when I get on the gas hard from stop.

I've replaced the U-Joints on both front and rear shaft. I read on some threads about CV joint on front shaft...is this CV joint part of one of the mounts? The only joint I can think of on my shaft is a double U-Joint (called a double cardigan or something like that), so what CV are people talking about?

Some people said it could be the transfer case of the slip shaft on the rear axle (I guess I would have to cut a clamp, slide the boot down and shove some grease in there).

Any info would be great...could the two problems be related?

I've read this thread and have some ideas but I'm not sure if anyone has some more advice.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227481

Thanks

 

[hazmat456]

sounds like a loose chain in the transfer case to me for both issues

 

[williams.cory]

Sounds like the transfer case....lol, you were reffering to my thread! Mine was the transfer case, did the same as yours is doing. It will get worse in time. Mine got so bad it would clunk lik crazy just barely touching the gas. Finally took the front driveshaft out and noise was gone! Kept it out for over 15,000 miles and no issues. Just a couple weeks ago I did the manual shift BW4406 conversion, pretty sweet having the usual 2wd/4wd/4lo!

BUT it could be the actual CV driveshaft, so dont rule that out. Take the front driveshaft out and examine it, and see if noise is gone. I still have my original front driveshaft if you want to buy it, and try that method first and see if it goes away (if it doesnt you can just sell it on ebay or something, that what I did the the shaft before this one)

The chain had so much slack in it that I could turn the front output of the t-case and feel/hear it skipping. You could always take the front of the driveshaft down and try turning it as hard as you can and see if you can get it to skip.

 

[Yamaha0219]

Thanks for your help guys. I'm going to call around tomorrow and see what kind of prices I can get for a transfer case. I'm debating whether or not its worth it, its not to the point where I think I'm guna have a major issue, but it really annoys me. I'm just sick of sinking money into the truck, I've replaced the WHOLE water system atleast twice, including radiators, heater core, water pump...so I might just save up for something different. I really want an F250 or F350 with a V10.

 

[rizzjc]

You can get a used one for a few hundred dollars. New is something like $1500 (plus labor), and I think you can find rebuilt units for $600 or so, if I remember. I think Ford quoted me $2500 to replace mine. I did it myself for under $400 including some tools I needed to pick up.

 

[hazmat456]

my rebuilt unit cost me about 1200, I should have just replaced the chain, I had to do it twice because the first one had a bad vicious coupling,second one was under warranty but still a PITA a new chain would have been about a tenth of the cost.

 

[williams.cory]

Or convert to the manual BW4406! pretty easy to do, cost me $500 for everything!

 

[hazmat456]

Or convert to the manual BW4406! pretty easy to do, cost me $500 for everything!

how did you connect the vss, I thought that the 4406 didn't have one?

 

[williams.cory]

the 97 and 98 year F-150/expeditions do, anything later they dont. Even if you do get a later year without the VSS, 410Fortune has come up with a way to put a VSS in it....

 

[rizzjc]

Or convert to the manual BW4406! pretty easy to do, cost me $500 for everything!

Next project, after the rear main seal is replaced and I can actually drive again. I hope to not fix the AWD tcase again!