m4grunt
New Member
- Joined
- November 19, 2003
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- NC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '97 XLT
Update to: At wits end - - what could be the cause?
Thank you for this forum! This is my first post. I hope someone out there can point me in a focused direction.
To begin, I have a 1997 Explorer XLT, 6cyl, SOHC w/ATC. For a few months, I have had a "thud" noise from the driver side front. I hear this noise intermittantly under all driving conditions (inclines,flat stretches, low speeds and high speeds). I can feel an impact(?) of sorts under the floorboard, but no indication of a problem on the tach. It sounds almost like a chain under tension jumping on a drive sprocket. Without doing any research, I took the truck to a local Ford dealer under the suspision of a tranny problem. Ford could not replicate the condition or find a problem with the tranny. The service manager even took the truck home for a few days and drove it like it was his own. Still could not replicate the noise. As a precaution, he relubed the drive shaft. All was good for a couple days then my noise came back.
I started doing some research and made the decision to have the transfer case rebuilt. It is a BW4405. Some components in the case were damaged/broken and were changed. The t case was reinstalled and my noise was still there.
So far, not only has the t case been rebuilt, but additional steps have been performed to eliminate the noise. These steps include:
1)a second removal of the t case and second tranny fluid change;
2)u joint replacement on drive shaft to front differential and u joint replacement from out put of tranny/t case to rear differential;
3)drain and fill of both front diff and rear diff.
Since all of this, I have a new noise that I believe maybe related the the original "thud" noise. If I let off the accelerator from hiway speeds, I hear a VERY LOUD whirling noise similar to a fan blown by an air hose. The noise ramps down as the truck slows, but maintains and maybe even increases if I push the brake. If I press the accelerator, the noise goes away completely and will not come back until I am at hiway speeds again and let off the gas.
Currently, I am running the truck without the fuse for the ATC as an isolation measure. My brother-in-law and I have plans to tear the front end down this weekend to hunt for problems. So far, we have suspicions of hub bearings, half shafts and/or front diff. We are going to replace the shocks and whatever else we find that is questionable
The truck runs strong - - - good pick-up, good gas mileage, 4x4 is strong in 4hi and 4low. It seems to drive better with the ATC fuse out, but that maybe a mental thing.
Is there any other component/sub component that could possibly be the culprit for one or both of the noises? I have hunted various forums, HUNDREDS of threads for countless hours. Many threads come close to describing my problem, but I still don't feel that this problem has been addressed yet.
ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
Thank you for this forum! This is my first post. I hope someone out there can point me in a focused direction.
To begin, I have a 1997 Explorer XLT, 6cyl, SOHC w/ATC. For a few months, I have had a "thud" noise from the driver side front. I hear this noise intermittantly under all driving conditions (inclines,flat stretches, low speeds and high speeds). I can feel an impact(?) of sorts under the floorboard, but no indication of a problem on the tach. It sounds almost like a chain under tension jumping on a drive sprocket. Without doing any research, I took the truck to a local Ford dealer under the suspision of a tranny problem. Ford could not replicate the condition or find a problem with the tranny. The service manager even took the truck home for a few days and drove it like it was his own. Still could not replicate the noise. As a precaution, he relubed the drive shaft. All was good for a couple days then my noise came back.
I started doing some research and made the decision to have the transfer case rebuilt. It is a BW4405. Some components in the case were damaged/broken and were changed. The t case was reinstalled and my noise was still there.
So far, not only has the t case been rebuilt, but additional steps have been performed to eliminate the noise. These steps include:
1)a second removal of the t case and second tranny fluid change;
2)u joint replacement on drive shaft to front differential and u joint replacement from out put of tranny/t case to rear differential;
3)drain and fill of both front diff and rear diff.
Since all of this, I have a new noise that I believe maybe related the the original "thud" noise. If I let off the accelerator from hiway speeds, I hear a VERY LOUD whirling noise similar to a fan blown by an air hose. The noise ramps down as the truck slows, but maintains and maybe even increases if I push the brake. If I press the accelerator, the noise goes away completely and will not come back until I am at hiway speeds again and let off the gas.
Currently, I am running the truck without the fuse for the ATC as an isolation measure. My brother-in-law and I have plans to tear the front end down this weekend to hunt for problems. So far, we have suspicions of hub bearings, half shafts and/or front diff. We are going to replace the shocks and whatever else we find that is questionable
The truck runs strong - - - good pick-up, good gas mileage, 4x4 is strong in 4hi and 4low. It seems to drive better with the ATC fuse out, but that maybe a mental thing.
Is there any other component/sub component that could possibly be the culprit for one or both of the noises? I have hunted various forums, HUNDREDS of threads for countless hours. Many threads come close to describing my problem, but I still don't feel that this problem has been addressed yet.
ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
