D35 IFS Axle Mount ?? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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D35 IFS Axle Mount ??

dreamr

Explorer Addict
Joined
October 5, 2003
Messages
3,636
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City, State
Lynnwood WA
Year, Model & Trim Level
99 XL / 4x4 / 4.0 ohv
Most of the summer I have been bothered by a loud clunk coming from somewhere in the suspension. For months I have crawled around under there as well as replacing all the ball joints and the TRE's.

Several times I have crawled around under there with a torque wrench and torque specs. I have yet to find anything loose, or signs of movement. Well untill now....

I had hoped that the recent front end work would have cured my concerns. Tuesday I headed to the hills to play in the snow and do some minor offroading. Along the way I managed to stretch the suspension out fairly well and seemed to get the loud clunk whenever things would get crossed up (R. Front and L. Rear compressed or vice versa).

There is a section of road that has a long section of miny moguls. Most of the holes are in the foot to foot and a half category. It was making a hell of a racket, but it is hard to pinpoint. I got out and left the truck in 4L. Walking alongside providing break and steering input through the door, I felt the noise to come from the front, but the back popped a bit too :confused:

For most of today I crawled around on the garge floor. I basically removed the rear axle and all suspension for inspection. Nothing out of the ordinary. The front I have recently torn apart so a visual inspection showed nothing abnormal or signs of movement. I did discover that my cat back was loose at the flange, probably causing the small noise forom the rear. But what up front. I finaly noticed something that bothered me........

When I look in my manual it gives no specifics, and I am unsure so I turn to you all. The center section of the D35 IFS attaches in 2 points that are easily seen. My concern is on the driver side of the differential housing. At this point it attaches to the frame. The mount is a standard mount with the bolt traveling straight thorugh from the bottom to the top rather than like the other side with a horizontal pass through. On the driver side there appears to be about a 3/8 inch gap. I put a chisel in the gap and was able to easily move the differential assembly up and down. Which in turn moves the drivshaft and T-case.

After all this rambling here's is my actual question :D
I assume that this mount is the cause of my issue. If so what are the torque specs. I can't turn it at all with a 12" breaker :fire:.

Any input on my attempt at diagnosis or tech for me ;)
Thanks
 



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i mgith be way offbase, but have you thought about it being the torsion bar adjsuter kevlar pads? i have heard they go out quite frequently... ray lobato did a writeup on it
 






Definately check your torsion bars & adjusters. Mine clunked for a good time before mine finally broke on the trails.
 


















Here maybe this will help to explain my suspected problem area.

The first pic is to orient you. looking form the rear to the front. The mount I reference is at the right of the pic.
20122new_050.jpg


Here is a close up. The gap is difficult to see in this shot due to the angle, but in the second shot there is a chisel stuck in the area. With that chisel in the position pictured I am able to move the entire differential housing up and down quite easily.
20122new_052.jpg

20122new_054.jpg
 












Mine has the same amount of gap thickness.. Just to double check, I grabbed the 400 ft lb impact gun and hit it a few times to make sure it was uber tight.
 






Hmmm... I'll have to look at mine after I get back from bambi-chasing. I've got the same kind of clunking noise, and now you've got me wonderin'.....

Definately have to check it out.... Maybe someone else can take a look at theirs in the mean time and see if maybe something fell out??

:dunno

-Joe
 






Blee1099 said:
Mine has the same amount of gap thickness.. Just to double check, I grabbed the 400 ft lb impact gun and hit it a few times to make sure it was uber tight.

Thanks Blee I was hoping someone could validate my concern or comfort me..... :p
 






weird mine doen't have a gap that big. mine is super small (under there working on the tranny today and pulled the front axle a while back to do gears)...
 






Hmm.. maybe I should put some upward pressure on the axle and see if I can get it to sit up higher then hit the bolt with the impact. To think back on it I have had the noise since about a month after regearing. I believe they had to drop the front axle to regear it. Potentially this was just never tightened down good or the lock tite failed.....

I can't find any other suspension areas that look to be moving in an irregular manner. Nor any worn, loose components other than those previously replaced. The clunk has to originate somewhere though :confused:
 






Mine is doing it too, and I recently had the diff out. I will have to check that sucker. I know its tight though cause I was changing the T case yesterday and double checked it. Mine feels really loose though when you hit some hard bumps so I was leaning towards the steering rack.
 






Still no luck on the issue...... The bolt won't move and everything else has been inspected by me and my gearhead buddy many a time over. All I can say is I guess something will eventually break or make itself more apparent.

I suppose I should take it in to Les Schwabb and have them look when I get it aligned.............That is when I actually have a few dollars :D
 






jimbo74 said:
i mgith be way offbase, but have you thought about it being the torsion bar adjsuter kevlar pads? i have heard they go out quite frequently... ray lobato did a writeup on it
I searched and ended up here. I also get 1 clunk, or pop, when backing out of driveway. Whats up with adjusters, and pads?
BTW my physical search has also lead me to look at the same thing pictured in this thread, but mine also seems xtra tight ( Ingersoll air impact )
so I'm riding this thread
 






jtsmith said:
Whats up with adjusters, and pads?
BTW my physical search has also lead me to look at the same thing pictured in this thread, but mine also seems xtra tight ( Ingersoll air impact )
so I'm riding this thread

95-97 explorers have a wee bit different design with the T bar adjusters. Ours is one solid piece where as the earlier second gens had an adjuster with a kevlar pad. The kevlar would wear out causing the clunk. I thought this was my problem untill doing further research on this site and discovering the differences. Still could be related though, and I may be off on 97 being the last year of the older style. Possibly it was 98.
 






Well, I diagnosed mine this morning before I pulled out to goto work. I was suspecting the steering rack, and when I jerk the wheel back and forth parked I can hear the clunk from the play in the rack itself. Woo Hoo I just love wrenchin'! :D
 












I'm sure you've checked but you haven't mentioned it anywhere. Do you think your shocks may be bad?

I had this annoying rattle when I first got mine and it was a tag that was spot welded to the bottom of the cat and encapsulated by the heat guard. To keep things short, so long heat guard and stupid tag.
 



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