Disabling/repairing the front differential

[Ratman720]

Hey Guys,
This is my first post here and I wanted to begin by saying this forum has been a phenomenal resource For attempting to fix my woman's beloved explorer. This will be long but I know in these things more info is always better than less.

So she has ( at least I think its this) a 97 ford explorer 5.0 AWD, Eddie Bauer. Were not sure exactly how many miles the odometer was stuck at 152k when she bought it.

In any case I have so far replaced the brakes and it needs new plugs but Im currently rebuilding the front end after a small problem.

After letting her know it needed new wheel bearings she took that to mean she should drive it anyways and it siezed up on the highway. Now we had heard the wheel bearings coming from the drivers side and what was originally just metallic noise became an incredibly loud high pitched whine on the highway.

due to some smoke appearing from what appears to be a loose brake fluid cap, Though it could have been the wheel bearing when we tried to get moving again there was a loud grinding noise, and even some sticking to the point where we couldnt get up to speed.

Got it towed home where I have completed the following repairs

Wheel Hub bearings (replaced)

Upper control arms (replaced one visibly had too much play)
sway bar in links (replaced one was visibly broken completely broken)
Rear E-Brakes (removed to be installed at a later point)
Front differential passenger side axle gasket (old one popped out right around when it stopped lots of oil leaking everywhere)

I have also inspected the following

Front axles (fine including splines)
Front CV joints (fine including splines)
Front calipers (fine)

Got the whole damn thing reassembled and what do you know still had a crazy grinding noise and a sticking (like it would feel if gears weren't interlocking properly). So I checked out the forums and there were some suggestions about removing the drive shaft as this can go bad. Because the splines were fine on both front axles it seemed reasonable enough.

So I pulled the drive shaft 4 torx bolts holding the universal and 4 12 point 12mm bolts on the rear towards the transfer case. Also oddly enough the transfer case is sealed up which is not reminiscent of what I was reading on the forums

The shaft looks fine as far as I could tell but the front spline leading to the differential was crazy loose. It could be moved by hand and could actually partially rotate somewhere between 90-180 degrees.

With the car as a rear wheel drive I tried backing of the ramps and the whole thing seized up after 6inches to a foot of movement. Hopped back under the vehicle while it was like that the universal joint/spline was also seized up. It will drive forward but not in reverse.

So I am left with a dilemma, we are currently down to her motorcycle as a form of transportation and frankly in new England that wont go all that much farther. My car has at least a blown head gasket (****ty mazda 6 im all kinds of pissed). So until I get some more reliable work Id rather not begin that project.

Here are my current thoughts.
A) the front differential gear set is very likely shot
b) I cant seem to pull the drive shaft spline
C) the truck is currently rear wheel drive.

Option 1
Temporarily removed the axles and CV joints for the front wheels until I have the time for options 2 and three, give her a rear wheel drive. Drain the differential fluid and pack the box to keep it clean. Make sure she chocks the wheels etc

Option 2
Locate, remove and install another differential from a junkyard.

Option 3
Rebuild the current differential with a kit. I found this one on amazon need to do more research to see if viable. Any insight would be appreciated

http://www.amazon.com/Precision-DRK...r=1996|1996&carId=003&n=15684181&s=automotive

Option 4
Hunt down a rebuilt or new differential and install it.

I was curious as to whether option 1 is safely feasible and ideally any advice on 3 or 4. let me know your thoughts i apologize for the length

 

[masospaghetti]

You can drive it in RWD configuration and it won't hurt anything. Option 1 is probably your best bet until you have more time. Make sure you have a working e-brake and that it works so the truck doesn't roll away in park. If the e-brake doesn't work, it's probably just out of adjustment. You can adjust it if you take off the rear brake rotor, there's a little toothed wheel you spin.

A junkyard differential may be a good option. I think the front driveshafts tend to be the weak link and you should be able to find serviceable differentials by the dozen in any decent yard. Also, I think the V6 and V8 models have the same front differential.

I wouldn't try and rebuild the diff unless you've done it before, it can be very difficult to set the backlash on the gears correctly and you'll roast the gears if you get it wrong.

 

[koda2000]

as stated, you can remove the front drive shaft and drive it as RWD, but w/out a working parking brake (or a wheel chock) it will tend to drift/creep away w/out a front drive shaft (it's an AWD thing). you're likely to find the parking brake shoes no longer have any linings and the moving parts may not move anymore due to rust. this should be fairly easy to repair and not too expensive parts-wise. remove the rear rotors and see how they look. it's also common for the short parking brake cable on the driver's side to break ($20 part).

DO NOT REMOVE THE FRONT AXLES! most of us believe that w/out the front axles the front wheel hubs can come apart and a wheel can come off... very ugly. if absolutely necessary, cut the front haft shafts leaving the splined portion of the axle (with it's nut) inside the hub.

if you want to fix/replace the front diff, the salvage yard is probably your best bet. just make sure you get the same gear ratio.

 

[Ratman720]

Hey Thanks for the responses.

I was debating the structural questions of the axle spline didnt seem like it added a lot but there is that large nut that seems to hold it together. If I can separate the CV from the axle Ill do that as id rather not use the saws-all.

Ill have to call around to a few salvage yards till I find the right parts. Frankly I would rather not fix the differential cause it just looks like a massive PITA. If its just dropping the housing and it makes the woman happy I will though.

The e-brakes are rusted through at least on one side I bounced those out but with the AWD problems Ill have to chock the wheels till I get those parts in. fun fun.

Thanks guys and if anyone knows a good place to buy a refurbished or new differential cheap I'm all ears the engine is good and id like to have this thing kick around as long as she can.

 

[koda2000]

getting the parking brakes to work is doable, but i found it a pita trying to work around the rear axle attaching the retainers and springs. there are some good threads on the subject on this forum. check the STICKies.

 

[Ratman720]

Is there any means of preventing the motion transfer to the differential without cutting the part in two. They are only 50 bucks a piece on amazon but I would still rather save the hundred and keep the parts.

 

[my98nnj]

Option 1 isn't an option, remove it from your list.
Option 2 would be the easiest and quickest method.
Option 3 might be tricky, you don't know the extent of the damage.

 

[masospaghetti]

Option 1 isn't an option, remove it from your list.
Option 2 would be the easiest and quickest method.
Option 3 might be tricky, you don't know the extent of the damage.

Care to elaborate why Option 1 isn't an option?

for someone without a working vehicle, it may be (by far) the easiest way to get back on the road. Except for removing the CV's, that is.

 

[koda2000]

option 1 is not an option as stated, because, as i previously told you, your front wheels could fall off (due to hub failure) w/o the cv axles installed.

 

[masospaghetti]

Care to elaborate why Option 1 isn't an option?

for someone without a working vehicle, it may be (by far) the easiest way to get back on the road. Except for removing the CV's, that is.

That's why I said the above - I understand running without CV's is a bad idea.

 

[roboron13]

option 1 is not an option as stated, because, as i previously told you, your front wheels could fall off (due to hub failure) w/o the cv axles installed.

Yes, everybody can read that they need to separate the c.v. axles, using the outer splined part that goer through the hub and the 32mm axle nut tourqe's down to 188 ft.lbs. the nut and spline keep hub, wheel and other very important things all sandwiched 2gether, have fun my friends, took me over an hour of pounding on the c.v.'s to separate them!!!

 

[MAS Tequila]

I know we're talking about 2nd Gen, but, the 3rd Gen front end looks almost identical to my '00 AWD.

My dad's '04 front end is almost identical, and it uses the same hubs and set up whether it's 2 wheel or 4 wheel.

The 3rd Gen hubs have the splines but no cv's or nuts torqued to 188ftlbs, unless it is 4 wheel.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing.

Just asking why it's believed that the front end would come apart without that big torque axle bolt, when the 3rd gen presents the same issue, but doesn't have the cv's or nut on the 2wd?

MT

Yes, everybody can read that they need to separate the c.v. axles, using the outer splined part that goer through the hub and the 32mm axle nut tourqe's down to 188 ft.lbs. the nut and spline keep hub, wheel and other very important things all sandwiched 2gether, have fun my friends, took me over an hour of pounding on the c.v.'s to separate them!!!

 

[bobflood]

Gen 2 front wheel arrangements are very different between 2WD and AWD/4WD. My 2WD has a spindle on the steering knuckle; a big nut on the end holds the hub on the spindle. On the 4WD/AWD the end of the CV axle performs the spindle function; without it there is very little holding the hub on.

 

[MAS Tequila]

You're missing my point.

On the 3rd gen the 2wd looks like my AWD but there is no spindle or CV or anything with a nut in the center. Only the three bolts holding the hub to the knuckle.

MT

Gen 2 front wheel arrangements are very different between 2WD and AWD/4WD. My 2WD has a spindle on the steering knuckle; a big nut on the end holds the hub on the spindle. On the 4WD/AWD the end of the CV axle performs the spindle function; without it there is very little holding the hub on.

 

[Turdle]

^ ^^^^ looks the same and being the same are not the same.

You do need at least the stub shaft with axle nut to hold the bearings together. The cv's can be separated.

This may help you

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243651&highlight=mocha+pudding