84FLH
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 14, 2016
- Messages
- 168
- Reaction score
- 25
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
Good afternoon everyone. 2000 Mountaineer. 396,x.. miles. Orig t-case, trans, engine.
T-CASE TROUBLE?
Ride To Work
Last August my local shop replaced my front driveshaft's CV joint (at the t-case). Before that I'd been getting a heckuva rotating clacking noise so loud I thought something in the front end would explode. Vehicle drove nice 'n quiet after the repair. Until this morning's ride to work.
While stopping for a red light I all of a sudden heard the same rotational clacking I'd heard before the CV joint repair last summer. Medium loud this time. Noise was gone when I started moving again. Drove 2 miles to work parking lot. Driving 5-10 mph in the lot with driver window full open I heard a slight "tick, tick, tick" rotational noise.
Ride Home From Work
I drove 40-50 mph the entire 25 mile ride home. First 12 miles I could hear the soft "tick, tick, tick" rotational noise when I slowed to about 10-20 mph. Then while doing 45 mph the soft "tick, tick, tick" turned into a very loud metallic "clack, clack, clack" for about 5 seconds. As I slowed down the clacking suddenly stopped, as if something had fixed itself. I slowed down to 5-10 mph intermittently the remaining 12 miles home and each time heard the soft "tick, tick, tick" noise. It was very, very soft. Had to really listen with my head out the window to hear it.
Inspection At Home: Questions
(1) At home with vehicle in park, I could rotate the front driveshaft (by hand) about 3/4" inch either direction. IS THAT NORMAL and if not, what t-case condition does it indicate?
(2) If I rotated the driveshaft back and forth in both directions (clockwise, CCW) quickly and with a little force, I could hear the t-case gears slap fairly loud against each other. Could this looseness (backlash?) have caused the loud metallic clacking I heard today, and the soft-ish "tick, tick, tick" I heard? Remember, the vehicle has 396xxx miles on orig t-case.
(3) How much rotational movement by hand (inches, not degrees) should front driveshaft have?
(4) Will vehicle roll in Park if I remove front driveshaft?
Would Video Help?
If so I will take and post (try to) one tomorrow.
OR IS IT FRONT WHEEL BEARING?
The loud "clack, clack, clack" noise is also what I heard when passenger side wheel bearing went bad about 5 years ago. Replaced with SKF from Rock Auto. Been good ever since. Maybe 80,000 miles on it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Hate spending money on this ride but want to nurse it along just two more years.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
T-CASE TROUBLE?
Ride To Work
Last August my local shop replaced my front driveshaft's CV joint (at the t-case). Before that I'd been getting a heckuva rotating clacking noise so loud I thought something in the front end would explode. Vehicle drove nice 'n quiet after the repair. Until this morning's ride to work.
While stopping for a red light I all of a sudden heard the same rotational clacking I'd heard before the CV joint repair last summer. Medium loud this time. Noise was gone when I started moving again. Drove 2 miles to work parking lot. Driving 5-10 mph in the lot with driver window full open I heard a slight "tick, tick, tick" rotational noise.
Ride Home From Work
I drove 40-50 mph the entire 25 mile ride home. First 12 miles I could hear the soft "tick, tick, tick" rotational noise when I slowed to about 10-20 mph. Then while doing 45 mph the soft "tick, tick, tick" turned into a very loud metallic "clack, clack, clack" for about 5 seconds. As I slowed down the clacking suddenly stopped, as if something had fixed itself. I slowed down to 5-10 mph intermittently the remaining 12 miles home and each time heard the soft "tick, tick, tick" noise. It was very, very soft. Had to really listen with my head out the window to hear it.
Inspection At Home: Questions
(1) At home with vehicle in park, I could rotate the front driveshaft (by hand) about 3/4" inch either direction. IS THAT NORMAL and if not, what t-case condition does it indicate?
(2) If I rotated the driveshaft back and forth in both directions (clockwise, CCW) quickly and with a little force, I could hear the t-case gears slap fairly loud against each other. Could this looseness (backlash?) have caused the loud metallic clacking I heard today, and the soft-ish "tick, tick, tick" I heard? Remember, the vehicle has 396xxx miles on orig t-case.
(3) How much rotational movement by hand (inches, not degrees) should front driveshaft have?
(4) Will vehicle roll in Park if I remove front driveshaft?
Would Video Help?
If so I will take and post (try to) one tomorrow.
OR IS IT FRONT WHEEL BEARING?
The loud "clack, clack, clack" noise is also what I heard when passenger side wheel bearing went bad about 5 years ago. Replaced with SKF from Rock Auto. Been good ever since. Maybe 80,000 miles on it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Hate spending money on this ride but want to nurse it along just two more years.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE.