Front diff noise, please help...

[dmaster79]

I have a '93 Eddie Explorer and have some noises coming from my front end when 4 x 4 is engaged. I bought this truck maybe 6 months ago and have used the 4 x 4 maybe 2x if that. After some research I find that the auto hubs may not be engaging right on one side and my front diff fluid is missing. So here's my questions if you can answer it would be grateful. First off what fluid is used in the front diff. They call for synthetic in my Hayes book but is that necessary and what gear weight. Also me being not so familiar with 4wd has it hurt my front end by not having fluid in it. Like I said its only been used 2x and wasn't making the noise then, and finally how do the front wheels lock, is it like a posi-trac or do they both engage together and lock both front axles in? I'm just trying to narrow it down if the auto hubs are messed up or not, since one locked in right away. Thanks for any info you can give.!!!

 

[DB_1]

If you've only used this truck once in 4wd since you got it I wouldn't worry too much about having damaging anything especially if it was light duty wheeling.
You don't need synthetic gear oil for your front end or anything else on your truck for that matter. Some people swear by synthetic fluids and this a whole other debate. I personally run non-synthetic fluids and it seems to work just fine for me. I believe the gear oils start at about 75w-90 and comes in a longer looking bottle than a quart of oil with a pointy tip or you can buy it in a gallon jug. I'd buy the gallon jug and whats leftover to stow away in truck for trail emergencies.
If you are hearing a clicking or ratcheting sound, odds are one of your auto hubs are blown. If you love your auto hubs and are dead set on them then by all means replace it but they will most likely let you down when you most need them. Or you can do what countless others on the board here have done and swap them out for the Warn maual hubs for piece of mind.
That worries me that there isn't any fluid in the diff...does it look like its been leaking anywhere? Check your seals, pinion seal( where your driveshaft connects to the diff) and the axle seals( the backside of the diff where the axleshafts connect to the diff. And also check the diff itself where its sealed up against the axle beam( also on the backside).

 

[dmaster79]

Thanks for the reply. I've changed the fluid in my rear diff already and did not use synthetic so I agree on that part. Is 75w-90 what you recommend? The hayes book calls for 75-140 synthetic, but I can't remember what we ended up using for the back at least. I just remember it wasn't synthetic. I will definitely be checking the seals, but I have no idea how long the front has been dry since I haven't owned the truck that long. I guess after I fill it up and run it I will soon find out where the leak is. The clunking I have from the front I believe is due to when the front hub does lock into place cause it seemed to make a loud clunk right before the left tire would begin to spin. Thanks for all the great info!!

 

[DB_1]

I'd check the owners manual if your X came with one when you bought it and see what weight gear oil to put in the diff. I just put in whatever the auto parts store had left on the shelf, it was slim pickins at the time. I can check my manual tomorrow and see what it recommends unless someone else chimes in before me.
As for the clunking noise, is it a constant thing when you are rolling or does it make just one clunking noise when you engage the transfer case? If it is the latter it could be the hubs locking when you push the 4x4 button OR it could be something nasty going on inside your front diff because of the lack of fluid

 

[dmaster79]

Well did a little more research today on my problem..bought some diff fluid and poured it in. After about a half a bottle it starting pouring right out. From what I can see it is coming from the drivers side around where the axle comes out so most likely my guess is a seal. How hard is it to change this myself. I'm sure it can't be that much to replace, but also what kind of labor is involved...thanks

 

[DB_1]

I personally have never changed a seal on a TTB so I don't know what's involved with it, i'm sure someone who has done it before will chime in with some advise. I don't know if those seals are pressed on or the kind you can pry out. If they are pressed on then there's a bit of work involved, basicly you'd have to take the whole centerchunk out and take it to a machine shop to have new seals pressed on. If they can be pryed out by hand then you should be able to get away with just having to take out the axleshafts, pry out the seals and then tap the new seals on with a big socket or something about the same diameter as the seal. You just don't want to start whaling away on the seal with a hammer, for one you'll damage the seal and two you be like a dog chasing its tail because it will never seat or worse you'll get it wedged. I'll check my Haynes book for any info.

 

[Bronco638]

I'm going to guess that the front diff wasn't totally dry or it would have seized. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there's damage to the gears and/or bearings. Differentials produce a bunch of friction and therefore, heat. That's why the lube has such a high viscosity (to keep things cool). Some of the noises you hear might be diff related. I'm not trying to scare you but, for your safety, it might not be a bad idea to check it out.

 

[DB_1]

My Haynes book shows that you need a seal/bearing puller, a tool you can probably rent at your local auto parts store, and they had theirs completly off the truck but they were doing an overhaul of the whole front end. You'll have to see what kind of room you have to work with around the diff to get the seals off...good luck

 

[dmaster79]

Thanks for all the help. My dad agreed to help me take on this project so I will be doing this tomorrow...Should be a great learning experience...I'll let you know how it all goes.

 

[Infragate]

It will give you a good chance to inspect the auto hubs too, as you will have to dismantle the drivers side to remove the axle shaft. Its pretty easy to do this job so enjoy, have fun!

 

[dmaster79]

Well all done, took about 4 hours of my day, but that included an hour to go and find the seal. Local auto parts store weren't much help on this one. Ended up getting it from the Ford dealer, who I was suprised was very helpful and friendly. Knew exactly which seal it was. I looked at my auto hubs, could not see anything broken on them. It appears the pumpkin was holding some fluid though, since I only put less then 1 bottle to fill it up. No leaks so far. Next little project is draining the transfer case and refilling. Any ideas how hard this is? I'm sure its never been done, since nothing else was maintained on this truck.

 

[DB_1]

Good deal dmaster did you have to use a puller to get the seals out?
As far as changing the T-case fluid, I use a suction pump to get as much fluid out of there as I can then refill just like you would your diff.
Auto parts store usually sells a few different types of suction pumps, mine is ball shaped with a clear tube coming in/out of the ball.