bigDerk
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 11, 2001
- Messages
- 522
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Stockbridge, GA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2001 Ranger Edge
This is a 99 Ranger 4WD, 4.0L automatic. 50K, just bought the truck a few weeks ago.
I had noticed a strange clunking/grinding noise that I could only recreate under one condition. Turning left from a stop (like at a 4way stop), accelerating, at about 5-10mph, I would feel a clunk/grind coming from under the truck. It would only happen for a second or two, and would quit as I turned the wheel back straight and sped up. I had heard it maybe 4 times since I've had the truck, and can rarely get it to make the noise when I'm driving. Didn't think much of it since I couldn't hear the noise often.
Yesterday I took my truck on a quick trail run to try out the 4WD for the first time. Didn't do anything even close to hard wheeling, I could have done it all in 2WD easily, but I wanted to be sure the 4WD worked. Didn't have any problems.
Put the truck back in 2WD and started off the trail. As I was leaving the trail, I drove over an area that was quite bumpy, and I noticed a bit of noise (metallic clunk/clanging) coming from underneath the truck. I didn't think much of it at the time, as my Explorer's suspension was quite noisy, and I drove off the trail. When I pulled back onto the paved road, I noticed there was a problem. From a stop, a slow roll, or speeds under 10mph or so, if I sped up a bit (mild gas pedal pressure, not heavy) I would hear a loud, heavy, metallic clunk from underneath the truck- sounded to be anywhere from under the cab to the front of the truck. This same clunk would also happen when I let off the gas, or if I continued to accelerate, it seemed to make more clunking noises as the transmission shifted. I pulled off to a park-n-ride to look under the truck, couldn't find anything suspicious. With anything more than easy gas pedal pressure, the clunk would happen, and then once again when I let off the gas, as well as with each shift under acceleration.
This morning I drove the truck to class, and I heard the sound a few times. Didn't think much of it, guess I was hoping it would go away, but it hasn't. The noise has become louder, and feels like a harder clunk (don't you love these technical terms?) than before. This happens when in 2WD, 4WD, and 4LO, and is louder when you hit the gas harder. I let my dad drive the truck, and as I listened from outside the truck, it sounds like its coming from the transfer case/transmission area.
Being that I have very limited mechanical knowledge, and my dad knows nothing about 4WD systems (and thinks they are a disaster waiting to happen), I'm in a really tough spot right now. I had been unemployed until the past week, and I have only 5 hours this week. My first paycheck comes next Friday, and it will be very small. I've basically got $150 to live off of until I get more money from work. DEFINITELY a horrible time for a mechanical problem.
I can probably get my dad to forward me the money to fix it, but that's just more money I owe him on top of what I owe him for the truck.
The previous owner said his son slid into a ditch, but said that nothing more than the fender and door were repaired/replaced. At this point I'm wondering how extensive the damage really was.
Anyone have any ideas? Like I said, we've pretty much narrowed the noise down to the transfer case/transmission area, but it could be coming from somewhere else. I guess I'm just hoping someone has had this exact thing happen, and can tell me what the problem is, since I can't (and don't want to) have to pay a mechanic or Ford to find the problem. Please don't respond to this thread unless you have a worthwhile contribution, I need every bit of serious help I can get right now.
I had noticed a strange clunking/grinding noise that I could only recreate under one condition. Turning left from a stop (like at a 4way stop), accelerating, at about 5-10mph, I would feel a clunk/grind coming from under the truck. It would only happen for a second or two, and would quit as I turned the wheel back straight and sped up. I had heard it maybe 4 times since I've had the truck, and can rarely get it to make the noise when I'm driving. Didn't think much of it since I couldn't hear the noise often.
Yesterday I took my truck on a quick trail run to try out the 4WD for the first time. Didn't do anything even close to hard wheeling, I could have done it all in 2WD easily, but I wanted to be sure the 4WD worked. Didn't have any problems.
Put the truck back in 2WD and started off the trail. As I was leaving the trail, I drove over an area that was quite bumpy, and I noticed a bit of noise (metallic clunk/clanging) coming from underneath the truck. I didn't think much of it at the time, as my Explorer's suspension was quite noisy, and I drove off the trail. When I pulled back onto the paved road, I noticed there was a problem. From a stop, a slow roll, or speeds under 10mph or so, if I sped up a bit (mild gas pedal pressure, not heavy) I would hear a loud, heavy, metallic clunk from underneath the truck- sounded to be anywhere from under the cab to the front of the truck. This same clunk would also happen when I let off the gas, or if I continued to accelerate, it seemed to make more clunking noises as the transmission shifted. I pulled off to a park-n-ride to look under the truck, couldn't find anything suspicious. With anything more than easy gas pedal pressure, the clunk would happen, and then once again when I let off the gas, as well as with each shift under acceleration.
This morning I drove the truck to class, and I heard the sound a few times. Didn't think much of it, guess I was hoping it would go away, but it hasn't. The noise has become louder, and feels like a harder clunk (don't you love these technical terms?) than before. This happens when in 2WD, 4WD, and 4LO, and is louder when you hit the gas harder. I let my dad drive the truck, and as I listened from outside the truck, it sounds like its coming from the transfer case/transmission area.
Being that I have very limited mechanical knowledge, and my dad knows nothing about 4WD systems (and thinks they are a disaster waiting to happen), I'm in a really tough spot right now. I had been unemployed until the past week, and I have only 5 hours this week. My first paycheck comes next Friday, and it will be very small. I've basically got $150 to live off of until I get more money from work. DEFINITELY a horrible time for a mechanical problem.
I can probably get my dad to forward me the money to fix it, but that's just more money I owe him on top of what I owe him for the truck. The previous owner said his son slid into a ditch, but said that nothing more than the fender and door were repaired/replaced. At this point I'm wondering how extensive the damage really was.
Anyone have any ideas? Like I said, we've pretty much narrowed the noise down to the transfer case/transmission area, but it could be coming from somewhere else. I guess I'm just hoping someone has had this exact thing happen, and can tell me what the problem is, since I can't (and don't want to) have to pay a mechanic or Ford to find the problem. Please don't respond to this thread unless you have a worthwhile contribution, I need every bit of serious help I can get right now.
