Loud noise, sounds like coming from Axle

[Fantasymon]

Hey,
I haven't been here in like 2 years but I have a problem...

I had my tires rotated about 2 weeks ago and ever since (didn't really notice right afterwards) the car is extremely loud when driving...

I can't tell what it is but anyone that drives with me says it sounds like the front axle. (It not EXTREMELY loud, but definatley not normal)

I have Cobra 17 inch rims with relatively big tires (I think the size is listed in my signature, sorry its been a while).....I also have done the 2" shackle lift (There's a better name that you all call it but also cant remember)..Other than that I haven't done any major mods. Both were done several years ago.

Any idea what the problem is? I've been meaning to have the tires rotated again. I really don't want to ruin my axle...The car has 44,000 miles.

Thanks a lot!!
Grant

 

[IZwack]

front hub assembly. Search the board for the symptoms of a hub assembly going bad to see if thats what you're hearing.. if it is, this topic has been discussed many times.

 

[Fantasymon]

hey thanks....I did a search on it and seems like that COULD be the problem...Like 20 people simply said "I changed my front hub assembly" blah blah ....as though it was like changing their oil....I'm not very mechanically inclined
(though I do somehow work on F16 Jets in the af lol)

Anyways, How much am I looking at to buy the assembly and have it installed?

A couple guys were talking about their CV joints being the problem....I kinda remember being told years ago when I did the TT lift that it could put more tention on my CV joints....(I could be totally wrong)...

Is it possible to change or check CV joints? (I have no clue what they are)

Thanks a lot

 

[IZwack]

.Like 20 people simply said "I changed my front hub assembly" blah blah ....as though it was like changing their oil....I'm not very mechanically inclined

it is quite easy to change the assembly.. once you get the rotor and caliber off, and the hub nut (the large nut you see at the center of the wheel), the hub assembly itself is held in by only 3 bolts (i believe a 15mm wrench is what you need).. the bolt heads are located on the back side of the knuckle (the side closest to the engine). expect to spend 3 hrs if you've never taken apart the front before, and like an hour if you have.

Anyways, How much am I looking at to buy the assembly and have it installed?

the assembly itself is usually between $165 and $200.. shop around. installation at any place will probably cost u way too much, i recommend just doing it urself.. the only tools you need are common toolbox items.. the only exception is the large socket you'll need to get the hub nut off.

A couple guys were talking about their CV joints being the problem....I kinda remember being told years ago when I did the TT lift that it could put more tention on my CV joints....I have no clue what they [CV joints] are

you have an independent front suspension (IFS).. the "axle" is actually broken up into three pieces, the center section which is part of the differential, and the two outter axles (one right, one left). . the "axles" when put together, looks like this from the front __/-==O==-\__ where the "==O==" is the center differnential and anything else to the left and right of this differential are the two half axles (or half shafts). as you can see, there is are two bends to each half shaft and at each bend, there is a "CV joint".. doing the torsion twist further lowers the flat part (the "__" part) which increases the angle on each "CV joint".. and like most driveline joints, the "CV" joint can only withstand so much angle until it starts tearing itself apart.

Is it possible to change or check CV joints?

to change out the CV joint, u have to replace the half shaft.. in other words, its part of the half shaft assembly. do a search again for this topic, i'm pretty sure its been covered many times.

you also should get a repair manual.. i suggest a Chilton.

here is a better image of what a typical IFS front looks like:

the entire axle assembly above is flat so you're not seeing the typical angle that your half shafts sit at

here is what a tpyical half shaft looks like:

inside each of those black boots is where the CV joint is located. the joints require constant lubrication and grease is kept inside those boots. if the boots are torn or whatever, then the joints/half shaft need to be checked (if not replaced).

 

[Fantasymon]

thanks for the help! Its pretty crazy how much you all know about explorers. I did a search for that stuff but still a couple questions.

1) dumb question but I assume to take the rotor and caliber off I have to use the carjack to raise the end up?

2) Is there any way I can check to see if the CJ joint has angled itself too much or that they are still being greased?

3) To replace the CJ (half shaft), I would have to buy both sides right?
Would this require a lot more maintanance than the hub assembly?
I found a site that sells them for about $77 each. Does this picture look like what I need? http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Cardone/DetailSelect.html?662027.jpg

4) If the CJ is angled too much, whats the worst (well most probable worse) that would happen?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

 

[IZwack]

1) dumb question but I assume to take the rotor and caliber off I have to use the carjack to raise the end up?

you could use the carjack that came with your explorer to jack that one corner of the car up... but dont forget that you need jackstands... you should never really just use a jack by itself, put a jackstand at the tabs (that point forward) located at the front of the lower A-arm.

2) Is there any way I can check to see if the CJ joint has angled itself too much or that they are still being greased?

i dont really know of a way to tell whether or not a CV joint has been flexed past its limits.. the other members on the board might. unless you see a tear in the boot covering or theres grease leaking out of the corners, or the edges of the body of the boot, then the CV should still be lubricated. you could pull the CV boots off but they are usually held on by a metal band thats not something anyone can usually handle.. i'm not certain but maybe you can put the boot back on using pipe/tube clambs (the type that has the screw at the top that feeds the band onto itself via the threads).

To replace the CJ (half shaft), I would have to buy both sides right?

No you only need to by the side that has gone bad.

Would this require a lot more maintanance than the hub assembly?

the Hub assembly is competely separate from the CV half shaft. sorry if i mislead you earlier into thinking that the CV is part of the hub assembly... though the CV half shaft does slide into the hub assembly (the two are splined). if its the half shaft thats going bad, then replace the half shaft. if its the hub assembly, then replace the hub assembly. the hub assembly itself looks more like this:

an explorer's hub assembly looks very similar to that, but there will be a wire coming out on one end - that is the ABS sensor wire (which plugs directly to a connector located under the headlights just behind the bumper).

I found a site that sells them for about $77 each. Does this picture look like what I need?

yes that is what the CV half shaft looks like. but u only need to buy that if ur certain that its the CV shaft thats going bad.

4) If the CJ is angled too much, whats the worst (well most probable worse) that would happen?

on explorers, i believe the CVs start aproaching their angle limit when the front suspension is at full "droop" - which is when a tire is off of the ground. im not exactly sure what will happen once the angle limit is passed since ive never seen it.. but my guess is that the ball race inside the CV joint will, during every revolution, start eating away at the end of its grooves and will eventually either skip out of the groove, or just crack open the CV's casing (the "socket" part of the joint).