Please Need help- clunking front end!!!

[J91FORD]

I was doing some light wheeling today in my 91 and while in 4 wheel drive i heard some clunking and poping going on up front????? It did this while turning or when i was climbing a hill and turning the wheels slightly this problem has been going on for quit some time now i just replaced my gears and all new bearings, that didnt seem to help and seems to be getting worse what do you guys think? thanks in advance

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*91 EB *
-5.5 Superlift
-33" tires
-American racing rims
-borla hedders
-chip
-modified air box
-Gibson preformance exhaust
-4:56 gears

 

[mrboyle]

While you were dooing the gears did you check the u-joints? It sounds like you have one or both about to fail.
By the way I am refering to the axle u-joints!

[This message has been edited by mrboyle (edited 05-01-2000).]

 

[J91FORD]

yea the u joints are fine

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*91 EB *
-5.5 Superlift
-33" tires
-American racing rims
-borla hedders
-chip
-modified air box
-Gibson preformance exhaust
-4:56 gears

 

[mattadams]

I'd be willing to bet that its your hubs. It wouldn't be the U-joints because those would be making noise all time (obviously, the front axle spins even when 4wd is not engaged right?). I had that problem when I first bought my Explorer, it had the automatic hubs, I pulled them out and put in manual hubs (that was the day before the Colorado Fall Colors run) and the noise went away.

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Matt Adams
94 Explorer 4-door nick-named "Tippy"
http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/explorer/explorer.html

 

[wabbit]

Sounds like hubs to me. Especially if you have the stock auto-hubs.
Good time to go to manual hubs. Replacement auto-hubs from Ford are very expensive.
BTW: The front axle shafts do not turn unless the hubs are engaged and/or the transfer case is in 4WD.
If you take it out of 4WD and back up 10-20 feet to disengage the hubs and the noise stops, you will have good reason to suspect the hubs.
Hope this helps...

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'91 Explorer XLT 4WD

 

[roadkill]

I vote for the hubs too, mine did the same thing until replaced!

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"Don't go where the road don't go." -Ringo Starr
"92 EB / 2.5" Rancho
Wil

 

[CHH777]

Check your radius arm bushings...

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

I have the same lift as you and have noticed that after time, the studs on the top of the front axle shafts that hold the top of the radius arm and the bottom of the coil springs will loosen and cause a loud popping. I have had this problems several times and if I ever get some locktite or enough strength to tighten them enough I hope to eliminate this problem Dead Link Removed

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93XLT-5.5" Super Runner, Super Runner Steering, 1.5" Body lift,33x12.5 BFG KO's, Borla exhaust,KKM air filter, Warn HS9500i winch, Sony deck & 10 disk CD changer w/ 12" sub.

 

[starflt]

Recently, I bought a cherry '93 Explorer XLT with only 57,000 miles. I bought the truck to handle a really bad boat launch ramp. The 4x4 has done a wonderful job of taming the ramp. However, when I use the truck in 4x4 on the ramp, and then drive home (1-1/2 hours at hwy speeds), after I get home, the auto hubs will sound like they are trying to re-engage (buzzign, clunking). This goes on for about 1 day, and then disappears until the next time I use 4x4 again. I disengage the hubs by backing up after disengaging the transfer case, just like the manual says. On the road, everything is fine. The problem starts when I get home, and the truck sits for a while. Any ideas, anyone?

 

[4x4Hunter]

O' the bane of the the auto hub failure. It seems that Ford should just stop doing the silly autohubs...OR, convert them over to something that is more reliable. I went through one set of replacement auto hubs before I got wise to the fact that there was, what seemed to me, a design flaw. I mean, when you tear apart the 4x4 hub, you'll find that the ring that locks the hub in is made out of plastic. CAN we be any sillier <sp?> I mean, cold weather + plastic teeth = broken teeth. I've had times when the wind chill and cold equaled near 60 below...and thats F! Things get REALLY cold and often will break with a bone chilling SNAP. I finally switched over to the WARN hubs and haven't had a problem since...nor have I heard that annoying THUMP from below me while the 4x4 kicked in and out.

Advice from the inqisition
"Convert, Convert, Convert.....make it manual"....er maybe not the exact quote

 

[GreggC]

clunk in front end

I too have that damn noise. I have a 98 w/5.0L and AWD. Dealer has had it twice and same problem.Whats a off roader to do!

 

[huhwhat]

Maybe you need an amp or sumthin'.

I used to have the same problem, but I noticed that if I turned the radio up real loud, the problem stopped. Weird. I don't get how the two things are related but whenever I turn the radio back down, the clunking noises come back again.