haywardiii
New Member
- Joined
- November 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Salem, OR
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 03 Limited Centennial
New member, hoping for help in saving my wife's Explorer. We have a 2003 Explorer Limited Centennial Edition with the 4.6L. We have added a Gibson Cat Back Exhaust, Mac Cold Air Induction, Granatelli MAF. Replaced the stock rear diff with a Detroit TruTrac limited slip at 48,000 after the stock one began to shudder badly. My wife would also like to add headers, and we just went to 18" wheels with 275 wide tires. The rig now has about 56,000 miles on it. Just recently, my wife started hearing a regular squeaking noise that varied with RPM. It only happens when in drive or reverse, not in neutral. It also seems to vary with temperature, being worse when the rig is at full operating temperature. It sounds like a bad bearing. I have never changed the tranny fluid due to the factory recommended interval, although I have now read that it should still be changed at 30,000 miles. I have also been reading lots of complaints about the 5R55 trannies, with complaints of multiple rebuilds.
Two questions. First, if the problem is a bearing, will replacing the tranny fluid help at least buy me some time before I have to do a serious operation?
Second, with additional horsepower and the potential of adding headers and a performance chip I am very concerned about the strength of this tranny. Are there performance upgrades to strengthen the tranny, or is there a stronger tranny I can swap in that I can mate up with the ECM? What about the 6 speed in the 06?
If I can't figure out a way to strengthen this component than our "Mommy's Hot Rod" project will have to be canceled and we will have to move to another vehicle.
Don't want to, we have a lot of money in this, but I don't want to be replacing trannies every year. 
Two questions. First, if the problem is a bearing, will replacing the tranny fluid help at least buy me some time before I have to do a serious operation?
Second, with additional horsepower and the potential of adding headers and a performance chip I am very concerned about the strength of this tranny. Are there performance upgrades to strengthen the tranny, or is there a stronger tranny I can swap in that I can mate up with the ECM? What about the 6 speed in the 06?
If I can't figure out a way to strengthen this component than our "Mommy's Hot Rod" project will have to be canceled and we will have to move to another vehicle.
Don't want to, we have a lot of money in this, but I don't want to be replacing trannies every year. 
