Ranger Rear End blown...

[Dev0station]

02 fx4

I think the ring is busted or something...

1st started making noise 2 days ago clicking and poping when turning...
Yesterday huge thud on the interstate
Today truck won't move, just abunch of clinking noise and the transmission in park won't hold it...have to use the parking brake...

any ideas...

 

[RangerX]

Well, it's easy enough to check.Put a drain pan under the diff, and take the cover off.

Did you do anything to cause diff breakage? Or change or install anything in there lately?

 

[Dev0station]

I'm thinking that's what were going to have to do...just wondering if anyone else has had this happen...

no new parts...I mean we're hard on it, but I've never seen one just fail...driving on the road...

 

[Brian_B]

I know this will sound dumb, but are you sure its the rear end? I don't know about the noise when turning, but the rest sounds like a trashed transmission.

 

[badbarnkitty]

ford has issued recalls on a bunch of rangers for the rear differential (it can snap in high torque situations). i think mostly pertains to manual trans with 4x4 - i would check into it; ive found lots of info on rear diff on all styles of rangers having major problems

 

[badbarnkitty]

p.s. the recall info said specifically the fx4 package....im sure yours was recalled

 

[clint's97ranger]

I had something like that happen about 2 days ago. Left for work and it started shaking around 20 mph. Stoped and checked the lug nuts. None loose. Decided to go on same thing but not too bad around 45-50 mph. Took off from stop sign got to 3rd gear then bang!!! Started shaking badly. When I made a turn sounded like a poping noise. couldn't get over 5 mph. So I am thinking it is the rear diff. Any help. No work has been done to it. Hard take offs though. Thanks for the time.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

my brother had his blow up with only 20k miles on his 02 fx4.... what happened (we think) was that the factory vent tube was routed into the wheelwell...well when ice and snow came it made a nice plug overtop the vent... we noticed it leaking so we took it in to get the seal changed... they changed the seal said it was low on oil so they topped it back off..... Well about a week later the whole thing blew up..... cracked the torsen limited slip chewed up the gears and you could acutally move the pinion shaft in and out of the diff a little.... Well they fixed all this under warranty and we got it back and within a week it was leaking again because they had not found the vent tube yet.... We finally figured out what was happening and do not know why the vent tube was mounted there...

 

[Red FX4]

The recall was on early 02 FX4s with manual transmissions. Ford replaced my entire rear axle including brakes under warranty. The automatic transmission FX4s had the same Torsen differential but apparently would not see the abuse a manual transmission could dish out. Maybe your differential was not recalled and the failure is related to this recall.