Rear Axle gone at 22k HOW?!!!!

[thechemist]

Not sure of the name "axle"(i believe it is called this it is a long tube that has the bolts where the tire is put might also be called the driveshaft) i have a 98 SOHC explorer sport with 22k miles.

Gear oil started to leak from rear left. Took out the "axel" had to open up the differentual to take it off). Seems like the bearing made a grove on the axel somehow about 1/4 inch down. (the bearing is in good shape). WHY? also where can i get another axel ?


how can i take the bearing out? (seems to be there real real tight) i tryed a pully but doesn't want to come out. It was in good shape but had pieces of metal from the axel so i thought i shoudl replace, now it's in pieces but refuses to budge, it MUST come out now.

why would this axel do this at just 22k? (maybe the tire was hit which caused this (salvage vehicle?) but the axle looks nice and straight

 

[Robert]

I don't know how it happens, but I am about to schedule an appointment to get my rear axle bearing replaced. Mine has a bad clunk coming from the rear. I thought it was my Borla hitting somewhere but this weekend I bounced it up and down while my Wife listened for where the clank was coming from. She said it was coming from my rear passenger wheel. I jacked it up and could push the wheel in and out about 1/8". When I did, it made the clanking sound I had been hearing. I tried it on the driver's side and it doesn't budge. My '97 4x4 Sport has 67K on it though. 22K is pretty early and since it was a salvage, no telling what the previous driver's may have done to it.

 

[thechemist]

not sure what the old owner did but

it only had 900 miles when i got it.

 

[Robert]

It looked as if you said it had a Salvaged Title. Maybe you were questioning if it had one or not? Anyway, since it only had 900 miles on it when you got it, I doubt if anything was done prior to you buying it that would have caused it. I would guess that it would have shown up before 21100 miles. It was probably just one of those unexplainable things. Maybe it got a piece of debris in it. How is the other side? What made you suspect there was a problem? Mine is covered through an aftermarket extended warranty so mine isn't going to cost me anything to repair. However, if there is the chance that my axle is damgaged as opposed to just the wheel bearing, I want to ask the shop to check it out as well. I suspected there was a problem with mine when I couldn't get rid of the clanking from the rear of my Explorer. I got rid of all the other clanks, just not the one from the back.

 

[thechemist]

At first i thought it was just the seal (gear oil was coming out). after the tire was removed and i was able to move the axel up and down about 1/4th of a inch, i thought it was the bearing. Soon realized the bearing was in good condition but was in a grove inside the axle (somehow this happened with a good bearing).

If my axel is any indication to all explorers then, yours might very well be damaged as well (my barring was good and i got damaged, a bad bearing should cause more).

All i can think of is if my car was hit in the tire when it was in the accident (possible giving the axle a small bend which started to make a grove slowly).

I haven't had time to check the other side, since removing the axle is no easy task (had to open up the differentual, remove the stars and holdin pin.


Good luck with ut repairs

 

[01EB5.0]

Isn't your vehicle still under ford's 3 year, 36,000 mile warentee? If it is I would have then deal with it, if not then:
1. If you do not already have a Chilton's manual I would get one
2. You may ask one of the service guys at your ford dealer or whatever shop you normally use for any pointers on the bearing removal if Chilton's doesn't totally cover it.