Rear Axle Seal & Clicking Noise

[2003EB]

Hello Peoples,
I have a 2003 Eddie Bauer 4x4 - 4.6L - 5spd Auto with about 59,000 mile on it. About a week ago I started hearing an occasional clicking noise coming from the passenger side, the noise is intermittent and might occur for 2 to 5 seconds before going away. I removed the passenger side front and rear wheels to check for something stuck in there and found nothing so today I put it up on ramps to check the U joint and it was solid and then I noticed oil on the rear end, not a ton but easily enough to know it wasn't normal. After grabbing a flashlight I discovered that the leak was at the passenger rear half shaft. I can guess that the axle seal is bad. What else may I be looking at?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Fordmandan87]

i shadowed at a dealership in the area and that was not uncommon i would agree with madexplorer93 its not hard to do in a couple of hours

 

[2003EB]

Thanks guys. I'm not a mechanic by any means but i used to have a 2000 Mustang GT and a Bronco II and I did some basic repairs on these how difficult is something like this? I know this is one of those annoying questions but I decently mechanically inclined so if I get a Haynes manual is this something that I should be able to figure out?

Thanks Again

 

[2003EB]

Middle at the differential, where the half shaft meets the pumpkin.

 

[2003EB]

OK. Sounds like I'm getting a great birthday present today. Two more easy questions. Any ballpark on what I might have to spend to get this fixed(I know it depends on if the ring and pinion are mashed)? Could the clicking noise that I'me hearing be related to this problem?

 

[2003EB]

I feel like a jacka$$ now for not doing this first but better late than never. Here is a pic of the leak just to make sure we're on the same wavelength:

Thanks again for your patience and help. If you fly fish MadExplorer93 send me your address and I'll send you some flies.

 

[JasonF]

Very typical leak. My 04 just did the same thing at 60k miles. Ford has released an updated seal for this...big surprise.

I have heard its a few hundred dollars to get them changed.

Jason

 

[2003EB]

I put the X into neutral, jacked up the rear, and played around with the wheel to check for "play" like you might try to check with a wheel bearing but I couldn't get the wheel to turn or move at all, even in neutral. At this point I guess I'm hoping that there isn't too much jacked up in there. The thing that I think is going to suck about this is I'm sure I should get both diff seals replaced even though only one is leaking. Are there any other defects in the rear end that should be addressed before they break?

 

[pb3]

been there, done that

i'm just getting finished with this repair. i have an '03 with 109k miles, and went a bit overboard replacing everything. if you're lucky, your wheel bearings will be fine, the axles will be good, and you won't have a cracked coil. you can get all the tools to use from autozone if you don't own them. and yes, the seals come in a pair.

 

[xvprflyboivx]

my rear end clicks when im rolling from 15 - 25 mph. i hear it when im slowing down. i definitely know its coming from the rear end.

 

[blitzk]

my rear end clicks when im rolling from 15 - 25 mph. i hear it when im slowing down. i definitely know its coming from the rear end.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm having these same issues. I hear a clicking when driving ~5+mph (I haven't gone above 25 since noticing it). Accel/coasting/braking.


The clicking is loud... It doesn't seem to do it while I'm turning. I just noticed it last night and haven't driven it again.

It sounds like maybe it's more on the driver side, but hard to tell. I had a friend stand on my street as I drove. He said he couldn't really hear it from the front, but as soon as I passed he could hear the clicking, and could keep hearing it many houses away. He couldn't tell if it was coming from one side or the other.

I have wider tires, about the same dia as stock though (on 22" rims). It also has lowering springs (Groundforce, ~1.5"). I do drive it hard and I also tow a boat on occasion.


On Monday I'm going to take off the wheels and check to make sure its not the brakes (parking brake).

Any ideas???

 

[blitzk]

I should add...

This is an 04 4.0 XLT ~47k miles

 

[JohnJ]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm having these same issues. I hear a clicking when driving ~5+mph (I haven't gone above 25 since noticing it). Accel/coasting/braking.


The clicking is loud... It doesn't seem to do it while I'm turning. I just noticed it last night and haven't driven it again.

It sounds like maybe it's more on the driver side, but hard to tell. I had a friend stand on my street as I drove. He said he couldn't really hear it from the front, but as soon as I passed he could hear the clicking, and could keep hearing it many houses away. He couldn't tell if it was coming from one side or the other.

I have wider tires, about the same dia as stock though (on 22" rims). It also has lowering springs (Groundforce, ~1.5"). I do drive it hard and I also tow a boat on occasion.


On Monday I'm going to take off the wheels and check to make sure its not the brakes (parking brake).

Any ideas???

If it's in the brake (service or parking) it should change in volume or disappear on a light apply of the brake. Also, consider the possibility of a bad u-joint. Sometimes u-joints click, but this will likely be a faster click than from a tire screw or a problem in the rear.. A screw or rock in your tire is another possibility. If you want to know if it specifically comes from one side, try having your friend stick his head out the window on one side and then the other as you drive. Do not knock your friend's head against a utility pole or another truck.

 

[blitzk]

If it's in the brake (service or parking) it should change in volume or disappear on a light apply of the brake. Also, consider the possibility of a bad u-joint. Sometimes u-joints click, but this will likely be a faster click than from a tire screw or a problem in the rear.. A screw or rock in your tire is another possibility. If you want to know if it specifically comes from one side, try having your friend stick his head out the window on one side and then the other as you drive. Do not knock your friend's head against a utility pole or another truck.

I'll check tonight on the brake issue...

It's nothing stuck on the tire.

the sound is like if you put a bolt in a coffee can and roll it down the driveway.

 

[blitzk]

I'll check tonight on the brake issue...

It's nothing stuck on the tire.

the sound is like if you put a bolt in a coffee can and roll it down the driveway.

It was the drivers side e-brake.

BOTH e-brake pads came delaminated and were rolling around in the rotor!

I replaced the e-brake shoes, hardware, rotor, and brake pads.