gavin
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- September 27, 2002
- Messages
- 3,183
- Reaction score
- 23
- City, State
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '97 Explorer XLT AWD 5.0L
I'm still fighting with vibrations in my truck. I've pretty much replaced EVERYTHING that could be the cause. Front and rear axles replaced (for other reasons), which would (most likely) rule out pinion bearings, carrier bearings, and diffs in general.
CV Axles have been replaced numerous times. Wheel bearing/hub assemblies have been replaced more than once (they go bad quick, when you're running 33's on out of round rims). The vibes continue without the front d-shaft, and I even had one custom made, with a double-cardan, to get rid of the POS OEM cv-joint.
So, that brings me to replacing the bearings in my transfer case. If I would apply upward pressure on the rear output, I would hear a clicking. The volume of the "click" would increase with increased pressure.
Also, with my truck having 170k'ish miles, and only 1 fluid change in the t-case (I only changed it once, and I doubt it was changed prior to me purchasing it 5 yrs/80k'ish miles ago), it's certainly not a bad idea to get to this.
Plus, with it being an AWD, there's no shift linkages to worry about.
The parts I purchased:
-TransParts BW4404 Rebuild Kit (bearings and seals); purchased off eBay.
-TransParts TC10-051 Chain (same as Morse TEC HV-051, wrong for my application; I apparently needed HV-070)
Side note on this:
4404 Ford Explorer/ Mountaineer to 97 HV-051 .4346 Pitch x 1-1/4 W x 74 Pitches - RJ
4404 w/5 Liter Ford Explorer/ Mountaineer with 5 Liter Engines HV-070 .4346 Pitch x 1-1/4 W x 74 Pitches - RJ
They are both the same pitch, width, and same number of pitches. Yet they are different by 1 link width. Not to mention the 4404 was only behind Explorer/Mountaineer with 5.oh's
My guess is, maybe it changed when they switched from round front output flange to the "cup..." or?
To remove the t-case from the transmission adapter, there are 6- 1/2" head bolts. To break the case apart, you can use either a 10mm socket, or a T40 (although it felt a little loose, but a T45 was too big) torx driver. Oddly, on my case, there is 1 oddball bolt that is a standard hex-head 1/2" bolt.
There are ears on the case, to make prying it open easier.
The rear half of the case. You can see the one bearing, which the front output shaft rides in. And then the huge gear on the right, going to the rear output.
Front half of the case with the gears and chain removed. You can see the bearing for the front output, and there's a replaceable copper "race" (?) where the input shaft goes.
The front of the front-half. You can see the bearing for the front output here, along with the seal for the input shaft.
The input seal removed.
New seal installed.
This clip is holding the front output shaft in the case. It's a PITA to remove, because it's thick, therefore very stiff.
Gears and chain that go into the front half of the case. Note, there are 2 different chains for the BW4404. They have the same exact specs (length, # links, width), yet they are different widths. The chain I happend to get was 9 & 10 links wide. The chain in my case is 10 & 11 links wide.
The large group of gears has this bearing inside of one of the gears.
Here's another bearing. You can also see the viscous coupler (the largest piece). I "cheated" and used a socket to push the shaft out of the bearing.
New bearings and seal installed, gears and chain reinstalled. Luckily, my chain was still good.
Took FOREVER to get the nut off the rear output. I don't think it would have been any easier if I had left it in the truck. I had to use my little propane torch to heat it up and boil(?) the thread locker. Even still, took around 30 minutes between heating and hitting it with my impact wrench at 120psi. Also note, there is a rubber washer/seal that goes underneath the metal washer.
See those little prongs at the bottom of the case? You need to spread those apart, so that you can get the rear output shaft out.
It's a PITA to get the rear output shaft back in. Because again, you need to pry that clip open. (I removed speedo sensor when reinstalling, whether or not it helped, I don't know.
Rear output shaft bearing.
Seal for rear output.
Part of the speedo gear, and that small yellow plastic elbow at the bottom, feeds fluid to that bearing that's pressed onto the shaft. There is also a small rubber o-ring that goes somewhere with this speedo gear (I can't remember exactly where it was).
There's another tiny needle bearing on the inside of this. I made the mistake of attempting to remove this bearing; it was not fun, nor pretty. This pretty much requires a blind-hole puller.
Speedo gear and etc removed, although I decided NOT to replace this bearing, as I do not have the proper tools for it.
Clip removed.
Another clip holding the shaft to this "cup" (blurry pic, I know).
That clip removed.
Reinstall parts, silicon the case, bolt back together.
CV Axles have been replaced numerous times. Wheel bearing/hub assemblies have been replaced more than once (they go bad quick, when you're running 33's on out of round rims). The vibes continue without the front d-shaft, and I even had one custom made, with a double-cardan, to get rid of the POS OEM cv-joint.
So, that brings me to replacing the bearings in my transfer case. If I would apply upward pressure on the rear output, I would hear a clicking. The volume of the "click" would increase with increased pressure.
Also, with my truck having 170k'ish miles, and only 1 fluid change in the t-case (I only changed it once, and I doubt it was changed prior to me purchasing it 5 yrs/80k'ish miles ago), it's certainly not a bad idea to get to this.
Plus, with it being an AWD, there's no shift linkages to worry about.
The parts I purchased:
-TransParts BW4404 Rebuild Kit (bearings and seals); purchased off eBay.
-TransParts TC10-051 Chain (same as Morse TEC HV-051, wrong for my application; I apparently needed HV-070)
Side note on this:
4404 Ford Explorer/ Mountaineer to 97 HV-051 .4346 Pitch x 1-1/4 W x 74 Pitches - RJ
4404 w/5 Liter Ford Explorer/ Mountaineer with 5 Liter Engines HV-070 .4346 Pitch x 1-1/4 W x 74 Pitches - RJ
They are both the same pitch, width, and same number of pitches. Yet they are different by 1 link width. Not to mention the 4404 was only behind Explorer/Mountaineer with 5.oh's
My guess is, maybe it changed when they switched from round front output flange to the "cup..." or?
To remove the t-case from the transmission adapter, there are 6- 1/2" head bolts. To break the case apart, you can use either a 10mm socket, or a T40 (although it felt a little loose, but a T45 was too big) torx driver. Oddly, on my case, there is 1 oddball bolt that is a standard hex-head 1/2" bolt.
There are ears on the case, to make prying it open easier.
The rear half of the case. You can see the one bearing, which the front output shaft rides in. And then the huge gear on the right, going to the rear output.
Front half of the case with the gears and chain removed. You can see the bearing for the front output, and there's a replaceable copper "race" (?) where the input shaft goes.
The front of the front-half. You can see the bearing for the front output here, along with the seal for the input shaft.
The input seal removed.
New seal installed.
This clip is holding the front output shaft in the case. It's a PITA to remove, because it's thick, therefore very stiff.
Gears and chain that go into the front half of the case. Note, there are 2 different chains for the BW4404. They have the same exact specs (length, # links, width), yet they are different widths. The chain I happend to get was 9 & 10 links wide. The chain in my case is 10 & 11 links wide.
The large group of gears has this bearing inside of one of the gears.
Here's another bearing. You can also see the viscous coupler (the largest piece). I "cheated" and used a socket to push the shaft out of the bearing.
New bearings and seal installed, gears and chain reinstalled. Luckily, my chain was still good.
Took FOREVER to get the nut off the rear output. I don't think it would have been any easier if I had left it in the truck. I had to use my little propane torch to heat it up and boil(?) the thread locker. Even still, took around 30 minutes between heating and hitting it with my impact wrench at 120psi. Also note, there is a rubber washer/seal that goes underneath the metal washer.
See those little prongs at the bottom of the case? You need to spread those apart, so that you can get the rear output shaft out.
It's a PITA to get the rear output shaft back in. Because again, you need to pry that clip open. (I removed speedo sensor when reinstalling, whether or not it helped, I don't know.
Rear output shaft bearing.
Seal for rear output.
Part of the speedo gear, and that small yellow plastic elbow at the bottom, feeds fluid to that bearing that's pressed onto the shaft. There is also a small rubber o-ring that goes somewhere with this speedo gear (I can't remember exactly where it was).
There's another tiny needle bearing on the inside of this. I made the mistake of attempting to remove this bearing; it was not fun, nor pretty. This pretty much requires a blind-hole puller.
Speedo gear and etc removed, although I decided NOT to replace this bearing, as I do not have the proper tools for it.
Clip removed.
Another clip holding the shaft to this "cup" (blurry pic, I know).
That clip removed.
Reinstall parts, silicon the case, bolt back together.