small crack in front dif causing bang? | Ford Explorer Forums

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small crack in front dif causing bang?

StaTTiKK

Active Member
Joined
February 14, 2006
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City, State
Arizona
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 Mountaineer
What up yall? 3 months or so ago I was coming home from a weekend of business meetings and managed to fall asleep with my cruise control set at 80. WEll long story short
I came to, over corrected and went for a nice little drive in the country, so to speak, after missing a head on with a dooly pulling a bobcat by about 20 feet. FUn times let me tell you.


Well, I took the truck in after all of this, and had to replace the left control arm, front drive shaft cv boot ripped soon after that, and progressively I started getting that front end bang everyone loves to hate... Well I thought for sure this was drivers side half shaft, however, after
replaced, problem didn't go away it just didn't do it as frequently




Well take a look at these picts.. Inspecting a little closer, There is a nice hair line crack that splits the left side of the front Dif pretty much the entire length of the dif.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/I3ergMan/DSC00337.jpg
:thumbdwn:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/I3ergMan/DSC00331.jpg
:eek:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/I3ergMan/DSC00332.jpg
:mad:


those are up on photobucket, did I do that right, or do you need the tags?
Check out that crack though, nice yeah? oh yeah..
I wonder if that crack and impression can allow gear play within... and potentially be the banging I feel under my feet under hard accel or left hard turn... I don't know....

Anyone have any ideas? I hope i posted this in the right area. Have a good eve...
 



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I don't know if that is a casting flash or a crack that was welded --

You have replaced the pinion seal- front drive shaft-and axle shafts, and hubs-still getting the banging. It Has to be the transfer case or front diff.

Also, on the phone you said the area of diff where axle shaft goes in is leaking. Wet inside.



Bump
 






If it actually is cracked, and leaking, use JB Weld. Best stuff in the world, I swear.
 






If it is leaking from the axle seal though--from the shift when he crashed--could the axle bearing be offset, causing the halfshafts to bang?

Also
Didn't you tell me on the phone, you thought the new driver side halfshaft had a real floppy outer cv joint?
 






Hola all. Shoot sorry haven't gotten back sooner, I couldn't find this freaking post that i posted. hmmm and yes, to answer that question, the floppy outer cv on the driver side was not the problem unfortunately. I replaced the shaft again and no luck.... Also, it can't be the hub becuase i have taken the front drive shaft back out and not a sound in the world.... fun times...
 






You should get an email everytime some one replies to a thread you've subscribed to. If you want to subscribe to a particular thread, click on "Thread tools" --> "Subscribe to this thread".

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You should get an email everytime some one replies to a thread you've subscribed to. If you want to subscribe to a particular thread, click on "Thread tools" --> "Subscribe to this thread".

Also, click on "User CP" --> "Edit Options" and make sure "Instant Email Notifications" is selected under "Default Thread Subscription Mode".

Also make sure you have an e-mail address listed in your profile... mine somehow disappeared at random a couple weeks ago.

As for the crack, to me it looks like a casting flash line, not a crack.

As for the noise, if it was doing it with the driveshaft in, but not with the driveshaft out, it was the driveshaft. Everything in the front diff is still turning even with the front shaft out.

Just re-reading.... Please tell me you removed the front driveshaft between the t-case and the pinion, not the halfshaft between the axle and the hub!!!! The outer CV joint holds your wheel bearing together. Without it, the hub is free to separate at will (actually relying only on the fritcion between the flange and the inner races of the bearings). The wheel can easily separate from the vehicle... and that can't be any fun!!

-Joe
 






correct shaft

what's UP y'all thank you for the posts. hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. To answer this one, yes, I removed the front drive shaft, not the front half shaft. Lol. I am not completely crazy. God I wish I knew how to fix this stupid thing. We are expecting snow in a couple of days and I am cruzin in two wheel... How could/would I determine if the front drive shaft and cv were messed up? They seem to be together just fine, I just don't know how I can tell. Any ideas. Also, can ya buy the front dif seals to keep this SOB from leaking? It is ####ing up my driveway... anyways, hope to hear from ya. . lata
 






Well, if it made noise with the shaft in, and doesn't make noise with the shaft out, I think we can safely say that's the problem. Take a trip to the local Auto Zone and ask for a rebuilt one. I don't know of any easy way to rebuild one.

-Joe
 






Josh
You might have gotten a bad driveshaft from the yard--.
Wouldn't that be lovely??

Be careful with the front shaft out, I don't think the "park" mechanism in transmission works without it. Be sure to chok a tire--use emergency brake.
 






Josh
You might have gotten a bad driveshaft from the yard--.
Wouldn't that be lovely??

Be careful with the front shaft out, I don't think the "park" mechanism in transmission works without it. Be sure to chok a tire--use emergency brake.


Ditto, but only if it's AWD. If it's a control-trac with a selectable t-case, it's nothing to worry about.

-Joe
 






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