Towing Package and Gear Ratio Questions

[broncojunkie]

On my 2002 xlt 4.0, I'm having some rear diff or bearing noise. I also have a problem with the e-brake assembly, which will require some major work. Instead of getting nickel and dimed to death trying to fix this one, I'd like to just find a good used rear end (complete). I'll keep my old one and possibly try a rebuild, since this is a common problem area and may go out again at some point.

Here's my question. I'm pretty sure I have the towing package, but how can I be sure? The tag on the door is completely illegible and I can't find a metal tag on the diff. If I have researched correctly, a towing package would mean I have a 3.73 limited slip.

My explorer is 4wd and has a 2" receiver and trailer brakes (I'm guessing trailer brakes are aftermarket?)

 

[Explorer0204]

The 2 inch receiver means that you have the tow package...so long as someone hasn't added it later. Normally people wouldn't do that though.

Trailer brake controller...that's aftermarket. the 7 pin plug is stock but the truck only comes wired for the controller, not with one installed.

The tow package comes with 3.73 LS but you could buy a 7.27 open rear diff if you didn't care to have the limited slip....or I mean you can put a Spartan locker in an open diff and have TRUE 2wd back there...hint hint..heeheh

So in conclusion I can say with 99% suredness you do have a tow package.

http://www.amazon.com/Spartan-Locke...qid=1395162578&sr=8-5&keywords=spartan+locker

 

[DoraThe_Explorer]

To be safe I would double check your gear ratio before buying another rear end. If I were to bet, you would have 3.73 LS as Explorer0204 said, but better safe then sorry.

Is there a metal tag on one of the diff cover bolts? If so, you can check that for a stamped gear ratio.

You can also pull the diff cover off and count the teeth on the ring and pinion. Divide the numbers and that is your ratio.

OR you can jack up the back end and spin the driveshaft to figure out roughly what gears you have. Mark with tape or something each wheel and driveshaft. If you rotate the driveshaft 3.73 times your wheels should spin once. That's a bit more cleaner then pulling the differential cover off, but it's also kind of hard to judge 3.73 turns…

Hope this helped buddy!

 

[Explorer0204]

To be safe I would double check your gear ratio before buying another rear end. If I were to bet, you would have 3.73 LS as Explorer0204 said, but better safe then sorry.

Is there a metal tag on one of the diff cover bolts? If so, you can check that for a stamped gear ratio.
He said he couldn't find it....

You can also pull the diff cover off and count the teeth on the ring and pinion. Divide the numbers and that is your ratio.
Can't. On third gens the diff cover doesn't come off without taking the diff out of the truck as the cover has two of the three mounting points on it (weird I know)

OR you can jack up the back end and spin the driveshaft to figure out roughly what gears you have. Mark with tape or something each wheel and driveshaft. If you rotate the driveshaft 3.73 times your wheels should spin once. That's a bit more cleaner then pulling the differential cover off, but it's also kind of hard to judge 3.73 turns…

This will work but since 3.55 and 3.73 are really close I'm wondering if he will be able to make the determination or not ya know? I've never tried with that close of a ratio so I couldn't say

Hope this helped buddy!

 

[DoraThe_Explorer]

Whoops! I must have missed the sentence about the metal tag... My bad!

Yeah 3.55 and 3.71 are really close… That would be really hard to judge by eye balling it.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Explorer0204]

Whoops! I must have missed the sentence about the metal tag... My bad!

Yeah 3.55 and 3.71 are really close… That would be really hard to judge by eye balling it.

Sorry for the confusion.

No prob..just clarifying for the OP. This is one topic I have done alot of figurin with.

And yea, if you can eyeball a 3.73 to a 3.55..God bless ya lol

 

[broncojunkie]

No prob..just clarifying for the OP. This is one topic I have done alot of figurin with.

And yea, if you can eyeball a 3.73 to a 3.55..God bless ya lol

Lol! True!

These rear-ends don't have covers on the back like most do. They are accessed from the front of the housing, I believe. There are plugs in the rear of the housing for checking, draining, and filling. I hate the design. I've always taken covers off to inspect and clean everything when changing fluid.

I just read somewhere that a dealer can use the vin to determine the ratio. That might be the way to go. I love the explorer and I've done a lot of repair work to it to make it last me a few more years, so it's worth it to me to spend a little more to fix it.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Explorer0204]

Lol! True!

These rear-ends don't have covers on the back like most do. They are accessed from the front of the housing, I believe. There are plugs in the rear of the housing for checking, draining, and filling. I hate the design. I've always taken covers off to inspect and clean everything when changing fluid.

I just read somewhere that a dealer can use the vin to determine the ratio. That might be the way to go. I love the explorer and I've done a lot of repair work to it to make it last me a few more years, so it's worth it to me to spend a little more to fix it.

Thanks for the help!

Only thing is with that you never know what the previous owner has done that isn't stock anymore...thing is it would be HIGHLY unlikley that someone would swap both diffs to 3.55 for some reason. The opposite is more plausible at least.

 

[broncojunkie]

Lol! True!

These rear-ends don't have covers on the back like most do. They are accessed from the front of the housing, I believe. There are plugs in the rear of the housing for checking, draining, and filling. I hate the design. I've always taken covers off to inspect and clean everything when changing fluid.

I just read somewhere that a dealer can use the vin to determine the ratio. That might be the way to go. I love the explorer and I've done a lot of repair work to it to make it last me a few more years, so it's worth it to me to spend a little more to fix it.

Thanks for the help!

I have to correct myself. Was looking at this again yesterday and it does have a cover on the rear of the housing. However, the suspension is up against it in a way that would make it very difficult to remove and basically impossible to see anything inside.

It's going up on the track today at a local shop. They're going to see if they can tell me where the noise is coming from. A friend of mine seems to think it's a pinion bearing, but he's a Chevy guy and doesn't know anything about the history with these rear-ends. I'll post the diagnosis here this evening, just in case anyone is interested.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

And yea, if you can eyeball a 3.73 to a 3.55..God bless ya lol

It is not that bad...it is almost a quarter-turn difference. If you mark the driveshaft and rotate it exactly one turn, it is easy. A 3.55 will have the mark on the tire 180° out from where it started; a 3.73 will be 90° off.

 

[Explorer0204]

It is not that bad...it is almost a quarter-turn difference. If you mark the driveshaft and rotate it exactly one turn, it is easy. A 3.55 will have the mark on the tire 180° out from where it started; a 3.73 will be 90° off.

I see whatcha mean but with driveline slack and stuff a quarter turn can get mushy quick. that being said I'm sure it is possible. I've just personally not been able to do it so I always gave up and looked at the tag which in his case isn't an option.

 

[2Trux]

I see whatcha mean but with driveline slack and stuff a quarter turn can get mushy quick. that being said I'm sure it is possible. I've just personally not been able to do it so I always gave up and looked at the tag which in his case isn't an option.

You can always double or triple the rotations to make the difference more obvious.
Two wheel rotations = 7 or 7.5 driveshaft rotations. As you increase the wheel rotations the difference becomes greater and easier to figure out your ratio.

 

[broncojunkie]

Well, I got some good news and some gooder news. It was the rear drivers side wheel bearing going bad, not the diff. Also, that bearing was going to have to come off anyway, because I've been planning on replacing the brake backing plate that is bad. I'm going to have the same shop do the bearing and they're going to bolt on the new backing plate I have for it. That means I should be able to piece the e-brake back together finally.

Plus, on the way back, I stopped at the gun store. When I pulled up, the mailman pulled in at the same time and delivered my custom ar-15 lower I've been waiting on.

Today was a good day.

 

[Explorer0204]

Well, I got some good news and some gooder news. It was the rear drivers side wheel bearing going bad, not the diff. Also, that bearing was going to have to come off anyway, because I've been planning on replacing the brake backing plate that is bad. I'm going to have the same shop do the bearing and they're going to bolt on the new backing plate I have for it. That means I should be able to piece the e-brake back together finally.

Plus, on the way back, I stopped at the gun store. When I pulled up, the mailman pulled in at the same time and delivered my custom ar-15 lower I've been waiting on.

Today was a good day.

Sweet glad to hear it worked out!!

And as for the AR-15....why the hell do you need an assault rifle. They are so deadly and bad and should be banned.....

said no one ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I want to make a .308 AR-10 with a 24" barrel, bipod, ACOG sight, door breaching tip, collapsable stock....the whole nine. ..Problem is that is about as legal as kidnapping here in ny LOL.

 

[broncojunkie]

That would be a nice ar! I just handled my buddy's the other day. Sounds a lot like what your describing. It's a long barrel with bipod and all those goodies...308. He's got a basic ar, too...in 5.56.

I put my lower together tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to order the rest of it. Fairly basic build except I'm doing it in "dark earth". This is my first evil black rifle. Most of mine are lever and bolt action....and a few semi-auto pistols. ;D

 

[Explorer0204]

That would be a nice ar! I just handled my buddy's the other day. Sounds a lot like what your describing. It's a long barrel with bipod and all those goodies...308. He's got a basic ar, too...in 5.56.

I put my lower together tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to order the rest of it. Fairly basic build except I'm doing it in "dark earth". This is my first evil black rifle. Most of mine are lever and bolt action....and a few semi-auto pistols. ;D

I'd love to see some pics of it! You should post em herem

 

[broncojunkie]

I'd love to see some pics of it! You should post em herem

Here you go!

That's where I'm at. Lower completely done. I just need to start on the upper. Thinking I may buy a completed upper, but I'd really like to learn how to build one. Of course, that would be a good opportunity for building another one!

The receiver I used is a custom item made here in West Virginia by III ARMS Co. The engraving is the WVCDL (West Virginia Citizens Defense League) logo. I'm a member and the group deals with 2A rights.

 

[Explorer0204]

Here you go!
http://s411.photobucket.com/user/mccoma11/media/20140320_162408.jpg.html

That's where I'm at. Lower completely done. I just need to start on the upper. Thinking I may buy a completed upper, but I'd really like to learn how to build one. Of course, that would be a good opportunity for building another one!

The receiver I used is a custom item made here in West Virginia by III ARMS Co. The engraving is the WVCDL (West Virginia Citizens Defense League) logo. I'm a member and the group deals with 2A rights.

I wanna build one!!!! I need to move. Great looking gun man!

 

[broncojunkie]

I wanna build one!!!! I need to move. Great looking gun man!

Thanks, and yes you do. I wouldn't move to where I live, though...everything else sucks, lol!

 

[Explorer0204]

Thanks, and yes you do. I wouldn't move to where I live, though...everything else sucks, lol!

Really?? Why?