What is this?

[46HudsonPU]

Here are the pictures, after I took it off -

- What is it?
- What is it's purpose?

 

[wankel1308]

Looks like one of the harmonic balancer/deadener things that go on the back of the tranny and diff.

 

[ChildIdenticant]

vibration damper

 

[RangerX]

A big weight that’s supposed to countereffect some vibration, you probably won’t notice a thing with it off.

 

[46HudsonPU]

Thanks folks! Makes sense - even concerning that it probably wouldn't be noticed if it wasn't installed.
It came with an Explorer differential that I bought (taped down to the pallet that the rear came on).

 

[ChildIdenticant]

there was no mention of it in any documentation.

I haven't seen anything stock on the explorer yet about which I could not find documentation at least somewhere. Hard to find sometimes, but it is out there.

 

[46HudsonPU]

I haven't seen anything stock on the explorer yet about which I could not find documentation at least somewhere. Hard to find sometimes, but it is out there.

Thank you!
Since I have it, I'm seriously considering cleaning it up and installing it on the differential..

 

[dcgerard]

If you aren't getting any vibrations or humming out of the rear end I would just leave it off.

 

[410Fortune]

It was only used on 02-05 sport tracs and maybe sports

The other explorers and rangers with the exact same diff never had this one.

There are 3 of those “weights” on our trucks they are vibration dampeners from the factory. The rear axle got one, the transfer case got one and as you can see the front diff got one on the 02+ models

I remove all of them from my rigs
No vibrations
I keep my tires balanced and inflated, my u joints in good shape and I have never had an I’ll effect by removing the factory dampeners

They weigh quite a bit, removing all of the factory “band aids” can make your rig a little lighter on the road

 

[c96drumm]

The diff on my 96 has one and since I don't have any fantasies about being smarter than the engineers that specified it, it stays on.

 

[46HudsonPU]

My thanks to all. Am still 'on the fence' about installing this thing. If I can get it apart & repaint it, it will probably go back onto the rear.

Have another 90's Explorer rear which also has the same flange molded in w/threaded holes - but no 'vibration damper' came with that one..

 

[Mbrooks420]

The diff on my 96 has one and since I don't have any fantasies about being smarter than the engineers that specified it, it stays on.

Just because engineering at Ford decided something doesn’t mean it’s not a terrible idea. Look at how long they let the SOHC be problematic, and how many decades they used absolute garbage transmissions behind all the v6s.