Winding up noise in front end | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Winding up noise in front end

d3rang3d

Member
Joined
April 2, 2012
Messages
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City, State
Marietta, Ga
Year, Model & Trim Level
1993 Explorer 4x4 XLT
I have a 93 4x4 Ex. I did a search already and haven't found much info so... It sounds like its Winding up/down when i go faster or slow down. Bearings and a few other things have been checked/fixed i just had the rear differential rebuilt. The noise was there before it was rebuilt and still there after. It sounds like the front differential is spinning up and winding down? I thought maybe a issue with autohubs. But i really have no idea? Any help would great its my Daily Driver and everything else runs super smooth had the tranny rebuild about a year ago. and a few other fixes here and there the truck only has 137,000 miles on it
 



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If it does it when not in 4wd then it's not your front axle. It is completely disengaged when not in use.

We need a little more info...

Does it do it when you rev the motor in park and/or neutral? does it only do it in forward gears or reverse too? do you have an automatic? could be the torque converter or front trans bearing. Do you have a 5 speed? Could be the throw out bearing or pilot bearing. Have you listened under the hood and under the truck while some one revs the motor? Can you put it on a lift or jack stands and put it in gear while you try and listen?
It could also be in side the cab. I came across a car where the speedo cable made a noise similar to what you describe. A little cable lube and it stopped.

Complete the tests above and report back.
 






It doesn't do it when i rev in nutrual/park. it doesn't do it in reverse. the only reason i thought it might be the hubs is maybe there not fully disengaging and that could be causing the front end noise but yea its never that easy. its a automatic and shifts smooth i checked all the fluids too just in case. i let you know when i do some more testing
 






So I put it up on jack stands and reved up the engine and there's no noise it only does it while on the road doing 15mph+ it also does it when I slow down but it's a winding Down noise instead of a winding up noise. Also if it put my feet on the drivers side floorboard I can feel a vibration and that's where it sounds like its comming from

Thanks for all the help!

:salute:
 






Any body else wanna chime in? Any ideas?
 






You did put it in gear and spin the wheels up past 15-20 MPH, yes? that's how you get to crawl around and listen with a big screw driver to your ear. All four wheels in the air on 4 jack stands, no less.
 






OK so i took it back to the shop instead of repacking they replaced the bearings and its gone now.

now if i could only fix the death wobble at 65+ i would be one happy guy its driving me nuts. I just had them check the radius arm bushings and he says they all look good. new bearings. new tires.

what should i check next?
 






Glad you got the noise fixed, For the wobble check/adjust alignment, and wheel balance.

I know you said you had new tires, but... A Tj once came in the shop with the worst death wobble ever. It started at 40 MPH and got worse from there. the guy had 10" wide wheels with no rim for weight on the outside of the wheel. the idiot that balanced it used sticky weights in the middle of the wheel (just behind the spokes) as well as clip weights on the inside rim. Each wheel had over 4 oz of weight. I removed all the weight and static balanced with inside only weight. The wobble went away, but he had driven on them long enough with bad balance that the tread had worn unevenly and out of round.
 






Well another thing I did do was have the tires road force balanced and it got better after that and they are stock size tires on stock rims. I haven't had the car aligned in while though like a year+ so im sure that doesn't help. Tonight when I was driving I tired to hold the steering wheel still while it was wobbling and it seemed to help but only a little. it almost makes me feel like it could be something in it.
 






I own a 93 XLT, automatic Transmission and have recently started hearing the same "winding" sound coming and going when I accelerate. What bearings did you have replaced? It sounds like it's coming straight from the transmission.
I have also researched the problem with the wobble between 65 and 75mph. These years of explorers seem to have a common problem with the radius arm bushings particularly on the passenger side, due to being too close to the catalytic converter. I am planning on purchasing a heavier duty bushing that goes on the F-150 and putting the heat shield washer on both sides of the bushings, meaning the one facing the engine and also the one facing towards the back. Hopefully this fixes the shake and the cupping of the the tires.
 






Was probably the front wheel bearings.

Always use quality bearings on these frontends (Timken #SET-37 for example, if 4x4). Cheap imported bearings seldom last more than a few thousand miles it seems, if that.
 






I don't think it's the front wheel bearings, although I plan on replacing them soon. The sound comes even when I'm parked and when I step on the gas. I'm thinking more like the power steering pump or something else like that. But it sure sounds like it's coming more from the transmission/transfer case area.
 






Chrisman, this won't help you if you are hearing the noise in Park, but d3rang, if the noise comes back even after replacing bearings I would highly suggest you take a close look at the universal joints in the front axle. The "card in bicycle spokes" / "winding up/down" / "ratcheting" noise is very common on Explorers and Rangers with TTB suspension. For me the problem was seized u-joints putting pressure on the hubs when turning the wheel even slightly, it made the cam drag on the inside of the hub and I think tried to engage the hub. Try a test next time you hear this noise, as long as you arent going too fast, put it in 4x4 High for a second. Does the noise stop? If yes it's definitely the hubs partway engaging causing the noise. Check the hubs and the u-joints.
 












This recently happened to me it whines up when on gas and on release its still there but not bad. Sounds like its the front but its not. What i found out what it was is my rear differential pinion bearing was shot crush sleeve wasn't crushed replaced it sounded great check dif oil if its shiny i would replace. Also i changed my auto to manuel hubs because i thought that was the problem but it wasnt
 






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