Hello,

I've read a bunch of threads about the rear end noise experienced in older Explorers. I have also experienced this in my 2000 F150. Actually, seems like any repairs I do on my 150 I end up doing on my Explorer! Which brings me to my question. I see a lot of people talking about "getting the rear end replaced" on their Explorers. I'm hoping someone can tell me specifically if the common issue being seen is the pinion bearing or inner bearings on the rear axle, or if it is the gears or gear lash that they are hearing.

If it's just the bearings I'm leaning towards just buying them and doing it myself like I did on my truck because the cost is somewhere around $300 if you go with some decent bearings like Timkens, but if the predominant issue is gear lash, then I think it's going to be a lot more pricey and I just might keep living with the noise.

Any advice? thanks.

 

I have a bit of noise coming from the rear end area on my 2004 Explorer. After reading all of the differential problems that are supposedly associated with the Explorer I checked into it. I would think that if the differential is making noise that it would have some play in the pinion where the drive shaft bolts up, Well mine feels very solid & the gears did not look worn when I changed the fluid out so I'm leaning towards the rear wheel bearings.

The F150 has a solid rear axle & the bearings are lubed by the gear oil. The Explorer doesn't have a solid rear & the bearings are sealed.

 

Pull the wheels and see if the bearings are bad at each wheel.

Pull the plug on the diff and check the fluid level as well.

do those before you just start replacing.

 

I have an 02 explorer with a noisey resr end. I changed the fluid and it seamed quieter for a couple of weeks. Now in the last two days the noice id worse than ever. I put 85w140 and slip agent in when i changed the fluid. Does it have a limited slip? Do i need to use synthetic? Not sure where to turn, help please?

 

Owners manual would be the first place to start as far as the type of fluid.

As far as it being a LS or an open rear end look at the door cert label for the axle codes. Tell us what you see.

 

on the rear end tag is PM V 652B 73 88 2E14
Thank you

 

......"Pull the wheels and see if the bearings are bad at each wheel."

How do you "see" this? I had suspicious noise for several thousand miles, almost a "humming" sound, thought it HAD to be gears. Lot easier to replace wheel bearings, though. Could feel NOTHING BAD when I turned the wheels by hand. Put up on stands, run in "Drive" about 20mph, listened with stethoscope "hose": noise most pronounced at left-rear wheel hub, not center section or pinion bearings. I tore that wheel bearing apart and found a very tiny galled surface in the outer race, not enough to rumble or grind, as shiny surface still existed for the roller to go over on either side of the imperfection. Replaced hub and bearing, noise gone. OK now last 30K miles. impish

 

Replying to original question - I just got my wife's '04 Explorer back from the dealer after its 2nd trip in for rear diff work. The first trip was about a year and a half ago at 125k miles. The bearings went bad and took most of the moving parts with them including the ring and pinion. This last visit was for another bad bearing. This was supposedly caused by a lack of a shim that can be installed to prevent this issue in the first place. We're at 155k miles now. Since I recognized the sound, we got it in earlier. Unfortunately the damage was enough to ruin the diff housing. I actually saw the housing and where the bearing had worn into it. Fortunately, the ring and pinion were OK. Everything else was replaced including the housing.

So now we're into this howling thing for about $3k between the two trips.