Hi Everyone,
I have a problem with my 2003 F350 Crew 4x4. I was heading up north this past weekend. I was almost to my destination when I started getting an occasional squeling noise from the left front wheel area. The truck has factory manual hubs, and in basically stock. I pulled over thinking wheel bearing and checked as best I could. The hub was not hot or could I tell any difference in the hubs and there did not appear to be any abnormal positioning of the wheel, the hubs were both set to free. I got to my destination and checked a few other things including if there was any play in the front axle shafts. The axle shafts seemed ok and spun freely.
I did pull the floor shift into 4x4 and drove around to see if that caused any change for a few miles and even locked the hubs to get into my property after a rain as it was slick. Nothing seemed out of place so I put the xfr case back to 2x4 and unlocked the hubs. I was about an hour into the 3 hour ride home and just getting on the freeway when the squeling started again, this time a little longer and much more frequent for about 4 miles on the freeway when it stopped and had no more noise.
I went out today again and started looking at everything and could find nothing different other than the axle shafts seem to be locked in the differential. I can still turn the drive shaft by hand but the axle shafts do not turn.
I tried backing the truck up confirming the hubs were set to free to see if the hubs were still locked and no change. Have I cooked the front differential, if so how hard is it to change I am pretty good at wrenching (ball joints, tie rods, brakes, etc).
Thanks
John

 

Hi John, welcome to FTE!

This seems strange to me, its rare to have a front different fail, but even rarer to have the front driveshaft spin without the axle shafts. There is no disconnect between the transfer case and the hubs so I guess it has to be either the different or a broken axleshaft.

You're certain the axleshafts weren't spinning when you spun the driveshaft?

 

Tom,
This has not been sitting well with me either, and after I posted this it has bothered me even more. I grew up driving 4x4 and doing maintenance on them starting with my dads F250 custom, and later my first ride a 79 cj5. I know my way around a 4x4 pretty good if I say so myself. I am going to jack it up tomorrow and crawl under it to really check it out. There are so many things that just dont add up, unless I have a hub that was not unlocked or a wheel bearing going. I just did new rotors, calipers, and brakes on the front and greased everything. The front end was tight and no give in the bearings that I could detect.
My simple mind tells me the only way I could have toasted the front diff is if the hub did not release and I had a seal fail and lost all the diff fluid which is not real likely to happen, and I would expect the noise all the time.
I have stock hubs and the left has always been real tight to turn. I may pop the hubs and see if there is something there seeing it is just a spring clip.
Anyone else got any ideas? How hard is it to but after market hubs on if that is the problem??

John

 

I'm not buying, yet, that it could be the differential. I would lean towards the bearing packs. Are these the 'real' manual hubs or are they the vacuum ones? You could have a vacuum leak. But the squealing after hours on the road suggests heat - that could come from bearings or from brakes. If you have one or both calipers hanging up it would be enough to make the noise, and hold up on the tire rotation. I dunno. But I'd start with the bearing packs.

 

I do not have the vaccum actuated hubs... I ordered this beast to avoid them, I have free or lock and no vaccum lines to the hub! The more I think about it I think it has got to be something else. I have the floor mounted shifter for 2 high, 4 high, N, and 4 low. I am wondering if the hubs are toast?

 

When you spin the driveshaft by hand, BOTH axles do NOT move? Or just one?

Sounds like the inner spindle bearing (needle bearing) on that one side seized to the axle stub.

 

The saga continues with the truck. I jacked up the left front and spun the wheel, as I though the axle shaft on the left spun forward the passenger side rotated the opposite direction, as a typical open front end will do. The right front tire was not in the air so the hub on that side was good. I went ahead an started trying to remove the manual locking hub and it is froze in the hub. Kroil and heat did nothing to lossen it, tapping it with a block of wood and a hammer did nothing. While I was trying to get the locking mech out and after smacking it several times I heard a load click. I spun the wheel and the axle shaft did not move but it did make a clicking noise so it was not completely free. After several hours of heat and the hub just started cracking and breaking apart. I will try and pull the whole hub and axle shaft out and change everything. I know I coated that entire assemble with anti sieze but it did nothing to help this time.
This leads me to a couple questions, what about the in axle bearing near the carrier and the oil seal, should I tear it all the way down and go through everything?
I already know I need to replace the dust seal but is it really worth it, they have never fit right from day one?
Lastly I want to go after market hubs and I am thinking Mile Marker any pro's or con's with this choice?
Lastly how do I prevent this hub issue from repeating itself, This should have never happened, did I screw up with the anti sieze??
Thanks for all the input!
John

 

How do you prevent the hub issue from repeating? Install this:

Dynatrac - Confidence to Explore®

 

It definitely sounds like that needle bearing seized to the axle stub.

 

I had to replace a hub last year because it wouldn't disengage, and I open them up and clean/lube them every couple years. The parts desk at the dealership had one on the shelf, and they said it wasn't the first time he had heard of a hub going like that.

 

Well I ordered the Mile Marker hubs for my truck and a new Timken hub/bearing online. I got the hubs for 119.00 with free shipping and the hub off ebay for 169 with free shipping, so for the cost of the hub/bearing locally I got everything! I finally got time this morning to start tear down and it went suprisingly well. I pulled the hub and clamped it in a vice and used a metabo to cut the hub apart to get to the thrust washers and snap rings. The spindle bearing did not look real bad but there was a lot of debris, looked like mud or rust. I cleaned every thing up and checked the axle shaft for wear or damage and could not see anything obvious. I put everything back together and making sure to grease the spindle bearing and the shaft. I put antisieze on all areas where different metals mated together and put the new hubs on. The new hubs were so easy to put on and work so smooth. I will post an update after I get a few miles on it and see if I have any noise issues.

John

 

Great! Thanks for the update!

 

It is nice when a repair is easy and inexpensive.

 

Well folks guess what, the same noise is back! This time maybe a little worse and lasts longer. I notice the noise also seems to start when I hit a bump. The hubs are unlocked, but I still cannot be sure I do not have some type of an issue with something causing the axle shafts to spin uncommanded. I am going to pull the front differential cover this weekend and see if I can see anything inside. I know to check for shavings etc. What else should I be looking for, and is there any way to check the inner axle bearings and seals other than tearing this down. How hard should it be to pull axle shifts once the hubs/bearing assembly off.
I am open to suggestions as I really do not cherish the thought of pulling the carrier and replacing inner seals and bearings but if that what it takes I will.

John

P.S. Applying the breaks has no effect on the noise

 

Update. I tore the the front end down, pulling axle shafts and pulling the differential cover to visually inspect the inside. I did not see any metal shavings in the pig. The passenger side spindle bearing was failing and I have a new bearing to press in. The driver side bearing hub is 6 months old and appears fine, will grease the spindle bearings again before reassembling. The axle shaft U joints are very free but not sloppy, I have new U joints to put in while I have it apart. I picked up the axle shaft dust seals and the axle shaft seal/knuckle seal. The axle shaft seal/knuckle seal drove me nuts, no one knew what I was talking about. I went to Rock Auto and they had a listing for a knuckle seal (Timken 710493) and started digging. The timken number crossed to Federal Mog and also to the Ford part number. I finally found the seals at Advance Auto parts, not cheap! Strongly encourage you to buy these items on line if you can pre plan the job. I will start the reassembly process in the morning and update when I get it back on the road