Approximately 3 weeks ago I purchased a 2002 Ford Explorer XLS. I am getting a sound from within the driveline somewhere, starting at about 55mph you will start to hear a slight rumbling sound and then at about 60mph you will hear the rumbling sound get louder, the only way I can explain this sound to you is by telling you that it is the same sound you would get if you are on the highway and you leave your two rear windows down a little bit, there is also a slight vibration. The truck also has a sound which is similar to when the tires are driving over wet ashphalt. As well there is also a creeking sound and a clunk when the truck is put into gear or back and forth from Reverse to Low, as if the universals where bad. The creeking sound will only happen when the truck is put from Park to Drive.

Ford stated the universals where fine but that it was the driveshaft that needed to be replaced. When it was replaced the symptoms where still there. So what Ford then did was to take a driveshaft off of another 2002 Explorer before they ordered another driveshaft as they figured the new driveshaft may have been faulty. Sure enough everything was fine, all of the symptoms that I mentioned in my first paragraph of this post were gone and the truck was just like new. Within two days all of the smptoms were back. Again another driveshaft was put on and they had the truck Forced Balanced, the symptoms are still there. Apparently there is a TSB about a droaning noise, but Ford could not get through to there tech hotline to find out anything else about this due to the power failure in the East here.

If there is anything you know about what may be causing this could you please give me a ray of hope.

I thank you in advance to your reply.