Noise in rear
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Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 48
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From: Florida
Noise in rear
I have a 97 Aerostar 3.0 rear wheel drive with 117K miles that has developed a noise in the rear. The noise is not very loud and you have to listen closely to hear it, but it is cause for concern. The best way I can describe this noise is it sounds like something rubbing. All most like a bike tire that is bent and rubbing against the bike frame. It becomes noticeable at about 30 MPH but doesn’t get louder. Of course the faster you go the faster the rub sound, and when you cost the sound is not as loud. I had it on jack stands and spun the rear wheels, pulled the brake drums and spun the wheels and can’t hear anything like the noise when driving. Has anyone had this problem? Or would anyone know how to fix it? Any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Frank
Frank
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
does the noise change in frequency or tone with speed change or engine load?
if so>
either a worn rear wheel bearing or worn pinion shaft bearings
also pull rear end cover to examine ring/pinion wear pattern and check carrier/diff gears
time to change rear end oil at 117k anyway
also may be rusty sticking rear brake cylinders and weak brake return springs causing rear brakes to not fully retract the shoes from the drums with 1 lightly riding
rusty too tight park brake cable or handle adjustment can cause same problem
if so>
either a worn rear wheel bearing or worn pinion shaft bearings
also pull rear end cover to examine ring/pinion wear pattern and check carrier/diff gears
time to change rear end oil at 117k anyway
also may be rusty sticking rear brake cylinders and weak brake return springs causing rear brakes to not fully retract the shoes from the drums with 1 lightly riding
rusty too tight park brake cable or handle adjustment can cause same problem
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,015
Likes: 208
From: SoCal
See if there are any signs of the tire rubbing against anything. Look for bright spots with shredded rubber around it.
If it's not the tire, it could be one of the wheel bearings. I had one go bad that started out with a barely preceptible hum that changed to a howl, and finally progressed to an all-out grinding noise. But I couldn't hear it if I jacked up the rear axle and ran the car in gear, probably because the bearing was not being loaded that way.
One problem with the 8.8" rear axle is that the axle shaft forms part of the bearing surface, and if the wear is bad, you will have to replace the shaft as well as the bearing.
If it's not the tire, it could be one of the wheel bearings. I had one go bad that started out with a barely preceptible hum that changed to a howl, and finally progressed to an all-out grinding noise. But I couldn't hear it if I jacked up the rear axle and ran the car in gear, probably because the bearing was not being loaded that way.
One problem with the 8.8" rear axle is that the axle shaft forms part of the bearing surface, and if the wear is bad, you will have to replace the shaft as well as the bearing.
