I have a 98 lincoln navi 4x4 , am hearing what sounds like brrrrrrrrrrrr coming from the rear when driving, i dont hear it when stopped. i am in love with this big girl and i need some input on what to look for, does anyone on here have advice or suggestions, i spend hours on the internet and there is so much crap and i dont want to pay the ford dealership 300 just to give her a good look over. Thanks !!!! AUbrey

 

Noises are the hardest thing to diagnose over a forum. I cant hear what you can and your description may make perfect sense to you but mean some thing totally different to me.

You need to isolate the noise. Try rotating your tires. If the noise moves then you have a tire issue. Was there any work done to the vehicle that might coincide with the start of the noise, i.e. brakes, tires, alignment? When was the last service done on drivetrain? Look at rear end for signs of leaks. If the pinion seal is leaking it could be an indicator of loose or worn pinion bearings that need attention before things get REAL expensive.

 

ok, is there a way to test the differencial? not sure if i spelled it right but we have not had any work done on it since june and they did brakes, we just drove it from upstate NY to Oregon and i first heard the noise last week, if you say brrr, like when you are cold, that is the noise i hear, i do not hear it when i stop. I will rotate tires, i do not know of any drivetrain work. i have not noticed and stain in the gravel or rainbowing when it rains. SO if i suspect differencial what do i look for?

 

and Thank you for the quick response.

 

When you rotate the tires keep them on the same side of vehicle, just go front to back. After jacking up vehicle but before removing tire use a bar between tire and ground and lift slightly to see if there is any movement in the axle bearing. If there is play in bearings have them cheched by a proffesional. After removing tire look at it carefully for anything that might look unusual. After rotating the tires take for test drive. Did the noise move with tires? If not you will need to check the differential and pinion bearings. Park on level surface and set parking brake and block wheels. Put transmission in neutral and crawl under vehicle. Grab the drive shaft and see if there is any movement UP AND DOWN. It will have some rotational play. That is normal. If there is play up and down at the point where the drive shaft connects to the rear end then the pinion bearings need serviced. Look at the rear cover. Is it leaking or wet with oil? There is a fill plug on the center section of the rear end somewhere,find it and remove it. Check the oil level. It should be with in 1/2 inch of the plug. Put your finger in the hole so the first knuckle is inside and point down. Remove finger, oil should be on finger nail. If not, add proper type and am out of oil. If the oil smells burnt you have problems that you will need to go to a shop for.

 

Another thing you can do is take it to a quick lube and ask for a axle service or rear end service. Relatively cheap and you can get the gear oil changed. While they have the cover off the drain oil they can take a quick look at t h e gears. The rear end is one of the most neglected parts of the vehicle.

 

My father's Explorer from the same era made a noise in the rear, you could really hear it when driving next to a solid fence or wall or something that would echo the noise back to you. Turned out to be bearings in the rear differential.

You guys might want to take this discussion to the technical forums, this place is for meet-n-greet and saying hi. But welcome to FTE!

Expedition & Navigator - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

Thanks for joining, it's great to have you here
Tony