Noisy Front End

For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.

Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
are probably not causing it.

It is not the fan clutch -- noise is constant as long as the car is
moving (above about 20 mph), and doesn't vary with RPMs.

It's probably not the tires -- they have about 60,000 miles on them,
and are wearing evenly with no cupping.

The noise sounds like I'm running in second gear with knobby tires.
I'm not. The O/D switch functions, and there have been no 4 wheel
drive or O/D codes. The transfer case functions -- I can switch to 4
high or 4 low with no more trouble than usual (sluggish because it
isn't used often).

Now then -- suspicions -- my "wonderful" Haynes manual tells me that
'94 and earlier models had a drain/fill port on the front
differential, but makes no mention of later models. Does my '99 have
a drain/fill port? I'd like to check to see if it has enough fluid --
even though there are no obvious leaks. There is what appears to be
on plug on the rear of the differential, just a hair above axle
height. Is that it???

Next -- if that checks out OK, is there anyway to check the front hubs/
bearings with major dissasembly? If that's what it turns out to be,
can I replace the hubs one at a time, or must they be done in pairs?
The financial consideration would make replacing them a month apart a
much more viable solution, but I'd like to fix whatever it is before
it leaves me on the side of the road someplace.

Is there anything else it could possibly be? Help me out here!
TIA,
Mark

Mark Sparge wrote:
> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>
> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
> are probably not causing it.
>
> It is not the fan clutch -- noise is constant as long as the car is
> moving (above about 20 mph), and doesn't vary with RPMs.
>
> It's probably not the tires -- they have about 60,000 miles on them,
> and are wearing evenly with no cupping.
>
> The noise sounds like I'm running in second gear with knobby tires.
> I'm not. The O/D switch functions, and there have been no 4 wheel
> drive or O/D codes. The transfer case functions -- I can switch to 4
> high or 4 low with no more trouble than usual (sluggish because it
> isn't used often).
>
> Now then -- suspicions -- my "wonderful" Haynes manual tells me that
> '94 and earlier models had a drain/fill port on the front
> differential, but makes no mention of later models. Does my '99 have
> a drain/fill port? I'd like to check to see if it has enough fluid --
> even though there are no obvious leaks. There is what appears to be
> on plug on the rear of the differential, just a hair above axle
> height. Is that it???
>
> Next -- if that checks out OK, is there anyway to check the front hubs/
> bearings with major dissasembly? If that's what it turns out to be,
> can I replace the hubs one at a time, or must they be done in pairs?
> The financial consideration would make replacing them a month apart a
> much more viable solution, but I'd like to fix whatever it is before
> it leaves me on the side of the road someplace.
>
> Is there anything else it could possibly be? Help me out here!
> TIA,
> Mark
>
Mark, I have the very same vehicle. I had to replace a front driver side
hub at 110k so obviosly they don't need to be replaced in pairs. My hub
did make noise, like a quiet roar, hadn't progressed beyond this though
as I noticed the ABS brake light on which prompted immediate repair.

My 2 cents

Allan

On Apr 25, 8:40 am, Mark Sparge > wrote:
> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>
> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
> are probably not causing it.
>
> TIA,
> Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the Explorer this afternoon,
and found:

1. One tire (left rear) was about 10 pounds lower than the others.
2. The right front tire is wearing faster on the inside than the
rest.
3. The transfer case was low on fluid.
4. With the car jacked up - one side at a time - spinning either
front tire turns the differential and driveshaft back to the transfer
case.

So, I fixed the tire pressure and rotated the tires. Topped off the
transer case -- it took about a half quart (and it looks like the
other half is on the driveway, on my shirt, and in my hair <grin>)

What bothers me is the front driveshaft turning when the wheels are
turned. My gut reaction is that the hubs are locked -- and shouldn't
be -- I think. I really wish I knew more about this type of 4 wheel
drive.

As I said before, if I have to replace both hubs, I'll have to do just
one at a time - due to financial constraints, and I'd probably replace
the right one first, if only because that tire was wearing differently
than the rest.

Lastly, the best price on a hub so far has been on E-bay -- new SBC
hub for about $90 and $20 for shipping. Anyone have any experience
with them?

Somebody want to jump in here and do some troubleshooting/
commiserating?

Thanks,
Mark

On 28 Apr 2007 14:01:18 -0700, Mark Sparge > wrote:

>On Apr 25, 8:40 am, Mark Sparge > wrote:
>> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>>
>> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
>> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
>> are probably not causing it.
>>
>> TIA,
>> Mark
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the Explorer this afternoon,
>and found:
>
>1. One tire (left rear) was about 10 pounds lower than the others.
>2. The right front tire is wearing faster on the inside than the
>rest.
>3. The transfer case was low on fluid.
>4. With the car jacked up - one side at a time - spinning either
>front tire turns the differential and driveshaft back to the transfer
>case.
>
>So, I fixed the tire pressure and rotated the tires. Topped off the
>transer case -- it took about a half quart (and it looks like the
>other half is on the driveway, on my shirt, and in my hair <grin>)
>
>What bothers me is the front driveshaft turning when the wheels are
>turned. My gut reaction is that the hubs are locked -- and shouldn't
>be -- I think. I really wish I knew more about this type of 4 wheel
>drive.
>
Check it out, don't think the Explorer had hubs after 1994. That's
how the automatic 4WD works - clutches in the transfer case engage as
needed.
>As I said before, if I have to replace both hubs, I'll have to do just
>one at a time - due to financial constraints, and I'd probably replace
>the right one first, if only because that tire was wearing differently
>than the rest.
>
>Lastly, the best price on a hub so far has been on E-bay -- new SBC
>hub for about $90 and $20 for shipping. Anyone have any experience
>with them?
>
>Somebody want to jump in here and do some troubleshooting/
>commiserating?
>
>Thanks,
>Mark

On Apr 29, 6:59 am, Big Shoe > wrote:
> On 28 Apr 2007 14:01:18 -0700, Mark Sparge > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >On Apr 25, 8:40 am, Mark Sparge > wrote:
> >> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>
> >> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
> >> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
> >> are probably not causing it.
>
> >> TIA,
> >> Mark
>
> >--------------------------------------------------------------------------*------------
>
> >I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the Explorer this afternoon,
> >and found:
>
> >1. One tire (left rear) was about 10 pounds lower than the others.
> >2. The right front tire is wearing faster on the inside than the
> >rest.
> >3. The transfer case was low on fluid.
> >4. With the car jacked up - one side at a time - spinning either
> >front tire turns the differential and driveshaft back to the transfer
> >case.
>
> >So, I fixed the tire pressure and rotated the tires. Topped off the
> >transer case -- it took about a half quart (and it looks like the
> >other half is on the driveway, on my shirt, and in my hair <grin>)
>
> >What bothers me is the front driveshaft turning when the wheels are
> >turned. My gut reaction is that the hubs are locked -- and shouldn't
> >be -- I think. I really wish I knew more about this type of 4 wheel
> >drive.
>
> Check it out, don't think the Explorer had hubs after 1994. That's
> how the automatic 4WD works - clutches in the transfer case engage as
> needed.
>
>
>
> >As I said before, if I have to replace both hubs, I'll have to do just
> >one at a time - due to financial constraints, and I'd probably replace
> >the right one first, if only because that tire was wearing differently
> >than the rest.
>
> >Lastly, the best price on a hub so far has been on E-bay -- new SBC
> >hub for about $90 and $20 for shipping. Anyone have any experience
> >with them?
>
> >Somebody want to jump in here and do some troubleshooting/
> >commiserating?
>
> >Thanks,
> >Mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're right, '94 was the changeover point to non-manual hubs, BUT,
the change was to automatic hubs. Actually, there was a discussion on
the Explorer Forum regarding replacing the automatic hubs with manual
ones.

For you folks with manual hubs, if they get stuck in the "engaged"
position, do they make sort of a roaring noise??

Thanks,
Mark

On 29 Apr 2007 17:59:39 -0700, Mark Sparge > wrote:

>On Apr 29, 6:59 am, Big Shoe > wrote:
>> On 28 Apr 2007 14:01:18 -0700, Mark Sparge > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >On Apr 25, 8:40 am, Mark Sparge > wrote:
>> >> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>>
>> >> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
>> >> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
>> >> are probably not causing it.
>>
>> >> TIA,
>> >> Mark
>>
>> >--------------------------------------------------------------------------*------------
>>
>> >I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the Explorer this afternoon,
>> >and found:
>>
>> >1. One tire (left rear) was about 10 pounds lower than the others.
>> >2. The right front tire is wearing faster on the inside than the
>> >rest.
>> >3. The transfer case was low on fluid.
>> >4. With the car jacked up - one side at a time - spinning either
>> >front tire turns the differential and driveshaft back to the transfer
>> >case.
>>
>> >So, I fixed the tire pressure and rotated the tires. Topped off the
>> >transer case -- it took about a half quart (and it looks like the
>> >other half is on the driveway, on my shirt, and in my hair <grin>)
>>
>> >What bothers me is the front driveshaft turning when the wheels are
>> >turned. My gut reaction is that the hubs are locked -- and shouldn't
>> >be -- I think. I really wish I knew more about this type of 4 wheel
>> >drive.
>>
>> Check it out, don't think the Explorer had hubs after 1994. That's
>> how the automatic 4WD works - clutches in the transfer case engage as
>> needed.
>>
>>
>>
>> >As I said before, if I have to replace both hubs, I'll have to do just
>> >one at a time - due to financial constraints, and I'd probably replace
>> >the right one first, if only because that tire was wearing differently
>> >than the rest.
>>
>> >Lastly, the best price on a hub so far has been on E-bay -- new SBC
>> >hub for about $90 and $20 for shipping. Anyone have any experience
>> >with them?
>>
>> >Somebody want to jump in here and do some troubleshooting/
>> >commiserating?
>>
>> >Thanks,
>> >Mark- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>You're right, '94 was the changeover point to non-manual hubs, BUT,
>the change was to automatic hubs. Actually, there was a discussion on
>the Explorer Forum regarding replacing the automatic hubs with manual
>ones.
>
>For you folks with manual hubs, if they get stuck in the "engaged"
>position, do they make sort of a roaring noise??
>
>Thanks,
>Mark

The early Explorers had electric hubs, they gave a lot of problems and
many people replaced them with manual. My '92 had a button on the
dash that engaged the hubs and 4WD.

On Apr 25, 8:40 am, Mark Sparge > wrote:
> For the collective -- '99 XLT 4.0 with about 150k miles.
>
> Within the last few weeks, a roaring noise has developed in the front
> end. I have Googled quite a bit, and can eliminate a few things that
> are probably not causing it.
>
> It is not the fan clutch -- noise is constant as long as the car is
> moving (above about 20 mph), and doesn't vary with RPMs.
>
> It's probably not the tires -- they have about 60,000 miles on them,
> and are wearing evenly with no cupping.
>
> The noise sounds like I'm running in second gear with knobby tires.
> I'm not. The O/D switch functions, and there have been no 4 wheel
> drive or O/D codes. The transfer case functions -- I can switch to 4
> high or 4 low with no more trouble than usual (sluggish because it
> isn't used often).
>
> Now then -- suspicions -- my "wonderful" Haynes manual tells me that
> '94 and earlier models had a drain/fill port on the front
> differential, but makes no mention of later models. Does my '99 have
> a drain/fill port? I'd like to check to see if it has enough fluid --
> even though there are no obvious leaks. There is what appears to be
> on plug on the rear of the differential, just a hair above axle
> height. Is that it???
>
> Next -- if that checks out OK, is there anyway to check the front hubs/
> bearings with major dissasembly? If that's what it turns out to be,
> can I replace the hubs one at a time, or must they be done in pairs?
> The financial consideration would make replacing them a month apart a
> much more viable solution, but I'd like to fix whatever it is before
> it leaves me on the side of the road someplace.
>
> Is there anything else it could possibly be? Help me out here!
> TIA,
> Mark

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the last couple of weekends I've changed both front hubs. The
first one (passenger side) didn't seem to make much difference. It
was leaking oil, but with the new one installed, the car was still
noisy.

I finished installing the driver's side hub over this past weekend.
It was also leaking, but it FIXED the problem. Runs quiet now. I'll
probably always wonder what if... I'd changed the driver's side
first. BUT, at least now it's got two new hubs.

The hubs were a good deal through e-Bay. About $90 bucks each, plus
about $20 bucks for shipping.

It's really not a difficult job -- as long as you've got a good
breaker bar for the hub nut. I did the second one a bit faster than
the first, and was done in under an hour.

Mark