Front Differential Making Noise

[fvernet]

Hi everyone,

I brought my 2011 Expy in to the local dealer as I can hear some rubbing coming from the driver's side front wheel area. This is their finding:

RECOMMEND REMOVE THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND OVERHAUL IT, REPLACE CARRIER AND PINION BEARINGS AND CUPS. (THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL BEARINGS ARE MAKING NOISE.) $2,540.80

I have no idea if this is a reasonable price and welcome your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[07navi]

Sounds horrible, tear it apart yourself. They usually last forever unless they take on water or leak. Leaving in 4 auto all the time doesn't help either.

 

[fvernet]

Yep - horrible it is. Not sure I have the energy, skillset and tools to tear it apart myself. Your note about "Leaving in 4 auto all the time..." has me a bit worried as I very seldom select "4 auto" and, if I do, it is for a very short time in conditions that warrant it. Last time I used it was this winter in heavy snow as I went up my driveway - for all of 3-4 minutes.

 

[Plati]

Does the noise go away when in 2H?
Some people say everything in front of Transfer Case is disconnected in 2H.
Not totally convinced of that.

If it was mine, I`d ask for a guarantee that advised service fixes the problem.
Could do all that and still have issue.

 

[07navi]

Sounds horrible, tear it apart yourself. They usually last forever unless they take on water

Yep - horrible it is. Not sure I have the energy, skillset and tools to tear it apart myself. Your note about "Leaving in 4 auto all the time..." has me a bit worried as I very seldom select "4 auto" and, if I do, it is for a very short time in conditions that warrant it. Last time I used it was this winter in heavy snow as I went up my driveway - for all of 3-4 minutes.

or leak. Leaving in 4 auto all the time doesn't help either.

Yep - horrible it is. Not sure I have the energy, skillset and tools to tear it apart myself. Your note about "Leaving in 4 auto all the time..." has me a bit worried as I very seldom select "4 auto" and, if I do, it is for a very short time in conditions that warrant it. Last time I used it was this winter in heavy snow as I went up my driveway - for all of 3-4 minutes.

You can leave it in 4 auto , just not all the time for no reason. At least take the cover off and move the carrier with a bar to check for bad bearings. Or have a mechanical type friend look at the inside too.

 

[fvernet]

Does the noise go away when in 2H?

I drive in 2H 99.9% of the time and noise is on. It's a light rubbing sound.

 

[07navi]

I'm surprised the dealer said it was the diff, look into it some more before they touch it.

 

[Plati]

Look I don't know much but I also would verify front brake not dragging. One way to do that is measure the rotor temperatures (left vs right) with a handheld non contact infrared thermometer. I recently associated a rubbing noise with a bad caliper using that method. One rotor was hotter than the other. BTW the noise was at lower speeds only and I could associate that with braking and it also didn't roll quite right. Good luck.

I still don't know for sure but I don't think front diff turns in 2H unless the vacuum IWE is not working right on a wheel and the wheel ends up driving the front diff.

 

[JExpedition07]

Put it in 4A to let the hubs lock up and drive around to make sure it’s not a hub actuator diaphragm partially locked and unlocked from a vacuum leak.

 

[mnachreiner86]

07 Navi do you see yet ANOTHER front diff concern? To the OP I had the same thing, labor is right at about $900. I saw mine pulled apart and those races and bearings weren’t pretty and it’s spent it’s life as a highway queen. I had the metallic rubbing sound you are describing and I started with brakes and went deeper knocking out heat shields, pads, rotors, hubs and IWE on both sides. As the others test everything first and if it’s not there its in the front diff. I do most everything myself but with a new baby at the time I didn’t have time to get into a diff rebuild even though we’ve done them on Mustangs. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[07navi]

WHY 86 ?

 

[fvernet]

Look I don't know much but I also would verify front brake not dragging. One way to do that is measure the rotor temperatures (left vs right) with a handheld non contact infrared thermometer. I recently associated a rubbing noise with a bad caliper using that method. One rotor was hotter than the other. BTW the noise was at lower speeds only and I could associate that with braking and it also didn't roll quite right.

I had a brake job done all around yesterday - new rotors and pads on all 4 corners. Turns out the front left rotor was warped - that MAY have been the source of the noise. I'll listen for it and report back.

 

[justinp16ex]

Could check fluid level and change fluid to start with.

 

[lbv150]

From rebuild the diff to brakes.....St(d)ealers suck.

 

[Plati]

I think its still possible the caliper is dragging, that ruined the pad/rotor system so new parts is a bandaid (temp "fix") masking the root cause. Onion skin as the diagnosticians say. Time will tell. An infrared thermometer would uncover that. Cheap tool, many uses, lasts a long time ... great for brake diagnosis. Pistons in calipers not metal these days, get skeewacky & bind. Pay me now or pay me later. Could be wrong. Food for thought.

https://www.harborfreight.com/121-infrared-laser-thermometer-63985.html

Also good for measuring smoker temp and setting bath water etc. Lol

 

[fvernet]

So...the rubbing sound is still there, most noticeable at highway speed. I'll have my mechanic look at the brake caliper as the possible culprit. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Trainmaster]

Lots of good advice here. Look at EVERYTHING else before you open up that differential. Just about anything is more likely to be the problem.

 

[fvernet]

Lots of good advice here. Look at EVERYTHING else before you open up that differential. Just about anything is more likely to be the problem.

I agree - it may be as simple as changing the diff fluid. I'm NOT convinced the diff is bad...heck...I drive in 2H 99.99% of the time. 4H has been turned on a few times in heavy snow for a few minutes. Period. So it cannot be worn out.

 

[fvernet]

Could also be a wheel bearing - I am told this is not uncommon on these trucks with close to 200k miles.

 

[lbv150]

Also have a look at the vacuum check valve those have been known to have a problem with certain model years. Causes the front locking hubs to either partially or fully engage even when in 2H