Cherryriver
Member
The local shop did a very complete diagnosis of my 2003 XLT 4WD and the list included the right-side CV half axle having a torn boot and the hub bearing making noise.
With some trepidation, I decided to try doing it myself, mostly thinking of the savings involved: nearly $600.
I sourced the parts from NAPA here. The half axle was $177 and the bearing $263, plus tax.
I'm getting more cautious about working on autos as I get older and rolling around on the garage floor fighting cranky parts is a lot less inviting than it was a couple of decades ago. I have nice enough equipment but the main equipment, the ol' bod, isn't what it used to be.
Once I got it up on the stands I tried for a while to extract the half shaft without parting the upper ball joint as the book procedure calls for. I just couldn't figure it out.
Yet the ball joint separated pretty much on its own once the nut was backed off a few turns, so no drama with that. I had also, per "Fordtechmakuloco" YouTube vids, separated the tie rod end as well to let the knuckle swing around more freely. It, too, parted almost on its own.
I don't know if that's normal or bad or what.
I did not purchase a new IWE and I may go on to regret that. We shall see.
Once the new half-shaft was wrangled into place, it wasn't too difficult to get things together. I had been concerned about getting the right parts as it seems that there was a change of the front drive system somewhere around this stage of production, but it turned out to be not a problem.
A three-mile test drive revealed a much quieter and smoother-driving Expedition. That old hub bearing must have been pretty crunchy.
Total time including cleaning up and putting away and a test drive was a little under five hours, just for reference.
A longer drive to work in the morning will be the next test. I will also need to engage the AWD and see about that IWE but I'm hoping it can be put off a bit.
With some trepidation, I decided to try doing it myself, mostly thinking of the savings involved: nearly $600.
I sourced the parts from NAPA here. The half axle was $177 and the bearing $263, plus tax.
I'm getting more cautious about working on autos as I get older and rolling around on the garage floor fighting cranky parts is a lot less inviting than it was a couple of decades ago. I have nice enough equipment but the main equipment, the ol' bod, isn't what it used to be.
Once I got it up on the stands I tried for a while to extract the half shaft without parting the upper ball joint as the book procedure calls for. I just couldn't figure it out.
Yet the ball joint separated pretty much on its own once the nut was backed off a few turns, so no drama with that. I had also, per "Fordtechmakuloco" YouTube vids, separated the tie rod end as well to let the knuckle swing around more freely. It, too, parted almost on its own.
I don't know if that's normal or bad or what.
I did not purchase a new IWE and I may go on to regret that. We shall see.
Once the new half-shaft was wrangled into place, it wasn't too difficult to get things together. I had been concerned about getting the right parts as it seems that there was a change of the front drive system somewhere around this stage of production, but it turned out to be not a problem.
A three-mile test drive revealed a much quieter and smoother-driving Expedition. That old hub bearing must have been pretty crunchy.
Total time including cleaning up and putting away and a test drive was a little under five hours, just for reference.
A longer drive to work in the morning will be the next test. I will also need to engage the AWD and see about that IWE but I'm hoping it can be put off a bit.
