Differential has a roar like gear whine

PWRWGN MAN

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I just would like to thank you guys in advance for anyone who has good advice but here's my problem
( I'm buying a brand new truck in June )

I Want to set up my 2002 Ford Explorer for some fun .
just about everything on the truck has been mechanically replaced the engine the transmission the transfer case all the CV axles, the entire front end , rack and pinion, upper lower ball joints.... you name it.
now I am faced with a gear whine coming out of the rear differential, got about a 135 K on the clock. I have changed the differential fluid multiple times during the seven years I've owned the truck.

what do you recommend should do ?
leave it alone and just change the gear oil again? because it sounds like a gear lash noise , OR should I have the differential completely rebuilt ? hunt down a used pumpkin ? what are your thoughts
One last thought any chance I can get a locker for the front differential? (not much on the aftermarket on this pig)



anyone have any similar experiences with Ford Explorers with this type of suspension?
 
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That was brutal to read....

Has it ALWAYS whined? Or just recently?

I'll share MY experience with the exploder rear:

My rear diff (2004 exploder) has whined for 187k miles. It just does. It had 20k when I bought it. Took it to the dealer, had the clutch packs replaced. didn't fix it. Had them service the rear again...didn't fix it. Finally took it to a mechanic friend of mine who told me "they all whine like that" (exploders with IRS) and I decided it was under warranty.....fuggit! And drove the piss out of it.

If it becomes more of a roar, check your rear wheel bearings
 
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CasterTroy said:
That was brutal to read....

Has it ALWAYS whined? Or just recently?

I'll share MY experience with the exploder rear:

My rear diff (2004 exploder) has whined for 187k miles. It just does. It had 20k when I bought it. Took it to the dealer, had the clutch packs replaced. didn't fix it. Had them service the rear again...didn't fix it. Finally took it to a mechanic friend of mine who told me "they all whine like that" (exploders with IRS) and I decided it was under warranty.....fuggit! And drove the piss out of it.

If it becomes more of a roar, check your rear wheel bearings
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Thanks for the great advice I was wondering because I've heard it put about 50 k on this truck with the wHine so I'll just change the gear fluid again and just go ahead with my 3-inch lift and better tires and some other stuff I'm doing just to get it a little more capable in the rough I really appreciate it trying to make it a little buck off road fun truck the body's already banged up from previous off road trips
 
CasterTroy said:
Don't forget the friction modifier (because LS)!
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I appreciate the advice definitely going to do that and change the gear oil again my plans for the truck are as follows I'm going to put a 3 inch suspension lift fairly inexpensively can I make sure a limited-slip is working if not then I'm going to put a lunchbox Locker in it if there's one available I'm hoping they'll have a lunchbox Locker available for the front diff and I'm going to go up to 285 75 16 mud tires and I think that should really make it a very well-rounded truck for the money and I very much appreciate everybody's good advice
 
Please for the love of God, us some punctuation!! Please! I am out of breath reading it! Hell even if it's not right! Just throw in a , or a . Something!!:flipoff2:


P.S...welcome to the forum!:beer:
 
I hate to give up on the Explorer because it's been very
CasterTroy said:
That was brutal to read....

Has it ALWAYS whined? Or just recently?

I'll share MY experience with the exploder rear:

My rear diff (2004 exploder) has whined for 187k miles. It just does. It had 20k when I bought it. Took it to the dealer, had the clutch packs replaced. didn't fix it. Had them service the rear again...didn't fix it. Finally took it to a mechanic friend of mine who told me "they all whine like that" (exploders with IRS) and I decided it was under warranty.....fuggit! And drove the piss out of it.

If it becomes more of a roar, check your rear wheel bearings
Click to expand...
Sorry about the brutal reading fixed it I will make careful note of that in the future I was just in a rush
 
My father was a service manager for a Ford dealer for 20 plus years. Explorers where prone for this noise. So prone at one point they stop building them in the shop for a assembly exchange on the whole third. Dad kept like six on hand. Problem turned out to be harmonics. The links in the suspension amplified the diff noise which acts like a tuning fork.This was then transfered straight into the cab via the location of the mounts on the unitized type of frame.
 
CasterTroy said:
So the 02-05 exploder is the "Tacoma Washington Bridge" of automobiles....interesting. Glad to finally have an actual explanation, other than "they just do that"....thanks!
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No, more like running a wet finger around the top of a wine glass and making it sing. This isn't destructive resonance we're talking about, just a minor NVH annoyance.
 
Earlier models WERE known for rolling over and playing dead when combined with certain tires...so they at least can be taught tricks
 
CasterTroy said:
Earlier models WERE known for rolling over and playing dead when combined with certain tires...so they at least can be taught tricks
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I'm no Explorer fan (that's understating it), but it was a perfect storm of factors. You can look in any parking lot and spot the number of people who completely ignore their tire pressure, so combine that with a very high greenhouse CG, soft spring rates (among other shortcomings) and a large/soft tire sidewall, and you have a recipe for huge drama during turning of any type. There are a lot of tires that will behave the same way given the same conditions (underinflated, etc), but that tire was the most common and took the public hit. I don't know why low tire pressure testing wasn't part of the vehicle testing process, but I would imagine it is now. Like every consumer product, you really have to anticipate how stupid people will use your product in the worst case scenario, and then design around that.
 
Fabrik8 said:
I'm no Explorer fan (that's understating it), but it was a perfect storm of factors. You can look in any parking lot and spot the number of people who completely ignore their tire pressure, so combine that with a very high greenhouse CG, soft spring rates (among other shortcomings) and a large/soft tire sidewall, and you have a recipe for huge drama during turning of any type. There are a lot of tires that will behave the same way given the same conditions (underinflated, etc), but that tire was the most common and took the public hit. I don't know why low tire pressure testing wasn't part of the vehicle testing process, but I would imagine it is now. Like every consumer product, you really have to anticipate how stupid people will use your product in the worst case scenario, and then design around that.
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It was driver error and underinflated tires, plain and simple. Somebody (Car and Driver??) simulated blowouts at highway speed without their hands on the wheel, and .... nothing interesting happened.
 
From a visual standpoint, explorers from the rollover era had a narrow track width relative to the body, so that couldn't have helped either.
 
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