It appears that I have the same problem with the rear end of my 2002 Ford 4x4 Explorer (V6 automatic transmission) as to others that have posted to this group. The howl (or whine) from the rear that used to be only at one speed now can be heard from 30mph and up My Ford repair shop took very little time in recommending that the entire rear end be replaced because of the labor involved with installing the ring and pinion gears. I am now starting to wonder just how many complete rear ends Ford are going to have to replace on 2002 and 2003 Explores. With my 2002 Explorer at 69,000 miles and out warranty, it will cost me $650 for rear module and $350 in labor to fix the problem.
So my questions are:
Is this as wide spread a problems as I think it is. I already know of
3 people locally with 2002 explorers that have had to install new rear ends.Does anyone know if Ford as made modifications so that the fixes don't go bad. I would hate to spend the $1000 and then have to do it again at 120,000 miles.
Is there anyone other than Ford that could sell me a rear end for a
2002. I have not seen anyone listing a rear for a 2002 Explorer. I assume this is due to the fact that Ford made big changes to the rear for 2002.Are there other options? I live on a steep half mile private lane up the side of a mountain in Pennsylvania. I have always considered a locking rear end. But again I can't find one.
Will a junkyard rear end give me the same problem? I would expect so.
Just how bad will the noise get before something breaks.
Don Hazle
****************************************Previous Post... for some reason I could not RE: to this thread.
Hi all,
I've recently bought a 2003 Explorer XLT, 4x2, 4.0l . It's my first SUV and I am very happy with it.
Just this one thing though: from time to time I notice an annoying noise coming from the rear side of the truck. I wouldn't call it a howl, it's not loud enough, but more of a persistent wooooooooh sound, like something is rotating. The pitch seems to be related to my speed.
It is most noticeable above 35mph. I initially thought some kind of air resonance is taking place, but the sound disappears immediately when I take my foot off the gas pedal. It is most annoying when I am driving on smooth pavement or the highway and need to slightly hold down the gas pedal to maintain speed.
It's not very loud, but loud and consistent enough to be noticed and spoil what would otherwise be a very smooth, quiet ride.
Before I take it my explorer to the dealership and embarass myself making that woooooohh sound to them, does anybody have any idea what may be causing this? Is it something that can be expected or something I need to have checked?
Regards,
Johan.