I have a ford explorer 4wd 4.0 (97) that has gradually gotten this low droning noise near the brake pedal on the other side of the fire wall. I Had the breaks and bearings checked...its not that. Had the front end differential seal replaced, found a few metal shavings inside but the gears are still good.. the noise is still there. I'm kinda' stuck and scared the car will conk out on me. Does anybody know a way I can figure this out?
Sounds a lot like the problem I had from nearly the beginning with my '99 Mountaineer. Eventually got Ford to buy it back after a long and difficult struggle.
If the front differential is the same as used for the AWD, I'd suspect the front diff. input shaft bearing. It's very large diameter, and if the case is even a little out of round, it will wear unevenly, and make a low, rhythmic noise. Drive you nuts as it gets louder. A new bearing will substantially reduce the noise for quite a few miles, until it, too, suffers from uneven wear.
RapidRon
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