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I have a 2004 Ford Explorer. It's my main vehicle, and it's paid for.
It has just under 100K miles.
It has not had any unusual problems, just the normal maintenance.
Recently, the loud roaring noise I thought was a problem with the tires has been diagnosed by two mechanics, one at the dealership and one a trusted independent, as a "problem" with the rear differential. That's as much detail as they both have given me. The dealership mechanic has told me it could range from $1200 to $2K to repair.
I have been quoted a $7K trade-in value on this vehicle.
I've never dealt with rear differential issues before, so please add any insight on that.
Also would appreciate advice on whether to fix and keep forever (pass on to college-bound kid in a couple of years) or trade now without repair.
What you can do is shop around, give them as much information as possible, possibly including the v.i.n., ask what the guarantee is on a used axle.
Next, shop around for a shop that can handle a r&r job.
If possible at all, maybe you should look into having a shop drain, flush and refill the differential before doing anything else, to see if that might help.
I once owned a chevy with a noisy rearend, I drained it, flushed it out and used a Lucas product additive in the differential and was very, very noticeable, it quieted my rearend noise very much, and lasted til after I traded it off with 225,000 miles on it.
04 Explores use the 8.8 rearend. It's a great piece and you can buy entire used rearends from junk yards for around $100 but you will need to swap them.
The Explores had an issue with the bearings going bad around 100K. The good news is the fix is pretty simple but you do need to know how to set lash on the gears. Since the pinion isn't moving it's really just a matter of getting the shims correct on either side of the carrier.
There is a small chance that the gears themselves are the issue as Ihave seen some pitting and cracked teeth but this is unusual.
Thanks, y'all. My mechanic friend has zeroed in on the rear hub bearings. He is replacing them today. He says he does not actually see a problem with the differential right now, that he thinks it could go another 30K miles.
You lucked out. I always repair my clunkers until the next repair will cost more than half of getting another clunker. I buy from individuals and pay cash.
I am very fond of Buick Roadmaster Wagons from the early 90's but they are getting hard to find because of the rust eating the frames. I will have to start looking in the south or west.
I have a 1998 fd f150...........I have been told I need a seal for my rear differential. I am a single woman and every time I walk into a garage I have a hard time believing a word they say. I have been stung several times.
Can some one tell me how much its going to cost to have the seal put in. I just need a ball park figure
Thank you
Could be a pinion bearing. You can rebuild the whole rear axle for 6-800 bucks eith new gears and complete bearing and seal kit. Go find a good off toad shop or differential shop. You want to go to a place that KNOWS how to do gears and axles. A badly set up ring and pinion gear can wear out in a few thousand miles.
I have an 1989 chevy 2500 the anchor plate rotted and let go.Alined all back up new anchor plate and Ubolts and the rear end twists up and down any ideas how to fix it it
Unless you are going to DIY or have a good independent shop, I would not even bother with repairing the unit. Heck, even I go the total replacement route rather than trying to set up the gears. These rear axles are extremely common and you can find one in perfect working order at a junkyard for a few hundred bucks. Call around and ask for replacement quotes with used axles.
This is exactly what I did with my '96 Ford Explorer XLT. I had near 150K on her when I replaced the rear differential. A few hours at the junkyard for removal and about 4-6 hours from beginning to end of replacing. Mind you I am not a mechanic nor have I ever had any training or schooling and was a 130lb 19 year old girl at the time. I had some supervision of a friend who was a mechanic but he was mostly just for the muscle support. After the repair she ran like a dream well past 200K. The total was around $150 + dinner for my muscle support.
Unless you are going to DIY or have a good independent shop, I would not even bother with repairing the unit. Heck, even I go the total replacement route rather than trying to set up the gears. These rear axles are extremely common and you can find one in perfect working order at a junkyard for a few hundred bucks. Call around and ask for replacement quotes with used axles.
Agree get a used rear end from the junk yard.
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