front end grinding/ and vibration
 

2001 4x4 started grinding and having vib in the front end yesterday. jacked up whole truck checked rear everything was good. checked front in 4 wheel drive and could feel and hear the sound. got under the truck and turned the front drivers side and could hear a noise that was on about only 1/3 of the total tire rotation from the front diff. im lost as to what it could be. i just changed that rear pinion seal a few weeks ago but have put about 500 miles on the truck since that. really dont want to take this thing to ford. any ideas??

maybe a wheel bearing

i didnt have any play in the tires when i pulled on them. that huge pinion nut took a big impact to take off and thats how we put it back in so could it have been too tight and mess something up?

you could have over tightend it. when driving does the noise go away when moving left or right.

noise does not go away and is at all speeds.

I might be wrong but I don't think their would be play unless the bearing seals bust, cause mine whent totally out and the wheel would move because the bearing seals where busted, hence causing play. but I am only 50% sure so don't quote me.

so would just this bearing cause consistant vibration at all speeds? if so how can i replace it?

You go to Napa, and buy a bearing for your truck. OR, drive it to a shop and have them diagnose it, and repair it.

yeah, and probably roars too, they sale 'em at most parts stores and obviously at the dealership. but if you 4x4 uses vacum locking hubs you have to get the whole hub assembly, they don't sell just the bearings for a vacum locking hub, cause it all has to be sealed tight.

You have to get the whole hub assemble for Ford 4x4's, regardless if its vacuum or not

[QUOTE=chainfire;1394410]You have to get the whole hub assemble for Ford 4x4's, regardless if its vacuum or not[/QUOT

okay, just trying to explain why, I know you can only buy the hub assemblies but on the manual hubs they don't have to be vaccum tight. that's all I was trying to say.

any issues driving on it until ford can get me in for a diagnosis?

[QUOTE=billet03;1394417]You have the years mixed up there man. All 2000.5 to 09+ are a live axel setup with no manual hubs. Mine are a vacuum hum, 98-early 2000, in which you can convert to manual hubs via AVM. The 97 and below are a totally different suspension setup, and they have the option for manual hubs too.

What am trying to say is that the unit bearing has nothing to do with it being a vacuum system or not. Ford does it because instead of just buying bearings and races, you have to buy a $300+ part. Good thing is that it cuts down on your labour costs, bad thing is, if you a do it yourselfer, it ups the cost.

Ford doesnt make any money on labour at a dealership. where they make theior money is in parts. So if the labour is down, but the cost of the part goes up, Ford makes more money.


Well how important is your front wheel? If it gets bad enough it can fall off.

cool well ford is getting me in first thing in the morning they said it will be up to a hour for the diagnosis for about $105. I figure that will at least save me from replacing what could be the wrong part. Ill go pull on the wheels again and see if there is any play but i didnt feel it last time and for some reason it sounds more like a diff bearing to me.

Yeah its good to know your limitations lol.
For your sake, I honestly hope that it is not the diff bearing.

well i know my limits i just dont have the tools set up anymore to be ripping stuff apart. i cant imagine the diff bearing going out already considering that seems like something that would only break under harsh conditions but hey who knows yet once again ford lets me down. i have been raised ford for almost 30 years and im thinking maybe a tundra would be the way to go.

Honestly unless you need the space, the Tundra is a big truck. Don't get me wrong, I love them, my Dad has an 04 with the 4.7 v8 in it. That thing is fun lol.

How long have you had the truck? How many miles on it? Anyway the previous owner abused it?

ya the new one is huge. no i would be going for a 2005-6 quad cab. so i just took the front end up in the air wheels are tight. i could here and feel something making noise at the driveshaft so i pulled it off and tried driving a few feet. still had the vib and grind. what about a cv joint causing this?

Thats another possibility, try putting it in 4 lo to get maximum torque out of it. If you hear any popping, then its your cv.

[QUOTE=chainfire;1394497]that's cool man, I understand what your saying. I know the unit beraing has nothing to do with it being vacum or not, I was wondering if his were manual hubs or other, and I just now saw his year of truck so poopie on me lol

well got my truck back from american gear in san luis obispo and they changed out the pinion bearings and new seals all the way around for $674. perfect job and they used all timken bearings. works better now than when it was brand new. if anyone wants to know what caused it send me a message. thanks for all the help guys!

hot dang, I obviously was wrong, good thing you didn't listen to me lol. glad to hear it's fixed. what caused it?

from what they said it looked like the pinon nut was over tightened when the pinon seal was changed. o well a $6 dollar seal cost me over $700 total always good times.