Ford Explorer: Front Drive Axle/Differential / Diagnosis and Testing - Front Drive Axle
Principles of Operation
Inspection and Verification
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Verify the customer concern.
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Visually inspect for obvious signs of mechanical or electrical damage.
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If an obvious cause for an observed or reported concern is
found, correct the cause (if possible) before proceeding to the next
step.
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If the cause is not visually evident, verify the symptom and refer to the Symptom Chart.
Symptom Chart - Front Differential
Symptom Chart - Front Differential
Condition
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Possible Sources
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Actions
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Axle overheating
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CHECK the lubricant level. FILL the axle to specification.
REFER to: Specifications (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Specifications).
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Incorrect or contaminated lubrication type
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INSPECT the axle for damage. REPAIR
as necessary. DRAIN and REFILL the axle to specification as necessary.
REFER to: Specifications (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Specifications).
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Bearing preload adjusted too tight
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If low mileage unit, CHECK the
ring and pinion for damage. INSTALL new front axle as necessary
REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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INSPECT all the axle gears for wear or damaged. INSTALL new front axle as necessary
REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Broken gear teeth on the ring gear or pinion
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INSTALL a front axle assembly.
REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Differential side gears / pinion gears are scored
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Incorrect or contaminated lubricant type
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Drain and FILL the axle to specification.
REFER to: Differential Draining and Filling (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, General Procedures).
Road test vehicle. If an observable symptom is present (noise from
front axle), INSTALL new front axle assembly as necessary.REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Lubricant leaking from the pinion seal, axle shaft oil seals
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CLEAN the axle housing vent.
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Damage in the seal contact area or pinion flange dust shield
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INSTALL a new pinion nut and the pinion seal if damage is found.
REFER to: Drive Pinion Seal (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Damage in the seal contact area
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INSTALL a new halfshaft seal as
necessary. Inspect Halfshaft seal contact area. Install new halfshaft
as necessary.
REFER to: Axle Shaft Seal (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Grease expelling from pinion splines
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Missing / worn / damaged driveshaft to pinion circlip
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Missing / Damaged front axle pinion stem O-Ring
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REMOVE the Front Driveshaft.
INSTALL New Circlip and O-Ring. INSTALL the new Front Driveshaft as
necessary.
REFER to: Front Driveshaft (205-01 Driveshaft, Removal and Installation).
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Symptom Chart - NVH
NOTE:
NVH symptoms should be identified using the diagnostic tools
that are available. For a list of these tools, an explanation of their
uses and a glossary of common terms, refer to Section 100-04. Since it
is possible any one of multiple systems may be the cause of a symptom,
it may be necessary to use a process of elimination type of diagnostic
approach to pinpoint the responsible system.
REFER to: Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) (100-04 Noise, Vibration and Harshness, Diagnosis and Testing).
Symptom Chart - NVH
Condition
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Possible Sources
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Actions
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NVH
concern isolated to front axle using proper diagnostic tools. Symptom
may be constant or only occurs under specific driving conditions
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Axle lubricant low or contamination
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CHECK the lubricant level. FILL the axle to specification.
REFER to: Differential Fluid Level Check (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, General Procedures). OR INSPECT front axle fluid, if required, Drain and FILL the axle to specification. REFER to: Differential Draining and Filling (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, General Procedures).
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Internal FDU (Front Drive Unit) damage
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Remove side cover and inspect
components for wear or damage. INSTALL a new FDU (Front Drive Unit) as
necessary.
REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Driveline clunk - loud clunk when shifting from REVERSE to DRIVE
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Loose or missing fasteners
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CHECK all driveline fasteners for proper torque.
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Driveline clunk — occurs as the vehicle starts to move forward following a stop
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CHECK the front axle for loose bolts. TIGHTEN to proper torque.
REFER to: Axle Assembly (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Driveline clunk — occurs during acceleration or from cruise to coast / deceleration
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Rear driveshaft U-joint
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Missing or damaged circlip on front axle pinion.
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INSPECT the rear driveshaft
U-joints for wear or damage. INSTALL a new rear driveshaft as necessary.
REFER to: Rear Driveshaft (205-01 Driveshaft, Removal and Installation).
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Install new circlip.
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Grunting — normally associated with a shudder experienced during acceleration from a complete stop
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INSPECT the rear Driveshaft. INSTALL the new rear Driveshaft.
REFER to: Rear Driveshaft (205-01 Driveshaft, Removal and Installation).
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Scraping noise — a continuous low pitched noise starting at low speeds
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Intermediate shaft LH halfshaft seal deflector bent / damaged
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INSPECT components for wear/damage. INSTALL a new LH Halfshaft seal as necessary.
REFER to: Axle Shaft Seal (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, Removal and Installation).
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Driveline shudder – occurs during acceleration from a slow speed or stop
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INSPECT the rear Driveshaft. INSTALL the new rear Driveshaft.
REFER to: Rear Driveshaft (205-01 Driveshaft, Removal and Installation).
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Axle Fluid Analysis
The appearance of milky fluid could be caused by fluid contamination. Drain and refill fluid and retest for normal operation.
REFER to: Differential Draining and Filling (205-03 Front Drive Axle/Differential, General Procedures).
Analysis of Leakage
Clean up the leaking area enough to identify the exact source.
Axle Vent
A
plugged vent will cause excessive seal lip wear due to internal
pressure buildup. If a leak occurs, check the vent. If the vent cannot
be cleared, install a new vent.
Drive Pinion Seal
Leaks at the drive pinion seal originate from the following causes:
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Damaged seal
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Worn seal surface on Pinion Nut
The service kit available comes with seal, nut, & deflector.
Differential Seals
NOTICE:
When installing shafts, do not allow splines to contact seals during installation or damage to the seals may occur.
The
front axle fluid level is above halfshaft. Top-off the fluid level
after replacing either differential seal. The seals are one time use
and should be replaced whenever the RH halfshaft or intermediate shaft is removed.
RH halfshaft seal is a typical unitized seal found on many applications. The LH differential seal is the intermediate shaft to oil pan O-Ring.
The
intermediate shaft also contains a differential seal to prevent gear
lubricant from entering the intermediate shaft. This seal is serviced
with the intermediate shaft.
The 6.5-inch ring gear rear differential axle has 3.31, 3.58 and 3.73 gear ratio versions.
Front Drive Axle and Differential
The front drive axle consists of:
A cast-aluminum center section,..
Materials
Name
Specification
Motorcraft® SAE 75W-140 Synthetic Rear Axle LubricantXY-75W140-QL
WSL-M2C192-A
Draining
With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a ho..
Other information:
System Operation
System Diagram
NOTE:
The system diagram includes all component options. Some components may not be equipped on the vehicle.
Audio System
Item
Description
1
Audio Steering Wheel Switch
2
Speakers
3
Display Unit
4
SCCM
5
Clockspring
6
GWM
7
BCM
8
ACM
9
Radio Control Panel
10
IPC
..
Removal
Remove the climate control housing.
Refer to: Climate Control Housing (412-00 Climate Control System - General Information, Removal and Installation).
Remove the screws and the air inlet door actuator.
Disconnect the electrical connector...