[AUtoo]

Just wondering if anyone else has had a problem with this? I had front brakes, trans service and diff oil changed yesterday, and the mechanic said that the whiney noise I had heard in the back end was the diff carrier bearings.

He said they usually happen at 300,000km+, not 70,000km!! My dealer priced them at $45 each, but I imagine it wouldn't be an easy job. It's not something I would tackle myself.

Any suggestions gratefully received, cheers.

 

[taximan]

Try putting a diff additive in.Might work if not you have only wasted $12.

 

[WBT56]

AU owners get used to it. In AU, Ford started using Koyo bearings instead of the better Timken. These diffs should be good for 150,000km. I have seen three now with failed carrier bearings, one as low as 48,000km.

 

[AUtoo]

Thanks for your replies guys. The noise has been getting noticeably worse over the past few weeks, so it's going into the dealer tomorrow for a diagnose/quote.

I've heard that diffs are quite touchy, and should only be done by people who really know their stuff. Does anyone disagree? Is there anyone other than a dealer that would be worth considering?

Cheers.

 

[XR_Strider_GuY]

Just wondering if anyone else has had a problem with this? I had front brakes, trans service and diff oil changed yesterday, and the mechanic said that the whiney noise I had heard in the back end was the diff carrier bearings.

He said they usually happen at 300,000km+, not 70,000km!! My dealer priced them at $45 each, but I imagine it wouldn't be an easy job. It's not something I would tackle myself.

Any suggestions gratefully received, cheers.

Sheez how bad can an AU diff get? Lets not forget the crown wheel out of tollerance issue that causes the clunks in AU manuals. Sounds like an upgrade to LSD and a proper diff rebuild is teh best way to go for us manual AU owners.

 

[AUtoo]

Thanks for your replies guys. The noise has been getting noticeably worse over the past few weeks, so it's going into the dealer tomorrow for a diagnose/quote.

Well, I took it in for a diagnose and quote at the dealer. The result was "probably the carrier bearings, but don't know until we pull it apart". So the suggested fix was replace carrier and pinion bearings, pinion seal and some plate as well, and the quote was "not much change from a grand".

So I wrote a letter to Ford, requesting that they cover the costs, as it's a totally unacceptable problem at 74,000km, even though my warranty expired in May '03. Their response? "Sorry, it's out of warranty." Well thanks Captain Obvious. Very disappointing indeed.

So between the diff noise, the "ass-raping" on depreciation (thanks whoever I pinched that from) and the fact that my rego expires next weekend, I'm sorely tempted to get rid of it. And it wouldn't be replaced with another Ford.

 

[WBT56]

Shop around. You should be able to get it done for around $500. (four bearings, seal and labour.)

 

[AUtoo]

Shop around. You should be able to get it done for around $500. (four bearings, seal and labour.)

Thanks for that mate. It's booked in for this Thursday at my local mechanic, same job as my dealer quoted, but $400 instead of $1000.

I have decided to keep it until the pay-out figure on the loan gets down closer to it's constantly free-falling trade-in value, then it's going - probably this time next year.

Cheers.