Howling/Whirring Sound From Front End. Speed Dependant

[RedlyrsRevenge]

So it has been about three weeks since Ford fixed my leaking front differential at ~4000 miles. It has been leaking since at least 1000 miles. Unsure if this related but, I now have a howling/whirring sound that is vehicle speed dependent. It is independent from the engine speed and transmission speed/gear selection.
It starts to be noticeable at about 15mph and gets increasingly loud up to as fast as I dared take it tonight. It is quite loud at high speeds. There is also an associated vibration in the steering wheel (especially from 30-40mph) and it is somewhat tactile through the floorboard and throttle pedal.
I drove down an underpass with concrete walls on either side and I could make out what sounded like a rhythmic grinding noise.
I tried to capture it on video. You can hear it here:


and especially here:


I am going to try to get it into the dealer tomorrow or Tuesday. A little afraid to drive it to work and back. I put 250 miles on it today making a run up the valley and back for Christmas. It seems to be have gotten louder over that time. Hard to tell as I only really started to pay attention to it on the second half of my trip up. There has been a lot of rain here the last week so I can't say for sure when it started as the road noise has been loud.

So any ideas? Front diff being wonky? It leaked for at least good three months and 3000 miles before Ford got my seal in to fix it. Hope this isn't related and the diff isn't damaged... ?

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[Big Blue]

So it has been about three weeks since Ford fixed my leaking front differential at ~4000 miles. It has been leaking since at least 1000 miles. Unsure if this related but, I now have a howling/whirring sound that is vehicle speed dependent. It is independent from the engine speed and transmission speed/gear selection.
It starts to be noticeable at about 15mph and gets increasingly loud up to as fast as I dared take it tonight. It is quite loud at high speeds. There is also an associated vibration in the steering wheel (especially from 30-40mph) and it is somewhat tactile through the floorboard and throttle pedal.
I drove down an underpass with concrete walls on either side and I could make out what sounded like a rhythmic grinding noise.
I tried to capture it on video. You can hear it here:


and especially here:


I am going to try to get it into the dealer tomorrow or Tuesday. A little afraid to drive it to work and back. I put 250 miles on it today making a run up the valley and back for Christmas. It seems to be have gotten louder over that time. Hard to tell as I only really started to pay attention to it on the second half of my trip up. There has been a lot of rain here the last week so I can't say for sure when it started as the road noise has been loud.

So any ideas? Front diff being wonky? It leaked for at least good three months and 3000 miles before Ford got my seal in to fix it. Hope this isn't related and the diff isn't damaged... ?

I would definitely get it in to the dealer. If it has started since they did the seal fix. I hope they put lube back in after they did the seal fix.

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

I would definitely get it in to the dealer. If it has started since they did the seal fix. I hope they put lube back in after they did the seal fix.

Funny you should say that. The work order lists NO gear oil on the list of parts.

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

Scan of said work order

 

[Trigganometry]

Scan of said work order

Looks like a new differential is getting ordered under warranty

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

Looks like a new differential is getting ordered under warranty

I hope not... I imagine that is a long time backordered. That would be just the cherry on the ? cake that has been 2021.

 

[JesseS]

Man it is really hard to get good help these days!

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

Man it is really hard to get good help these days!

I won't point fingers until I have proof. Played that game too much in my line of work (parts guy for field repair techs).
Hopefully I get a loaner should there an extended stay at the dealer so I don't have to bum a ride over the holidays. ?

 

[JesseS]

I won't point fingers until I have proof. Played that game too much in my line of work (parts guy for field repair techs).
Hopefully I get a loaner should there an extended stay at the dealer so I don't have to bum a ride over the holidays. ?

Well, I haven't had to use my Dealer yet for anything (knocks on wood) but I have driven RV's for years, and do all of my own repairs out of a sense of self preservation, most all RV dealers service centers are worthless

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

Well, I haven't had to use my Dealer yet for anything (knocks on wood) but I have driven RV's for years, and do all of my own repairs out of a sense of self preservation, most all RV dealers service centers are worthless

I normally do all of my own wrenching. I've owned a lot of s**tboxes since high school and in the last four years I've been buying new/certified cars so I don't have to do that. No issues with my Subaru and Chevy. Ford so far has not been impressing me. Our fleet of work vehicles is all Ford at work and there has been a substantial amount of issues with the newer ones.
I like Ford. I like my Ranger. Time will tell if I should have waited for the new Frontier...

 

[GitRDone]

If the diff turns out to be bad and you have to wait weeks/months for a new one, consider having the front axles removed temporarily. That will allow you to keep driving (if you can live without 4wd) until the new parts come in. Might be better than risking the front diff locking up on you.

 

[9zero1790]

im watching this one just to see what it turns out to be. hopefully they get you fixed up and trouble free. i hate having to take anything to the dealer. just stepping in the door my gut feelin says im about to get screwed...

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

If the diff turns out to be bad and you have to wait weeks/months for a new one, consider having the front axles removed temporarily. That will allow you to keep driving (if you can live without 4wd) until the new parts come in. Might be better than risking the front diff locking up on you.

I don't use 4WD where I live but, my parents live up the way into the mountains. They got some decent snow today and are supposed to keep getting more this next week. I was planning on being up there for new years but, that may not happen now. Probably would need 4WD up there as the roads are not plowed much and only sanded occasionally.

 

[RedlyrsRevenge]

im watching this one just to see what it turns out to be. hopefully they get you fixed up and trouble free. i hate having to take anything to the dealer. just stepping in the door my gut feelin says im about to get screwed...

Yeah, dealers seem to be a black hole around here. I've had several new/certified vehicles and I only had one warranty repair prior to this. That was on my Fiesta for a blown speaker. In and out in two hours no problem. That was at a different dealership that my family had been patronizing for decades. They sold out a while back and I moved away. So far not a fan of these big city dealerships.

?it gets fixed this week. Certainly putting a bad taste in my mouth being this truck has less than 5k miles on it and it has spent five days at the dealership so far.

 

[Rp930]

Sounds like he screwed up the pinion bearing preload.

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