The whole REASON for looking for a truck had to do with the fact that my 2004 exploder (valued at a whopping $7000 trade-in) needed so much work that it wasn't worth fixing.
See it's been roaring for a few months now, and popping and jerking at very low speed turns. I knew the clutch packs had given out in the LS rear. Not a big deal. But I was concerned for the ring & pinion health so I had it checked out when I got it inspected last month.
The mechanic at the inspection station said it WAS pretty worn and maybe I needed to look into it further, but there was no leaking. SO he said no hurry. He priced a new rearend at $1,700 + $200 install.
Since he wasn't a ford dealer he couldnt GET the internals...he needed to get the entire rear assembly from JASPER. But that had a lifetime warranty. See it's a full independent rear suspension, not a live axle so it's a stationary rear assembly with floating axles and rear wheel bearings.
OK...an option.
So I took it to Parkway ford to have them look at everything it needed.
Parkway Ford won't even LOOK at your car unless you give them $95
But I wanted to know everything so I paid it
Their estimate?
$1650 for new gears and clutchpacks
$390 for right front bearing
$634 for BOTH rear wheel bearings
$298 Leaking front pinion seal
OH and you're getting close to 100k.....
$280 for new plugs
I got to thinking....a few months ago when I got tires I decided to put some Jeep Rubicon wheels on...
had a painter buddy spray them and fill in the JEEP on the centercaps. Thought it'd be "different" but ever since then is when it started acting funny and roaring. I got to thinking, maybe since the JEEP wheels stuck out about 1.5" maybe THAT had something to do with some of the issues. So I thought....I'll just put the stock wheels back on it while I'm at it.
So I took it to King, NC to Piedmont Radiator and Tire where I have all my work done.
He replaced the front wheel bearing and threw the stock wheels back on then drove it. Said I didn't NEED any of the other work done (well, I'll need plugs in another 1000 miles) and said as long as I didn't care that I now had an OPEN rear diff instead of an LS, then he wouldn't do squat about the rearend....that ALL 8.8's hummed like a bad streetlamp. Since it's an AWD model I don't care about the LS.
I literally had to argue with him about the rear bearings though. I figured he just didn't have the time that day to DO the rear bearings or didn't WANT too. I told him I'd schedule another day to do the rear bearings if that would help him?!?!
He said "You don't NEED them man....I'm serious!"
?!?!?!?!
SO I happily paid him $300 for the front bearing and jumped in the exploder. On the ride home I found that it road fine, no roaring, no vibration....no nothing. Smooth as silk....other than the typical 8.8 rearend hum.
Apparently the rubi wheels caused most of the vibration, slow speed wheel hop, and chatter....and the roar was just the front wheel bearing.
