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A few weeks ago, a rumble or "howl" became very present in the rear of my 22 EB XLT Lariat FE (76k mi). Noise started about 35 mph and pitch increased with speed. There was no noticeable vibration nor any handling issues but it was very loud especially at highway speeds. I did a rear differential oil change and a quick tire rotation to rule those out with no change. I contacted a friend that works at what is now the only (GM, Mopar & Ford) dealership in my town. He listened to it and hooked me up with a no-fee diagnostic inspection. After having the truck for 2 days, the dealership provided me with the following:
"Ran vehicle with wheels off ground and pin pointed source of noise to be the passenger side rear diff carrier bearing. Due to style of rear diff, replacement is recommended over overhauling
REPLACE REAR DIFFERENTIAL - $3,300.00"
Now, I am not a mechanic but I seriously questioned that the differential was the source and I was not willing to pay that much for a part that cost around $1,000. I dug deeper with the truck on jack stands and could tell the noise was coming from the wheel end of the axle not the differential when rotated by hand. I removed the entire hub assembly from the suspension links and axle and immediately could tell it was the hub bearings. It did not rotate freely as there was binding throughout the revolution.
To shorten this story, I replaced the wheel hub (Part Number NZ6Z-1104-B) and the 4 mounting bolts, reassembled everything and the problem was resolved. Total price $253.40 plus the cost of a new set of stupid E-Torx bits to remove the hub.
Final thoughts:
-I'm trying not to be critical of the dealer service department but they totally missed this one, who knows what it ultimately would have cost to have repaired. I'm sure they just followed the factory troubleshooting guide rather than experience.
-I'm not sure of the root cause of failure but there are some material combinations that may have contributed. An aluminum dust shroud is sandwiched between the hub assembly and the casting. There was significant dissimilar material corrosion and those 3 parts were almost fused together after only 2.5 years.
-Engineers should not have access to a fastener catalog...ha
Hope this experience helps someone out. A second opinion shouldn't be ruled out when the solution is invasive and expensive.
"Ran vehicle with wheels off ground and pin pointed source of noise to be the passenger side rear diff carrier bearing. Due to style of rear diff, replacement is recommended over overhauling
REPLACE REAR DIFFERENTIAL - $3,300.00"
Now, I am not a mechanic but I seriously questioned that the differential was the source and I was not willing to pay that much for a part that cost around $1,000. I dug deeper with the truck on jack stands and could tell the noise was coming from the wheel end of the axle not the differential when rotated by hand. I removed the entire hub assembly from the suspension links and axle and immediately could tell it was the hub bearings. It did not rotate freely as there was binding throughout the revolution.
To shorten this story, I replaced the wheel hub (Part Number NZ6Z-1104-B) and the 4 mounting bolts, reassembled everything and the problem was resolved. Total price $253.40 plus the cost of a new set of stupid E-Torx bits to remove the hub.
Final thoughts:
-I'm trying not to be critical of the dealer service department but they totally missed this one, who knows what it ultimately would have cost to have repaired. I'm sure they just followed the factory troubleshooting guide rather than experience.
-I'm not sure of the root cause of failure but there are some material combinations that may have contributed. An aluminum dust shroud is sandwiched between the hub assembly and the casting. There was significant dissimilar material corrosion and those 3 parts were almost fused together after only 2.5 years.
-Engineers should not have access to a fastener catalog...ha
Hope this experience helps someone out. A second opinion shouldn't be ruled out when the solution is invasive and expensive.
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