Roaring Grinding From Front End (Not IWE Related)
5 Year Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 850
Likes: 199
I had a long thread about a low frequency hum that could be faintly felt in the truck at times. Mine didn't sound like yours. Ended up being a bearing in the front diff. 18 fx4 max tow screw.
FWIW, pulling the front driveshaft can help isolate the noise. Check your front diff for metal too. Maybe your bearing is just more gone than mine.
FWIW, pulling the front driveshaft can help isolate the noise. Check your front diff for metal too. Maybe your bearing is just more gone than mine.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 22
Likes: 8
From: Nebraska
I recently got a 2016 F-150 with close to 100k miles. It's a Lariat with the 3.5L Ecoboost, FX4 Package, and Max Tow. It has the transfer case with the 4A option that uses a viscous coupling.
I'm hearing a roaring/grinding noise coming from the front end. I'm new to F-150s but I'm told this is not the typical sound you hear with IWE related issues. Additionally I replaced the check valve, and I had my mechanic check the vacuum in the IWE lines. They hold a perfect Vacuum. So I'm fairly certain it's not that.
I hear the noise mostly for the first 15 minutes or so of driving. If the truck has been sitting for any more than about 30-40 minutes it starts making the sound when I drive. It seems to get worse with colder weather. I can hear it mostly when I'm decelerating and below 25MPH. When I switch to 4A or 4H it turns into a scraping sound. Kind of like metal on metal.
On an IWE thread I brought up this issue and @blue2010xlt suggested it might be a bearing in the Transfer Case or the Front Diff. @johnday in BFE Pointed out that transfer cases with 4A do still turn the front diff a bit when in 2WD.
As per these suggestions I got audio recording equipment I have access to and placed a mic near the front diff and a mic near the transfer case to record the sounds from there.
Here are my recordings: (You probably won't be able to hear it on a phone speaker)
https://youtu.be/UiQuiVY2tjo
For reference, here is the sound I hear when in 4A or 4H. It unfortunately sounds more like tire noise in the video, but in person it's more of a scraping sound.
https://youtu.be/zKJ8O3bY5vQ
What do you think?
I'm hearing a roaring/grinding noise coming from the front end. I'm new to F-150s but I'm told this is not the typical sound you hear with IWE related issues. Additionally I replaced the check valve, and I had my mechanic check the vacuum in the IWE lines. They hold a perfect Vacuum. So I'm fairly certain it's not that.
I hear the noise mostly for the first 15 minutes or so of driving. If the truck has been sitting for any more than about 30-40 minutes it starts making the sound when I drive. It seems to get worse with colder weather. I can hear it mostly when I'm decelerating and below 25MPH. When I switch to 4A or 4H it turns into a scraping sound. Kind of like metal on metal.
On an IWE thread I brought up this issue and @blue2010xlt suggested it might be a bearing in the Transfer Case or the Front Diff. @johnday in BFE Pointed out that transfer cases with 4A do still turn the front diff a bit when in 2WD.
As per these suggestions I got audio recording equipment I have access to and placed a mic near the front diff and a mic near the transfer case to record the sounds from there.
Here are my recordings: (You probably won't be able to hear it on a phone speaker)
https://youtu.be/UiQuiVY2tjo
For reference, here is the sound I hear when in 4A or 4H. It unfortunately sounds more like tire noise in the video, but in person it's more of a scraping sound.
https://youtu.be/zKJ8O3bY5vQ
What do you think?
5 Year Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 237
Likes: 55
have had the exact noise with my 2016. happens only during cold months. had IWE replaced first time right after I bought it used with 26,000 miles on it. noise went away, Cold weather season again same noise . they thought was front differential issue had some metal in fluid they said and play in it so was rebuilt along with new IWE. This year same noise again replaced IWE's check valve and all. Noise gone for now. Not sure I will keep truck next winter. Have had truck 3 years and same issues each cold season. Luckily all under warranty but Have 90,000 on mine and my warranty done at 96,000
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 30
Likes: 15
If your problem is the same as mine is guess it's not a wheel bearing.. rather a bearing in the differential
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 30
Likes: 15
have had the exact noise with my 2016. happens only during cold months. had IWE replaced first time right after I bought it used with 26,000 miles on it. noise went away, Cold weather season again same noise . they thought was front differential issue had some metal in fluid they said and play in it so was rebuilt along with new IWE. This year same noise again replaced IWE's check valve and all. Noise gone for now. Not sure I will keep truck next winter. Have had truck 3 years and same issues each cold season. Luckily all under warranty but Have 90,000 on mine and my warranty done at 96,000
5 Year Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 237
Likes: 55
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 30
Likes: 15
Right, but correct me if I understood wrong, your did all this work during the winter, and it fixed it for that winter, but it returned the next year?