Hey,
Does anyone know if it is normal for ford limited slip 2wd rear axle to have up and down play? I know it is normal for them to move in and out roughly 1/16-1/8 inch and they do but is it normal with the rotor off the end of the axle move up and down as well about a 1/16 of an inch? Both axles do the same.
I was trying to isolate a noise and found it to be the parking brake pads. I can see no problem with them pads are in great shape and rotor is as well. When going at slower speeds and when I had it up on jack stands with the wheels off
and the calipers off it makes a wush wush wush sound with the revolution of the rotor when I pull the rotor off and run it no more sound. I first thought it to be axle bearings going bad until I isolated the sound. Now with the radial up & down play in the axle I wonder if this is causing the parking brake to make the noise. with rotor and brakes reassembled (no wheel on) there is no play in out up down the parking brake and brake caliper holds it in place. and the wush wush wush sound is back!

 

Sounds like the parking brake needs adjustment and or is not releasing all the way.

 

If I am reading this correctly then you have issues with the bearings.

There should be no play up/down or forward/reverse in the axle itself.

I assume you are saying that the axle is moving up and down within the axle housing and, no, that is no suppose to happen.

 

Hey, yeah the axle moves in and out like it should because of the retention c clips. but it also moves fwd/aft up/down at the end like there is a gap between the bearing and axle diameter. I don't think this is correct ether though I have had some people say a little is normal (.060 or so) and others say it is not. I do not think it is so I went ahead and ordered the bearings and going to change them out and inspect for damage. If it turns out a waste of time I will still have peace of mind and not worried about being broke down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

 

any update? I’m having the same issue and ford is looking at me like I’m crazy! It wasn’t there 6 months ago. If it wasn’t there before and it is now something had to have changed!!

 

They move in and out quite a bit due to the c clip design. Maybe 1/16”
Up/down/back/forth play is between .005 and .010"