cglathar

Truck: 2003 F150 XLT 4x4 5.4L 160K miles

I have a thumping noise coming from up front. Can start hearing it around 30 MPH and it increases in frequency the faster I go. Had the tires rotated and front pads and rotors replaced and noise remained. I figured it was the driver side wheel bearing but when I went to replace it I saw it was the one replaced last year. The passenger side still has the original wheel bearing so I figured it might be that but I decided to take it to a shop to be on the safe side. They told me that is coming internally from the front differential and it should be replaced for $2800. I have an appointment at a shop the specializes in differentials next week for a second opinion but I was wondering if anybody has experienced something similar and knows what the problem might be.

white89gt

First things first.... I would tend to lean towards a CV axle rather than a differential. Are any of your boots torn? Not saying it's not possible to be the diff, but in my experience, it will moan, not thump when it's having issues.

This shop seriously wants 2800 dollars? Highway robbery! You can pick them up for 100 bucks at a junk yard, and have one replaced in an hour or two if it's your first time. If you insist on a new unit, Rock Auto carries them for about 650 dollars reman'd.

River1

$2,800? It would be funny if it wasn't so sad that someone said this with a straight face.

Can you feel anything to go along with the thump or is it just the noise of a thump?

BTW, Ford had a TSB about greasing the front driveshaft slip yoke for a thump noise.

cglathar

Pretty sure $2800 was the "we don't really want to do this price". Inspected the boots when I had the tires off and saw no tears but I am already suspicious that it might be them because they are original. It might be my imagination but I feel like I feel something with the sound but again it could all be in my head.

River1

Any chance the noise you hear would be better described as a click or tick instead of a thump?

akdoggie

I just went on the Hollander site and was looking at the cost of the front axles. Most are between 150 and 350. There are others higher, but they are just gouging the price, considering their miles listed.

If you need a front differential, they are simple to swap. You pull the CV axles, disconnect the vacuum hoses, remove the 4 bolts for the driveline, and 3 bolts for the center assy. It's on the ground. This is a very simple swap out. Just my 02 cents, of course.

2800 for a front differential for a GEN 10? They didn't hold back on you that's for sure. No worse than 3.7 hours to replace 2 rear shocks on a RAV 4. Book calls for 45 minutes to do both. They quoted this to my GF on Thursday, plus they blew the cost of Monroes thru the roof. The struts were 440 for the front, yet cost her 212 delivered from Amazon. The rears were 44 for both, and they wanted 122 for them. Talk about a markup on parts to them. And I thought my old boss was an SOB for some of the costs he wanted to charge. Most shops use 1.43 as a mark up figure locally. My boss was using 1.70 as his mark up. What a rip. These guys, who the hell knows their multiplier, but it's a nasty number, just over double. This shop is a NAPA jobber, so their costs were much lower than the O'Reilly's or AZone selling prices, yet more than 145 more than buying them from the local AZ OR stores. This just floors me on the greed of some businesses.

akdoggie

I forgot to ask this question of the OP. Does the 4x4 work ok on this truck? I ask because of the vacuum system and the internal engagement fork. I've seen where the fork will break and cause a noise similar to what you described. Also the right side tube on the front differential is known to have problems that might be what you are hearing.

JCR 56

Yea, just get a salvage yard unit, just make sure the ratio is the same as the rear.

cglathar

No I can't say that it is a clicking or ticking noise, it honestly sounds like tire out of balance but i had them rotated to make sure it wasn't

cglathar

I think I'm going to go ahead and pick up one from a salvage yard. Do the expedition differentials with the same axle ratio work with the F-150 or do i need to pick up one from an F-150?

I am pretty sure the 4wd drive still works I can hear it engaging when I switch it to 4H and the sound does not change when it is placed in 4H. I agree with the price of mechanics it is pretty ridiculous so I try to do it as much myself. Les Schwab quoted 1300 for brakes and rotors, I did it myself $400.