Long post but I have run out of ideas (banged head too long) and searched to no avail for answers. Trying to provide as much information.
A little background;
I had Ford replace my rear gears and clutch pack with FRP parts installing 3.55’s replacing the 4.10’s 90 days ago. Complete new bearings using the full Ford kit. Since then I have been hearing a slight squeak when I make a hard right turn at slow speeds. At first I thought it may have just been tire noise (old 4.10 did whine a bit), once I realized the sound was more metal like than tire like I thought it may just be the clutch packs needing to seat but after 60 days the noise was still there and it’s clearly a squeak like metal on metal not suspension bushings or tire rubbing. I did not have this sound before Ford installed the gears and I have had the rear gears changed twice in this car.
I pulled the rear wheels to see if something was rubbing somewhere and found the driver’s side caliper inner pad was about 15% worn while the 3 other pads on the rear were about 50% worn. Pads have been on the car for @ 2 years.
Since the rotors were factory and the LR caliper was apparently not applying evenly I replaced the rotors, pads and calipers. When I removed the RR caliper I discovered a couple shiny spots on the side portion of the caliper where it’s supposed to clear the rotor indicating to me the caliper was rubbing on the rotor. There were no groves just shiny spots so this was not a constant rub and I never heard a constant rubbing sound. I figured I had found the reason for the squeaking. New Rotors, new calipers and I should be good. I figured the rear axles themselves could not have enough play in them to cause the rotor to contact the caliper without something being very wrong so it must be the caliper.
And… the sound is still there when making right turns. I read a post where due to axle play, someone’s rotors were coming in contact with the metal clips that the pads sit on in the calipers and also a couple posts that spoke about wrong axle lengths being put in a car causing issues but nothing about the possibility of the axles getting swapped unintentionally from left to right.
I am also now hearing the whirring sound of rear axle bearings getting louder. The mechanic said I had a lot of tire noise, I thought that’s odd since I didn’t have tire noise before I had the gears changed. My 4.10 gears whined but I did not have the bearing whirr or the squeak I do now.
Searching axle length did not yield much but this thread http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105692&highlight=axles+length
The original Post asks:
I looked at different lengths and can't seem to find a definite answer. Alloy USA lists theirs at 31 11/16" and 32 13/16" (LR & RR respectively) while Moser lists theirs at 31 13/16" and 31 11/16". Dorman has the same sizes as Alloy USA.
I understand this was about the Alloy drivers side axle being short but it’s the only post I could find with dimensions.
SR Performance lists the lengths as 32.81 & 31.68 32 13/16” & 31 11/16”
Moser list’s the Drivers side as 31.687 31 11/16” but the OP stated the 31 13/16” Alloy axle for the Drivers was too short and there were several replied saying to buy the Moser’s.
There is also over an inch difference in length between what this post states the RR axle length is between Moser, Dorman, SRP & Alloy.
Bottom line is I have no idea what the heck the axle lengths are so I here’s my question;
Before I go down a bad path and take the rear apart, I need to understand:
1) If the axle length difference is .125” or 1.125” from left to right and if the difference is .125" is it possible to install the axles in the wrong side? If this was possible I would have a long axle in the RR and due to previously worn bearing patterns, by swapping the axles that could easily cause the axle bearings to now make noise.
2) Are there different thickness spacers/washers that are behind the spider gears the axles go through?
3) Is it possible to switch the right and left spider gears and spacers and allow for the axles to be installed in reverse?
I realize the axle swap is a longshot but if that’s not what happened I really have no idea what was not put back together correctly. If you guys have some idea's I'll either go back to Ford or buy parts and fix it myself. I am not going to mess with the pinion or the carrier bearing shims, if that is a potential cause I will go back to Ford.
If anyone has any input or suggestions of what else to check I am sure open to trying anything.
Thanks,
Scott
A little background;
I had Ford replace my rear gears and clutch pack with FRP parts installing 3.55’s replacing the 4.10’s 90 days ago. Complete new bearings using the full Ford kit. Since then I have been hearing a slight squeak when I make a hard right turn at slow speeds. At first I thought it may have just been tire noise (old 4.10 did whine a bit), once I realized the sound was more metal like than tire like I thought it may just be the clutch packs needing to seat but after 60 days the noise was still there and it’s clearly a squeak like metal on metal not suspension bushings or tire rubbing. I did not have this sound before Ford installed the gears and I have had the rear gears changed twice in this car.
I pulled the rear wheels to see if something was rubbing somewhere and found the driver’s side caliper inner pad was about 15% worn while the 3 other pads on the rear were about 50% worn. Pads have been on the car for @ 2 years.
Since the rotors were factory and the LR caliper was apparently not applying evenly I replaced the rotors, pads and calipers. When I removed the RR caliper I discovered a couple shiny spots on the side portion of the caliper where it’s supposed to clear the rotor indicating to me the caliper was rubbing on the rotor. There were no groves just shiny spots so this was not a constant rub and I never heard a constant rubbing sound. I figured I had found the reason for the squeaking. New Rotors, new calipers and I should be good. I figured the rear axles themselves could not have enough play in them to cause the rotor to contact the caliper without something being very wrong so it must be the caliper.
And… the sound is still there when making right turns. I read a post where due to axle play, someone’s rotors were coming in contact with the metal clips that the pads sit on in the calipers and also a couple posts that spoke about wrong axle lengths being put in a car causing issues but nothing about the possibility of the axles getting swapped unintentionally from left to right.
I am also now hearing the whirring sound of rear axle bearings getting louder. The mechanic said I had a lot of tire noise, I thought that’s odd since I didn’t have tire noise before I had the gears changed. My 4.10 gears whined but I did not have the bearing whirr or the squeak I do now.
Searching axle length did not yield much but this thread http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105692&highlight=axles+length
The original Post asks:
I looked at different lengths and can't seem to find a definite answer. Alloy USA lists theirs at 31 11/16" and 32 13/16" (LR & RR respectively) while Moser lists theirs at 31 13/16" and 31 11/16". Dorman has the same sizes as Alloy USA.
I understand this was about the Alloy drivers side axle being short but it’s the only post I could find with dimensions.
SR Performance lists the lengths as 32.81 & 31.68 32 13/16” & 31 11/16”
Moser list’s the Drivers side as 31.687 31 11/16” but the OP stated the 31 13/16” Alloy axle for the Drivers was too short and there were several replied saying to buy the Moser’s.
There is also over an inch difference in length between what this post states the RR axle length is between Moser, Dorman, SRP & Alloy.
Bottom line is I have no idea what the heck the axle lengths are so I here’s my question;
Before I go down a bad path and take the rear apart, I need to understand:
1) If the axle length difference is .125” or 1.125” from left to right and if the difference is .125" is it possible to install the axles in the wrong side? If this was possible I would have a long axle in the RR and due to previously worn bearing patterns, by swapping the axles that could easily cause the axle bearings to now make noise.
2) Are there different thickness spacers/washers that are behind the spider gears the axles go through?
3) Is it possible to switch the right and left spider gears and spacers and allow for the axles to be installed in reverse?
I realize the axle swap is a longshot but if that’s not what happened I really have no idea what was not put back together correctly. If you guys have some idea's I'll either go back to Ford or buy parts and fix it myself. I am not going to mess with the pinion or the carrier bearing shims, if that is a potential cause I will go back to Ford.
If anyone has any input or suggestions of what else to check I am sure open to trying anything.
Thanks,
Scott