adsm08
Senior Master Grease Monkey
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Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
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- 1987
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- Ford
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Ok, so I do more driveability and streetability (suspension and alignment work) than anything else and rear ends aren't really my thing.
Anyway, I have an 04 Explorer about 210K on the clock, with the IRS 8.8, and the pinion bearing makes some pretty angry noises above 60 MPH.
Here's the issues, I have a pinion install kit already from my previous Explorer that I never got around to rebuilding the rear, it just had gear whine which wasn't a big deal. This pinion bearing will likely be fatal eventually, so I need to deal with it, but the gears have no hint of a whine to them.
At 210,000 miles, would anyone have any reservations about installing just new pinion bearings and using the existing gear set, or should I really spring for new gears. The old Explorer had 3.55s, and this one has 3.73s, so I can't use the set I have, and I'd really like to not spend the money on a gear set if I don't need it.
Anyway, I have an 04 Explorer about 210K on the clock, with the IRS 8.8, and the pinion bearing makes some pretty angry noises above 60 MPH.
Here's the issues, I have a pinion install kit already from my previous Explorer that I never got around to rebuilding the rear, it just had gear whine which wasn't a big deal. This pinion bearing will likely be fatal eventually, so I need to deal with it, but the gears have no hint of a whine to them.
At 210,000 miles, would anyone have any reservations about installing just new pinion bearings and using the existing gear set, or should I really spring for new gears. The old Explorer had 3.55s, and this one has 3.73s, so I can't use the set I have, and I'd really like to not spend the money on a gear set if I don't need it.