Damaged Pinion? HELP!
I don't know whats going on really....but heres the story.
Bought the car with 9k miles on it from the dealer a year ago its an 02'.
The previous ower was an xcop/Ford Tech who installed FRPP 4:10 gears. Everyone said he was anal about the car.
anyway....I started driving it and noticed how squirrly it was in the rear when you gave it the gas the whole rear end would sway side to side. So for safety reasons I installed Steeda's aluminum upper and lower rear control arms and Eibach sportline springs. After doing so The rear end felt 110% better with zero sway no matter how I drove it. The only problem was that now I felt a high speed vibration at 117mph...not 116 and not 118 just 117mph. I brought it to the dealer and dropped it off telling them that it simply had a high speed vibration and that the pinion seal was leaking.
Their Tech took it for a test drive but only brought it upto 65mph and found no such drivetrain noise. I said ok would you like to go for a ride and he said sure. I brought the car up to 117mph and he felt the vibration and had to lean over to see the speedometer and said yeah but we are doing 117mph!
So long story short the service manager said that could be considered abuse and wouldnt fix the vibration. I explained I dont drive a 117mph but felt it once and it concerned me and the only reason I did it again was to show the tech I wasnt crazy or making things up....again he said abuse...so I dropped it.
Then 3rd gear synchro blew out and under the TSB they rebuilt the tranny and replaced the pinion seal even though I put on a FRPP aluminum driveshaft thinking maybe it was the driveshaft causing it. The driveshaft took care of all the low speed vibrations but not this high speed one. well a few thousand miles later and that new seal is spewing gear oil everywear and now the vibration starts at 90mph and does not go away. 10k more miles and now its making a howling noise all the time. We put it up on jack stands and popped the diff cover...everything looks good no metal...we are stumped. My buddy says well start it up and put it in gear so we can make sure the noise is coming from the rear end. So I take it up to 3rd and he says woah woah! He said he was watching the driveshaft go up and down because either the pinion bearing is destroyed or the yoke is bent or something up front of the diff is broken.
The car is no longer under warranty. I really dont want to bring it to Ford and pay $85hr. Is this a job I can do? I have everything but a lift at my disposal. I just dont have any knowledge of rearends.
Thanks for any ideas.... have you guys had simular issues? Who would you bring it to? Do it myself? A local shop? or bite the bullet and let some kid at Ford do it?
I don't know whats going on really....but heres the story.
Bought the car with 9k miles on it from the dealer a year ago its an 02'.
The previous ower was an xcop/Ford Tech who installed FRPP 4:10 gears. Everyone said he was anal about the car.
anyway....I started driving it and noticed how squirrly it was in the rear when you gave it the gas the whole rear end would sway side to side. So for safety reasons I installed Steeda's aluminum upper and lower rear control arms and Eibach sportline springs. After doing so The rear end felt 110% better with zero sway no matter how I drove it. The only problem was that now I felt a high speed vibration at 117mph...not 116 and not 118 just 117mph. I brought it to the dealer and dropped it off telling them that it simply had a high speed vibration and that the pinion seal was leaking.
Their Tech took it for a test drive but only brought it upto 65mph and found no such drivetrain noise. I said ok would you like to go for a ride and he said sure. I brought the car up to 117mph and he felt the vibration and had to lean over to see the speedometer and said yeah but we are doing 117mph!
So long story short the service manager said that could be considered abuse and wouldnt fix the vibration. I explained I dont drive a 117mph but felt it once and it concerned me and the only reason I did it again was to show the tech I wasnt crazy or making things up....again he said abuse...so I dropped it.
Then 3rd gear synchro blew out and under the TSB they rebuilt the tranny and replaced the pinion seal even though I put on a FRPP aluminum driveshaft thinking maybe it was the driveshaft causing it. The driveshaft took care of all the low speed vibrations but not this high speed one. well a few thousand miles later and that new seal is spewing gear oil everywear and now the vibration starts at 90mph and does not go away. 10k more miles and now its making a howling noise all the time. We put it up on jack stands and popped the diff cover...everything looks good no metal...we are stumped. My buddy says well start it up and put it in gear so we can make sure the noise is coming from the rear end. So I take it up to 3rd and he says woah woah! He said he was watching the driveshaft go up and down because either the pinion bearing is destroyed or the yoke is bent or something up front of the diff is broken.
The car is no longer under warranty. I really dont want to bring it to Ford and pay $85hr. Is this a job I can do? I have everything but a lift at my disposal. I just dont have any knowledge of rearends.
Thanks for any ideas.... have you guys had simular issues? Who would you bring it to? Do it myself? A local shop? or bite the bullet and let some kid at Ford do it?
...I guess Ford should of put a speed limiter on since the dealerships are only going to warrantee "speed limit driving"...Like you said, it's not like you tear out of your driveway at 117mph to head down to 7eleven...
