If you have done driveshafts on a front wheel drive car HELP

My 2000 windstar is making some loud noises while in motion and gets extremly noisy above 45mph. this is not engine related. anyways sounded a lot like my camaro when it's driveshaft failed. this sounds like a very loud roaring noise then progresses to a very loud clattering noise. I am not overly gamiliar with front wheel drive cars so is this a hard job to change these? I guess this van is also based on a ford taurus drivetrain.

Crank the wheel almost to lock and goose it, if joints bad, you'll definitely hear it.
Advance has them dirt cheap.
When replacing, Have the new one ready for the tranny, so you don't loose a lot of fluid. Suggest a fluid change anyway, new trannies need them.
Straight forward install, just check the bearings while there.

make sure it really is the driveshafts and not the bearings - either part is relatively cheap at the local parts stores but it sure is less expensive to replace only one of the two if only one is needed....

Any odd sounds outta a FWD thing, you first look at the bellows on the 1/2 shafts, typically the outer one fails first....they are typically not that bad to change unless it's a AWD something or other

Like above I just pull the whole thing and change it....

some alignments are 'adjustable' with the two bolts just above the brake assy, on the strut....loosen them and the camber goes all over the joint....so to mark the things really close....I just use white spray paint to witness mark it....swing the silly strut otta the way, sometimes you gotta do the lower BJ...PIA,

the ONE thing I have never understood about FWD, is why they clock 150+ ft lbs on those silly shaft nutz....I just tap them home on the hub and get over with it already....never been a issue....

:beer:

ok you guys talking belows is foreign to me. I do know at road speed if I put the van in neutral the sound stays the same and at that speed I can rev up the engine and it's very quiet.

so does the whole front suspension gotta come apart to do this?

JeffP1167 said:

ok you guys talking belows is foreign to me. I do know at road speed if I put the van in neutral the sound stays the same and at that speed I can rev up the engine and it's very quiet.

so does the whole front suspension gotta come apart to do this?

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NO, not the springs, ...none that I recall, anyway...

maybe 10% of the work in pulling a engine, and that's for BOTH sides....

done in a afternoon, biggest PIA is the fucking 150 ft lbs nutz on the ends there....which like I say is a BS rating for torque....

:club:

mrvette said:

JeffP1167 said:

ok you guys talking belows is foreign to me. I do know at road speed if I put the van in neutral the sound stays the same and at that speed I can rev up the engine and it's very quiet.

so does the whole front suspension gotta come apart to do this?

Click to expand...

NO, not the springs, ...none that I recall, anyway...

maybe 10% of the work in pulling a engine, and that's for BOTH sides....

done in a afternoon, biggest PIA is the fucking 150 ft lbs nutz on the ends there....which like I say is a BS rating for torque....

:club:

Click to expand...

Yup yup, you'll need to buy a big fat socket, and use an extension and jump up and down on it!

I don't know anything about Ford vans, but I was thinking CV joints when I heard FWD. Check to see if the boots are leaking grease, if they are CV joints. Is it worse when you turn?

CV joints are pretty simple to change, check this guy out , he haas a series of little vid easy to follow about this.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMWkrAqhd_k[/ame]

youtube is great, I never thought of it .... also never thought about the possibility the noise could be the wheel bearing. this is for a 2001 mines a 2000 so hoping its the same

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDF74BgYmhw&feature=channel[/ame]

also found this when he spins the bearing by hand that sounds similiar to my highway noise. so maybe just my bearings and not the cv joints.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00z-bYQ-tsQ&feature=related[/ame]

I guess from 99-03 they are they same, guess I need to fix this asap. seems like a easy job though, from video's I've seen mine more leans on wheel bearing noise because its a very loud scraping noise/humming noise but also a clattering noise at the same time. However there has never been any vibration either unless it's just not noticeable, but say at 80-90 you have to vrank the radio up to overcome the sound, also while at say 40 on sharp left turns on a road the noise becomes quieter.

So by the left turn change does it sound like the right wheel would be the area most likely?

one question .... autozone carries these bearing and have timken and duralast bearings the difference between the two is about 12 bucks. which is a better choice if this indeed what my problem is?

OK ... I got the van off the ground and there seems to be no movement of the wheel bearing but when i quik roll the tire back and forth there is a clacking noise coming from the cv joint near the transmission. I can also move this cv just a bit back and forth but the side closest to the wheel I can't move it like that. the other side cv joint doesn't seem to do this.

how do you get the cv joint out of the transmission? Does it just pull out or do things need to be taken apart?

when I rock my wheel back and forth it kinda makes this noise however when van is idling in gear I hear the scraping noise but cant get the front wheels above 20mph becuase a traction light comes on and if you try and speed up the engine it is governed or something and won't go faster.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4i3Oe9ehPY&feature=related[/ame]

Typically the just pull out, sometimes drop fluid, so be prepared....

there is a snap ring on the inner shaft, analagous to our C clips, but it's a snap ring....

honestly I see NO purpose for it, as when attached laterally/axially to the front hub, it's surely not coming outta the tranny....but they have them clips on there for some dumb reason.....bet it's do to assy on the line....

:hissyfit::beer:

okay anybody know how to get the bearing hubs out of the spindle? they must be rusted in place or something. I think ford took 2 or 3 of there stupidist cars and made the windstar out of them. what a pos

JeffP1167 said:

okay anybody know how to get the bearing hubs out of the spindle? they must be rusted in place or something. I think ford took 2 or 3 of there stupidist cars and made the windstar out of them. what a pos

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Does it have 3-4 bolts around the outside edge, with like ears on it?? like a C4 rear hub or maybe a upper BJ on a C3, type thing>> if so, it almost has to flop outta there, maybe a hammer??

hate to think of the alternatives....still think it's CV joints...any grease around the rubber boots?? check the inner folds/pleats of the bellows....they split there...

:shocking::hissyfit:

Most bearings I have done have three bolts on the back side. I take the bolts out and use and air hammer to get it off. Driving a big chisel between the spindle and the bearing to get the bearing loose also works with rusted cars.

Fuelie74 said:

Most bearings I have done have three bolts on the back side. I take the bolts out and use and air hammer to get it off. Driving a big chisel between the spindle and the bearing to get the bearing loose also works with rusted cars.

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3 bolts hold it. it's a hub bearing like a c4 vette. Though one bearing felt ok when I got everything apart and spun just the bearing it was evident that is where the roaring noise what coming from.

this will be a 450.00 repair. put new rotors and pads on it as well.

JeffP1167 said:

Fuelie74 said:

Most bearings I have done have three bolts on the back side. I take the bolts out and use and air hammer to get it off. Driving a big chisel between the spindle and the bearing to get the bearing loose also works with rusted cars.

Click to expand...

3 bolts hold it. it's a hub bearing like a c4 vette. Though one bearing felt ok when I got everything apart and spun just the bearing it was evident that is where the roaring noise what coming from.

this will be a 450.00 repair. put new rotors and pads on it as well.

Click to expand...

Typical rotors and pads near here are maybe 150 bux total....

so a 300 buck bearing/hub??? holy SHIT man....:hissyfit::hissyfit::ill:

total bill almost 400.00