Possible rear end noise

oconnellsj

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I have a noise and vibration which as near as I can tell sounds like it might be coming from the rear ( hard to tell for sure either the exhaust). While looking under the car I happened to notice a support or dampener which bolts to the bottom of the differential right under the drive shaft. Even though the bolts are tight I can / push up and down about and inch or more and wiggle it front to back. My questions are:
1. What is this part?
2. Is it supposed to move the way it does?
3. Can it be responsible for a noise and vibration while driving?
 
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Paladin1001

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That is a dampener, its not uncommon for the rubber inside it to dry rot and allow it to move around. I haven't ever had one make noise and i have taken it off before with no ill effects. I'm sure you can find one in a junkyard for little money to replace it to see if that's your noise. More than likely tho the noise is coming from your exhaust system. The rubber mounts tend to let go and the system can move causing all kinds of noise. I would check all those hangers first.
 

96blak54

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Welcome to the site Oconnellsj! Im glad you made a post!

I dont think i could cover anymore info. Paladin1001 pretty much summed it up... sharp guy he is!

My suggestion, get the tools ready and crawl under the car. Man handle stuff. Move things around. Then go buy new parts. Its what we all do and you know darn good and well, you want to do it too!
 
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oconnellsj

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Thanks all for the posts, I did remove it and between that and replacing the front wheel bearings things seem quieter (relative). Still have some vibration which feel like it mY be from the middle of the car so I’m looking to replace my drive line U-joints. My friend is trying to convince me to go with an aluminum drive shaft at the same time so we shall see.


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evilcw311

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Thanks all for the posts, I did remove it and between that and replacing the front wheel bearings things seem quieter (relative). Still have some vibration which feel like it mY be from the middle of the car so I’m looking to replace my drive line U-joints. My friend is trying to convince me to go with an aluminum drive shaft at the same time so we shall see.


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If your gonna do the u joints and if the price is manageable then you might as well.


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PinkieT

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I bought the Summit brand aluminum driveshaft. It came in a Summit box but had a Ford Racing parts number on it. Same part, $40 cheaper price.
 

TheOdessa

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Had this same issue and it ended up being the pinion gear had failed in the rear. That’s when I ended up getting a gear swap done and just redid the whole rear end.

Does the noise you hear like a groaning noise? My pinion gear was so bad that if I let it go much longer it would probably have grenaded my rear. The joys of older cars. Had the same issue on an old explorer sport from 99 I owned which is why I figured the same thing happened on the mustang.

The rubber piece you’re talking about is a dampener or also referred to as a dog bone. It soothes the vibrations and noise caused by the stock drive shaft. It’s normal to have the slight play in it as you described.

I got a FRPP aluminum drive shaft for the extra benefits of weight and less strain on the motor to turn it. Removed the dampener and no issue.

The only other thing that I can think of that will cause vibrations and noise is the transmission mount. The stock one is rubber and over time it wears and fails. It’s subjected to a lot of vibration and just like motor mounts will eventually fail. Use a Ford OEM mount if you find out it’s dry rotted or cracked or damaged. Don’t go with a cheap auto parts special. Been there and it sucked. Support the trans with a jack and swap the mount. Extremely easy to do.

Good luck.


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oconnellsj

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I think the rear end is ok, as I had it rebuilt when I did the gear upgrade. I crawled under the car and tried to shake the drive shaft, and though it doesn’t appear to have a lot of play I think after 20 years the joints are probably ready for replacing. I also have developed a leak in the rear shaft seal so whether I do the unprintable or the whole drive shaft I’ll be replacing the seal as well. Hadn’t thought about the trans mount but I’ll take a look at it.


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