Off topic.Ford explorer noise found

[virgilmobile]

I can't find ANYTHING about this problem on the internet.
3 different Ford explorers.
96-99 years.
From 3 different states.
All with the same differential noise.
A steady increasing noise while accelerating or cruising..Mostly starting at 40mph BUT goes dead quiet on deceleration...
Isolated it and confirmed...Worn inner pinion bearing race...Just on half..the load side...
Now to replace all of them..There cheap.

Half cupped worn inner pinion bearing outer race.

[AZgl1800]

seen it before many decades ago, say about 5 of them...
forget what car/truck it was.

[virgilmobile]

It seems to be the Ford's with the 5.0 and having the 8.8 limited slip dif & disk brakes.Both 2wd and awd.These we're 96,98 and 99 years.
All from 150k to 220k miles.
Found a very small lateral play in the pinion shaft and no preload left on the bearings.
The odd part was the "no noise on deceleration".
Just the load side of the inner pinion race has wear,the unload side is glass smooth.
Bout $100 will take care of this.
Gonna replace the pinion and carrier bearings.

[RockportDave]

Happens when they sit for months. The grease is in bottom of the differential and the exposed parts build a film of rust. When they are driven again the rust is “washed” off by the grease and the parts begin to wear slightly where the rust was.
Had a buddy with a 1989 Chevrolet Impala on his car lot with a noisy differential. It wouldn’t sell because of the noise. It was an ex Air Force vehicle with over 100,000 miles, but apparently sat a lot at the base. I bought for my wife and after 1 year of driving the bearings went out. Installed new bearings and it never made another sound.
Over the course of owning it we put in a new radiator, fuel pump, alternator and heater core and it kept going.
Saw the car a few years after we sold it and the man had over 200,000 miles on it and loved it.
My 2014 Ram 2500 makes a noise between 50 and 60 mph but quiet the rest of the time. It was a 2014 leftover I bought in 2015. Tires also went bad from setting and started coming apart at 30,000 miles. New set of Michelins and it keeps on going.
Dave