SRAces Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 I have a 2004 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat 4X4 with 216K miles. It has been a wonderful truck for almost 15 years now with very little spent outside of routine maintenance. Camshaft phasers, plugs and throttle body were the biggest expenses. I recently noticed a whine or pitched noise (kind of reminds me of the rear end noise you hear on 18 wheelers at the rear of the tractor. If it's below 80 degrees you don't hear it. Outside temps in the 80s and 90s, you hear it and it's very noticeable when I open the rear slider. I recently had the rear end fluid changed out. That didn't make a difference. I can drive 25 miles to work in the mornings with the outside temps around 78 degrees. All quiet. As soon as I leave work and get over 30-40mph, the whine is back with a steady roar. It does go up and down in pitch with speed. New tires recently put on, but it's no the tires. Leaving work the outside temps are in the 90s. Before I take the truck in and let the dealer do guided discovery, I thought I would ask here for input on the possible cause areas to look at. Thanks! Steve StubbsUSAF (retired)Lake Park, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Check the u-joints for the driveshaft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRAces Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Thanks fuzzymoomoo! I will take it to my local guy and have them check those. It's my 3rd F-150 and I tend to keep them for quite a while before getting a new one. Going to replace it with the new Ranger when it comes out and don't want to have any issues with the F-150 when I sell it. It's been a remarkable truck for me. Engine and transmission are rock solid and it drives like a truck with 30K miles. Hard to complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRAces Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 My local mechanic just called me back and said u-joints would not cause that whine, but if my driveshaft had a center bearing, then that's probably the root cause. How would I know if my truck has the center bearing on the driveshaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 (edited) My local mechanic just called me back and said u-joints would not cause that whine, but if my driveshaft had a center bearing, then that's probably the root cause. How would I know if my truck has the center bearing on the driveshaft? That Im not sure. I only thought of u-joints because my next door neighbor had that happen on his truck (a year newer than yours) and it made the same kind of sound you described. Though now that I read through your post again, it sounds an awful lot like the sound my Dads 95 bronco made while driving. Could be something with the rear gear too, or that bearing you mentioned. We never did get around to diagnosing it before he sold it. Edited July 16, 2018 by fuzzymoomoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 (edited) Crew cab with a standard or long bed likely DOES have a center bearing. It you crawl underneath it is very obvious. Edited July 21, 2018 by theoldwizard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Best think to do is run vehicle on a lift while listening with a stethoscope to the bearings. It should be easy to pinpoint. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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