Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 8:15pm | IP Logged

Hello all!  I just bought a 2000 Front ier CC 4x2.  It is a nice little truck.  I have noticed a very audible whining noise (sounds like a gear whine) around 48-52 mph.  It completely disappears by 55mph.  It doesn't matter if I am in OD or in 3rd. 

Do the frontiers have any differential problems that might cause this?  I searched on the board but didn't find a whole lot.  Thanks in advance.

Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 11:44pm | IP Logged

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Jglisson;

Welcome to the group.

How long since all the fluids have been changed or the level been checked? The Last whine I heard like that was a Chevy that had water get into the rear end and compromised the lubricant causing excess wear in the differential.

... The Chevy was used to haul a boat in and out of a lake. Hot housing sucked in cold water and the lubricant was never changed. The Fix - Junk-yard rear end.

Posted: Jan 11 2008 at 5:28pm | IP Logged

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Jglisson;

Don't guess about it. Do it to be sure it was done correctly.  But it may be to late.

If you tow or carry loads synthetic oil is a very good idea...

Posted: Jan 12 2008 at 5:50pm | IP Logged

It is just audible - there is no vibration.  I changed the rear differential fluid today - it was clean.  The magnet did have a fair share of metal gunk on it - nothing out of the ordinary.  I would venture to say that the last person who changed the fluid probably sucked out the fluid and didn't pull the actual drain plug.

Like I mentioned earlier, the noise only occurs from 48-52mph.  And it only does it when I am maintaining speed or lightly accelerating. If I let off the gas or step on the gas hard the noise goes away.

It definitely sounds like a gear whine.  I had perforamcne gears in my last Mustang that made a similar noise - but this was only because the gears were performance gears and were known for making a whine.  It also made the noise consistently - not at a set speed range.

It is kinda annoying - because I seem to do 48-52mph everywhere I go.

Posted: Jan 12 2008 at 8:28pm | IP Logged

When a new rear wheel drive vehicle is broken in, it should never be driven at a constant speed for any period of time.  It should be taken up and down in speed for the first thousand miles or so  The reason...if you drive at a constant speed when the gears are new, they will whine throughout the life of the vehicle at that speed.  There is nothing you can really do once these gears are set in this way.    Sounds to me like this is the source of your whine.  This doesn't hurt anything but it is annoying as heck.

Posted: Jan 12 2008 at 10:14pm | IP Logged

Maybe that is the case.  I suppose the only other possibilities are: wheel bearings, transmission output shaft bearing, driveshaft carrier bearing?