Rubbing sound in rearend bearings - 1998 Ford Windstar

If it were the prop, you have vibration at high speeds/out of balance. Look at the back of both wheels. If one has oil around where the rearend meets the backing plate, bad axle bearings.

Did you check to see if inside bearings where good and have you checked oil in rearend. Also could be punkin.

If it did not have oil it would make the noise going straight. Check your brakes and the wheel bearings for play. Oil should be a GL5 70-90 wt gear oil.

Sounds like you have either ball joint issues, or problems with the CV joints. The other possibility is a problem in the transfer case causing the front axle to bind. You can physically look at the CV joint boots to see if they are torn open and many times you can grab onto the axle and give it a good tug to see if it will move..it should not.

sound like something catching on the wheel or something in the tyre, if it was a bearing it would rubbing sound constant, could be the splash guard catching, any accident can cause movement and could catch, jack the wheel up and spin it look in the tread, test bearing hands 12 to 6 and 3 to 9 and wiggle the wheel any excessive movement it could be the bearing or the lower ball joint. you need a 10mm gap disc and splash guard, if the gap is too small bent it back. .

Sounds like rear pinion bearings or the ring and pinion is worn and causing the problem, sometimes you may be better off to find a lower mileage used rear carrier unit, they typically come with a warranty, be sure to use recommended fluid.

1st sugestion rotate tyres & see if sound moves to front or disapears

Sounds like bearing or bearing are gone out. Jack up vehicle, check fluid level. Grab one wheel and spin it, listening for noise from wheel bearing area and the rear end. If no noise, spin other wheel listening for noise from that wheels bearing.

If it's a heavy grinding you are hearing, it's rear end.

sounds like a bad rear wheel bearing to me. Did someone maybe hit a curb??

have your rear brakes checked and your diferential fluid it might also be a rear bearing hope this helps