1999 Ford Explorer 4wd. Screeching at all 4 tires

Hi Ralph.

I do not own a Durango, but have owned many 4WD vehicles and can offer tips for proper usage.

The "L" and "H" after the 4 and 2 stand for "Low" and "High" ranges. The 2 and 4 stand for the number of wheels that can receive power from the engine and transmission. Most 4WD vehicles only provide power to 1 wheel on each axle (front at rear for a total of just 2 wheels powered) at any given time (but for purposes of discussion, we'll call it 2WD & 4WD, as advertised).

Generally, "2WD" is only offered as a High range and is the same as a "normal" 2WD car or truck. I haven't seen a car or small truck that offers 2L (but I haven't seen a Durango - so I don't know), but generally 2WD traction can be increased easily enough by simply shifting the transmission to a lower gear (From "D" to "2" or "2" to "1", etc.).

4WD is designed to provide additional traction whenever 2WD isn't sufficient. This can be when surfaces are slippery such as sand, mud, snow and ice or, when pulling a heavy load such as a trailer and tires are not gripping the surface well. Shifting from 2WD to 4WD High will provide more traction at the same tire speed. Maximum power from the engine does not come at low RPMs, so in order to get more pulling power from the engine with out increasing speed (or spinning tires), the transmission should shifted into a lower gear. This is especially helpful when pulling a trailer up a wet incline, etc. If 4WD High in 1st gear is still allowing tires to spin or not providing enough pulling power, then shifting the transfer case from 4WD High to 4WD Low will allow the engine speed to increase (providing more power) without increasing the speed of the wheels (reducing the chances of spinning tires).

4WD should never be used while operating on dry pavement. Since tires wear at different rates, and turning left or right slows the inside tire and speeds up the outside tire when compared to the rear tires, a certain amount of slip is required. Wet surfaces provide this necessary amount of slip - as does sand, mud, snow, ice, dirt, gravel, etc. You should take the time to see how each selection of High and Low affects engine speed and vehicle speed and how the surface and any trailer further changes traction. With a little experimentation, you'll see how it works and be able to choose the right range with little thought.

Don't forget to have the transfer case & front differential fluids checked and changed as per the manual. Neglecting this simple service intervals can leave you stranded when you need 4WD and can be very expensive to repair.

I hope this helps & good luck!

if you open up your drivers door there will be a sticker inside there that tells you proper tire sizes and proper inflation for front and rear tires

Sounds like a wheel bearing or bearings going bad.

Humming or 'howling' noises are indicative of a bad wheel bearing especially on acceleration.

Good luck on this repair.

Section 00-02: Lifting, Jacking and Spare Tire Stowage 1995 Aerostar, Ranger, Explorer Workshop Manual
TIRE STOWAGE Tire, Spare, Removal, Aerostar If the Aerostar is a standard length vehicle the spare tire is mounted inside to a carrier at the left rear quarter panel. To remove the spare tire, remove the wing nut and plate. A flat tire can be temporarily stowed in the same location.



If the Aerostar is the bus with a standard length body or extended length (all models), the temporary spare tire is stowed at the rear of the vehicle under the body. The Aerostar standard length E-4WD bus spare tire is mounted on the floor.

1. Insert lug nut wrench into the actuator hole and turn counterclockwise until the cable extends to allow the spare tire to be pulled rearward from under the vehicle.

1. Slide spare tire to the rear and remove the retainer from the wheel.

1. To stow cable/retainer with spare tire removed, insert cable fitting into carrier rear wall slot, place wheel retainer against the carrier, and turn lug nut wrench clockwise until slack is removed.

please rate, thanks

Look for a broken trailing arm, or loose bolts or degraded rubber grommets on it. This is a piece of the suspension that goes from the frame to the strut. It holds the strut in place vertically. When broken or loose this truck can bang around back and forth. It could also a a worn out universal joint which can be hard to detect because even the slightest amount of play can cause noises. Perhaps even a loose brake caliper. But the gears in the differential may be becoming worn and sloppy as well. You can check up a rear tire and try moving it back and forth to see how much played there is in the differential and universal joint.

Original Equipment Sizes for 1999 Ford Explorer Limited 4wd Original Equipment Size: 255/70-16
Original Equipment Sizes for 1999 Ford Explorer Original Equipment Size 1: 225/70-15 Original Equipment Size 2: 235/75-15
Thank you for using fixya and good luck

considering its winter the best way is to put some thing in front of front tires and try to move forwards if you cant put it in 4 wheel mode and then try it. if you climb over then axles are engaged.

2006 Ford Truck Explorer
NOTE: The tire pressure sensor training prcedure must be done in an area without radio frequency (RF) noise. RF noise is generated by electrical motor and appliance operation, cell phones, and remote transmitters.

1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
2. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN position three times, ending in the RUN position. Do not wait more than two minutes between each key cycle.
3. Press and release the brake pedal
4. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.

Sequence:
1- Left Front Tire
2- Right Front Tire
3- Right Rear Tire
4- Left Rear Tire

5. Turn the ignition switch from the OFF position to the RUN position three times, ending in the RUN position. Do not wait for more than two minutes between each key cycle.
6. The horn will sound once and the TPMS indicator will flash if train mode has been entered successfully. If equipped, the message center displays "TRAIN LEFT FRONT TIRE." Place the magnet on the valve stem of the LF tire pressure sensor. The horn will sound briefly to indicate that the tire pressure sensor has been recognized by the TPMS module.
7.Within two minutes after the horn sounds, place the magnet on the valve stem of the RF tire pressure sensor. NOTE: If the TPMS module does not recognize any one of the four tire pressure sensors during the tire training procedure, the horn will sound twice and the message center (if equipped) will display "TIRE TRAINING MODE INCOMPLETE." If this occurs, the entire procedure must be repeated from Step 1.
8. Repeat Step 7 for the RR and LR tires. When the tire training procedure is complete, the horn will sound once and the message center (if equipped) will display TIRE TRAINING MODE COMPLETE.

This should help. For now, probably all Fords are like this. And I do not believe that Ford puts sensors in their spares (some GMs do).
Good luck

BAD WHEEL BEARING OR BRAKE CALIPER IS STUCK....PROBABLY CALIPER...

awd and 4wd vehicles can't have 2 different size tires run or it will damage the transfer case,but you should be able to get a new bar i beleive what your talking about is called a torsion bar