what % 03 have soft axle problem?

Mote

Mote

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My '03 300A has 44K miles. It was built in Aug '02. What are the odds it has the soft axle issue? I will (hopefully) soon be putting 4:10's in, and I keep wondering if I really should save up for axles too and do them both.
 
Mote said:
My '03 300A has 44K miles. It was built in Aug '02. What are the odds it has the soft axle issue? I will (hopefully) soon be putting 4:10's in, and I keep wondering if I really should save up for axles too and do them both.
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If you haven't experienced the issues yet, leaking seals, noise, etc. I'd say your MM wasn't affected.
 
I don't no when mines was made but I replace my axles at 88xxx and again at 130xxx.... The last time put gear in and I haven't had a problem yet.. Knock on wood.... both times the seal went bad..
 
Smalldogg/03mm said:
I don't no when mines was made but I replace my axles at 88xxx and again at 130xxx.... The last time put gear in and I haven't had a problem yet.. Knock on wood.... both times the seal went bad..
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Check the label on the driver's side door. It will have the build date.
 
The Blackbird (built in August of '02) started to develop the issue at about 34,xxx. It was only discovered when I had the 4.10s installed, but I was able to get it covered under warranty.

The issue supposedly only affects cars built before January of '03. Phoebe was built in May of '03, and the passenger side axle went south at 130,000 miles, while the driver's side was still fine. Not sure if this was related to the issue in question as the mileage was so high, but there it is...
 
RF Overlord said:
The Blackbird (built in August of '02) started to develop the issue at about 34,xxx. It was only discovered when I had the 4.10s installed, but I was able to get it covered under warranty.

The issue supposedly only affects cars built before January of '03. Phoebe was built in May of '03, and the passenger side axle went south at 130,000 miles, while the driver's side was still fine. Not sure if this was related to the issue in question as the mileage was so high, but there it is...
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I am a Mercury Man, but this has me worried. My Marauder has only 70,000 miles on it and I did change the differential gear oil at 45,000 miles. My 1968 Mercury, my first car, has over 200,000 miles on it and the axles were never in question. The 1968 has a 9 inch rear axle assembly and the gear oil was replaced at approximately 120,000 miles.

These newer 8.8 inch rear axle assemblies appear to have significant problems. Following failure of the 8.8 inch axle assembly, a recommendation on the Bronco site discusses using the older 9 inch rear axle assemblies as a replacement.

Jim
 
Passenger side was gone when I bought my Marauder 5 months ago and was making a heck of a ruckus, driver side was on its way out. My car at that time had 48K on the clock. She was built late June 2002.
 
JimmyXR7 said:
These newer 8.8 inch rear axle assemblies appear to have significant problems. Following failure of the 8.8 inch axle assembly, a recommendation on the Bronco site discusses using the older 9 inch rear axle assemblies as a replacement.

Jim
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Yup unless you can build enough HP to twist a axle(fairly easy with the 28 spline units)the old 9 inchers just don't fail... It's the Shi**y design of the 8.8" that uses the axle as a inside bearing race that causes problems... Loose a axle bearing on a 9" & 99.9% of the time, all you need is the bearing...

I've had to replace 8.8" axles on Turbo Coupes, but lucky my Marauder is still quiet and it's one of the early ones...
 
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I believe the original owner had my axles replaced already. I have 34xxx on it now. No problems so far. I plan on installing some 4.10's soon. Hopefully all will b good when I go in
 
My axles were pitted when I did the gears at 40k miles. I eventually changed the axles at 65k miles due to a noise. My build date is May 31st 2002.
 
Mine was built May 29 2002. Still quite but only has 17K. What sort of noise does it make when they start to go? Grinding, chirping, something else?
 
Mr. Man said:
Mine was built May 29 2002. Still quite but only has 17K. What sort of noise does it make when they start to go? Grinding, chirping, something else?
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Mine sounded like a scuffing noise. The best way I can describe it is like when a brake rotor is on a brake lathe and it hits that "not so true" spot. Like a "scuff scuff miss...scuff scuff miss.."

Passenger side was brutally pitted, drivers side showed signs of uneven wear. It seems to me that most people noticed it on the passenger side more than driver side, but I could be wrong.
 
My passenger side went around 70k miles.
Axle seal went, and when they opened it up, the shaft was shot.
 
Mote said:
My '03 300A has 44K miles. It was built in Aug '02. What are the odds it has the soft axle issue? I will (hopefully) soon be putting 4:10's in, and I keep wondering if I really should save up for axles too and do them both.
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Probably about 100% chance.
 
I better start shopping for axles then. I'll wait to do the 4:10's until I can do both. I can get the FMS-4210-C install kit and get them both done. Arg.
 
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