Hi Guys:Need some sage advice... About a month ago while changing the oil noticed some clean oil leaking from the front differential on a '03 Ford Ranger 4x4. Couple weeks later I started hearing a whining noise, a bearing to my best guess. Put in 6 ounces of 80w90 which is all it took before it started dribbling out the plug. The noise went away -- I had found a semi-steep hill in town it made it before it went away on after I added fluid. Last couple days just putting around town I started to hear the noise again, so I thought I was getting a baseline how fast it was leaking. Truck was warm when I drove it up on blocks, crawled under and opened the plug...and oil started draining out at a decent clip (as fast as 80w90 will drain anyway :) ). So I put the plug in...maybe a tablespoon or two of oil came out, more would've if I let it. In addition to being warmed up this time, I also just drove up on my plastic ramps -- when I filled it I had jacked it up with a floor jack & jack stands, but I don't think it was significantly higher that way or tilted differently. But I swear the noise went away -- I drove up to Worcester & back (~80 miles) and didn't hear the high pitch whine I occassionally heard over the last couple days, or before I topped off the fluid. So now I'm kind of perplexed. I'm not very experienced with mechanical stuff, though I can turn a wrench with good directions (I've replaced timing belts and such) One, have I overfilled the front differential and should I drain the excess when it's warm? Two, maybe it's another bearing going and this is coincidence or something? According to the not-Chiltons-the-other-one (think it starts with an "H") book I have, the wheel bearings are sealed and can't be greased.
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