My problem is also when driving 50-60 miles and above i feel a humming sound and vibration and seems the faster i go the louder it gets. Have change my front bearing/hubs, have new tires but still sounds the same. Having a machanic futher inspect it in the next couple of days. Have a suspicition that it might have something to do with the sway bar but have not yet confirm. Please anyone having this similar problem advice and let us know, thanks in advance.
hard to tell without hearing it but maybe this…
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The description “louder the faster you go” is consistent w/faulty wheel bearings. The only inconsistency is that wheel bearing symptoms are usually described as a “roar” rather than a hum. But what one person calls a hum, another might call a roar. I think worn-out wheel bearings sound like the car is being driven over a roughened surface, like what a paving crew does to the road just before they apply the asphalt, the surface roughening makes the asphalt stick better. In any case, since it wasn’t the front bearings, my guess, either the rear wheel bearings, or the differential. Differentials on the fritz tend to make more of a whirring noise, but could be described as a hum. Isf your Explorer is 4WD, another guess, could be the xfer case too. First step, check differential, xfer case (if 4WD), and transmission fluid levels of course. Sway bar problems typically wouldn’t occur as a humming noise all the time, but in short events, clicks, pops, thumps, etc. Since you are thinking sway bar, good time to check the exhaust system if fully attached to its moorings, doubt that’s the cause, but a loose exhaust system can definitely make weird noises.
No. Why would you think this?
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Additionally, a broken sway bar or broken sway bar links would likely lead to some really nasty left-right oscillations at highway speed. I truly doubt that this noise is related to the sway bar or its links.
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I have had broken as well as no sway bar links and never generated a hum. When I had a broken one, I would get a noise when pulling into my driveway. When it changes struts I had to cut the links off and went with no links at all for a week while new ones were ordered. No hum, no noise, no problem.
Likely the problem is with trans or differential bearings, etc. might be able to test it by coasting in neutral to see if it goes away, I dunno,