I have a 1995 Ford Windstar we bought new and now it is used as an extra car to haul the dogs to the mountains and run misc errands. The dogs love riding in the van and hope to continue doing so. It’s been extremely reliable, in spite of the reputation it earned. The car has 160K miles and for the first time, the transmission is trying to disappoint me. (I think it’s a AX4S) I can feel slop when I grab the inner CV joints and wiggle them up and down. I also now hear the play while driving down the road. The joints themselves don’t have any excessive play, the play appears to be where the inner CV joint enters the transmission. I haven’t removed the axle shaft yet, but I’m wondering if anyone can tell me if the trans output bearings can be changed without removing the trans? I know the seals can be, not sure about the bearings. With all the play I can feel, I’m assuming it’s only a matter of time the seal will start leaking, currently there is no leak what so ever. I also know if I continue to drive this car without doing anything, it will get more expensive to repair. I know the car isn’t worth as much as a trans pull and repair would cost, as I don’t wish to do the work myself, but I am willing to change out the bearing and seals myself if it can be done externally. Who can tell me if this is possible?
Bump
It is far more likely the slop is in the CV joints and not the shaft support bearings…With a vehicle like this, you drive it until it will drive no more…
From the parts diagram, it’s hard to tell what type of bearings are used and how they are installed in the case…But if the seals are not leaking, they can’t be THAT bad…
The transmission bearings are internal. It will need to be pulled and stripped down to replace them.