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Safety Recall 22S27 Rear Axle Bolt Fractures

Dale5403

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Anyone taken delivery of a 2023 yet? Wonder if this has been fixed or I should be preemptively installing an AWR-E3301?
I've seen posts on new deliveries having the 4 bolt rear sub frame. You may want to wait on the AWR.
 

Delmustator

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I've seen posts on new deliveries having the 4 bolt rear sub frame. You may want to wait on the AWR.
I'm definitely gonna crawl under it and check it. I'll report what I find.
 

Cajun Heat

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If someone was to order a new bolt and send it in maybe? Would be willing to pay just can be bothered to set it up with ARP.
I was thinking the same thing. Will try to find the part number today for the factory bolt, but if anyone knows it offhand that would help. I might be able to get it local and then send it to ARP.
 

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Here's a pic of the paperwork from Ford with part numbers. Looks like there are a few part numbers for bolts. Looks like there's a campaign card bolt number which is probably the revised bolt used in the recall.
 

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Cajun Heat

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Here's a pic of the paperwork from Ford with part numbers. Looks like there are a few part numbers for bolts. Looks like there's a campaign card bolt number which is probably the revised bolt used in the recall.
Looks like both of the bolts listed on your invoice are related to the driveshafts.
 

Boss240

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Looks like both of the bolts listed on your invoice are related to the driveshafts.
Look towards the bottom. There are 3 different part numbers. The two listed up top are probably for the axle cover and driveshaft.
 

Cajun Heat

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Look towards the bottom. There are 3 different part numbers. The two listed up top are probably for the axle cover and driveshaft.
Ahh, I didn't see that. Thank you as that matches @Mekks082 ebay link.

My wife often gets on me for not being able to find things right in front of my face.;)
 

Boss240

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Hopefully ARP will produce a bolt for us who will probably never get a proper fix from Ford.
 

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Here's a pic of the paperwork from Ford with part numbers. Looks like there are a few part numbers for bolts. Looks like there's a campaign card bolt number which is probably the revised bolt used in the recall.
So is it safe to assume that vehicles manufactured after the recall have the "revised" bolt that is presumably higher quality than the ones that were breaking?
 

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I would assume after the recall came out they replaced all bolts on unsold vehicles first
 

TheNorth

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ARP didn't return my message again, so I called them. They say there was never anything produced for the Explorer and that the stud used in the picture must have been an ARP stud modified by a 3rd party and installed on an Explorer. They had zero interest in producing a stud after explaining the problem we are trying to solve. They said a one-off custom unit could be made through their custom orders department, but they would need the dimensions of the factory bolt and would quote out cost at that time.
 

Cajun Heat

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ARP didn't return my message again, so I called them. They say there was never anything produced for the Explorer and that the stud used in the picture must have been an ARP stud modified by a 3rd party and installed on an Explorer. They had zero interest in producing a stud after explaining the problem we are trying to solve. They said a one-off custom unit could be made through their custom orders department, but they would need the dimensions of the factory bolt and would quote out cost at that time.
I have also been discussion this with them through emails. I send the the dimensions for the Ford factory bolt and also told them that I will ship one to them so that they can reference it. Waiting on a reply.
 

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Maybe there are other companies who would also look into producing something for us. Unbroken knows the owner of ID Speed who makes the axle brace with upgraded bolts. If they are willing to look into it more we might be able to get it made if ARP doesn't come through.
 

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As far as the "fix it with a better bolt" idea- that's a band-aid. I think you're addressing the wrong problem from an engineering perspective. I have seen pics of bolts snapped- meaning they were subjected to enough force to actually break them. I've also seen pics of bolts that seem to be bent. It's actually possible that any replacement bolt from Ford has been designed to bend rather than break so as to contain the rear diff and minimize damage.

Under both of these scenarios, that bolt is held in plane by a high durometer bushing. You can't convince me that the bolt broke before that bushing absorbed some fairly large rotational movement of the rear differential prior to the failure. I highly doubt given the current bushing that an "upgraded" bolt will solve the problem. I'd instead go for the AWR or ID speed brace which provides another bushed mounting point as well as balancing the load horizontally across the rear of the diff.

You should also try to eliminate wheel hop- the violent wind-up followed by an unwind event will break just about anything.
 

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Cajun Heat

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As far as the "fix it with a better bolt" idea- that's a band-aid. I think you're addressing the wrong problem from an engineering perspective. I have seen pics of bolts snapped- meaning they were subjected to enough force to actually break them. I've also seen pics of bolts that seem to be bent.

Under both of these scenarios, that bolt is held in plane by a high durometer bushing. You can't convince me that the bolt broke before that bushing absorbed some fairly large rotational movement of the rear differential prior to the failure. I highly doubt given the current bushing that an "upgraded" bolt will solve the problem. I'd instead go for the AWR or ID speed brace which provides another bushed mounting point as well as balancing the load horizontally across the rear of the diff.

You should also try to eliminate wheel hop- the violent wind-up followed by an unwind event will break just about anything.
Do you have anything that you would recommend to reduce/eliminate wheel hop?
 

TMac

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Do you have anything that you would recommend to reduce/eliminate wheel hop?
First would be not launch as violently (yeah, nobody wants to hear that). Put on less sticky, or way more sticky tires (you probably don't want to hear that either!) Barring that, you'd have to find some way to lower the amount of deflection in all the suspension pieces related to rotational movement.

Let's face it, the average ST has nearly 160 lbs of wheel and tire in the rear plus the mass of the brake rotors. When that mass loads and then unloads all the various bushings meant to give you a somewhat silent and cushy ride, something has to give.
 

Cruising68

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I’m guessing with the two bolts you are virtually eliminating that rotational stress on the bolt and bushing by spreading it across two points. Also guessing that significantly reduces the deflection in the bushings as rotational force would result in upward movement of one bushing and downward movement of the other, no?


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