Those of you with RDU woes….

[redbucky2022]

Those of you with RDU chatter… read this and make this repair at your discretion. I made the choice to go against the grain, I’m putting it out there for those that are out of warranty and don’t want to fork out 5k for an RDU….. again DO THIS AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION… I hold no responsibility for anyone who unwilling voids their warranty.

Had all the fluids in my 22 BB changed at the dealer at 20k miles to clear out any break in material. Almost immediately I started getting chatter. Brought it back and they claimed there “was an issues with the fluid they used and changed it again”. A year later and now at 38k miles the chatter has returned. My local dealer is almost 3 weeks backed up and yes I have an extended warranty…. But I got sick of the waiting andwarranty game and decided to take matters into my into my own hands. I had an F250 with limited slip that would chatter after 30 to 40k worth of driving. Changed the fluid and used the OEM additive and never had that issue again. So I decided to apply this same concept to my Sport..

See pics and part numbers below.

Did the same on my Sport and it’s the smoothest it’s ever engaged and turned since the day I bought it new and the chatter went away within a few miles of driving.

Mix the full bottle of Friction Modifier with the full quart of RDU fluid and shake it good. Drain your RDU and fill it back up with this mixture.

The entire process took 10 mins.

1- 75 W RDU Fluid from Dealer
1-XL-3 Friction Modifier from Dealer
1- 12.99 Fluid Hand Pump from Auto Zone.

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[Cursed Bronco]

With this, and that other post about the torque converter fluid as well, I might be finally running smooth. I am currently waiting on the RDU fix, though. I suspect mine is completely fried at this point, however, because it has gotten noticeably worse.

 

[Kraken1]

What is RDU? I looked it up and it says it's an airport code.

 

[ATLAS BLUE BADLANDS]

What is RDU? I looked it up and it says it's an airport code.

The rear end................ Rear Drive Unit............

 

[Gnomad]

Did you get the updated vent hose installed?
I'm thinking this would be good preventative maintence. Ours started the chatter about 3K miles on the wrong side of the warranty, and when I took it to the dealer with the TSB they said yep, that's it, $582 OTD for the new vent hose, if they could get one. But they told me it's not available from Ford and no ETA. I said well at least change the fluid and they didn't seem all that inclines to do so. No sense of urgency at all. After they did change it the chatter went away. But still they could have done an emergency order with Ford and they did not do that.

 

[redbucky2022]

Did you get the updated vent hose installed?
I'm thinking this would be good preventative maintence. Ours started the chatter about 3K miles on the wrong side of the warranty, and when I took it to the dealer with the TSB they said yep, that's it, $582 OTD for the new vent hose, if they could get one. But they told me it's not available from Ford and no ETA. I said well at least change the fluid and they didn't seem all that inclines to do so. No sense of urgency at all. After they did change it the chatter went away. But still they could have done an emergency order with Ford and they did not do that.

I didn’t even know they had an updated vent hose until you mentioned it. I seem to be doing well with just the fluid switch and additive. If it was popping seals or seeping I’d look into the updated vent but I think ford is looking for bandages. Honestly, I think if they had run the additive from the start they wouldn’t have these issues.

 

[Gnomad]

I can't see any downside to your additive solution, so I will look into it.
Ford seems to have left owners open to some large and unneeded repair bilss.

 

[redbucky2022]

6 months later…. Absolutely ZERO chatter or 4x4 engagement issues. Hope others have tried this trick and had the luck I’ve had.

 

[apalya3]

Just changed mine out with the fluid and friction modifier. My 2021 badlands has just under 18k miles and just started to get the creaking sound under slow turns. After changing the fluid, the noise was gone before I got out of the driveway. Although Ford says it's related to the vent, my opinion is that the noise is caused by break-in, as the drain plug magnet had a good mound of material on it. There was no evidence of moisture in the fluid. Just my opinion. we will see if the noise returns. Thank you for posting this quick-fix, as I was getting irritated with the noise. Well worth the $60 or so and the time spent!

 

[Bill G]

Did you get the updated vent hose installed?
I'm thinking this would be good preventative maintence. Ours started the chatter about 3K miles on the wrong side of the warranty, and when I took it to the dealer with the TSB they said yep, that's it, $582 OTD for the new vent hose, if they could get one. But they told me it's not available from Ford and no ETA. I said well at least change the fluid and they didn't seem all that inclines to do so. No sense of urgency at all. After they did change it the chatter went away. But still they could have done an emergency order with Ford and they did not do that.

Yeah, when I told dealer to change all the fluids (trans, ptu, rdu, brakes) at 30,000 they really didn’t want to and tried to talk me out of it (they only wanted to do trans and brakes). I told them it was “my dime” and I wanted the work done — it got done.

 

[Me3]

Yeah, when I told dealer to change all the fluids (trans, ptu, rdu, brakes) at 30,000 they really didn’t want to and tried to talk me out of it (they only wanted to do trans and brakes). I told them it was “my dime” and I wanted the work done — it got done.

Sound thinking considering all the issues going on with these vehicles. I’m curious how much that cost, and did you have them add the friction modifier?

 

[Bill G]

Sound thinking considering all the issues going on with these vehicles. I’m curious how much that cost, and did you have them add the friction modifier?

All-in, about $1000. But, at 76 w/medical issues and no place to work on it myself — a necessity. Since I have extended warranty I have Ford do the work — avoid’s finger pointing, and if I divide the cost over the four years of ownership it’s not too bad (ha ha ha).

 

[Me3]

Thanks Bill, I'm in pretty much the same situation, and planning ahead to keep this car running for a good long while.
Preventative maintenance is getting expensive, like everything else.

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