Hello, everyone. I'm new here. Here's a video of what the axle is doing.
I'm a mobile mechanic who mostly works on Japanese vehicles, so I'm not overly familiar with Ford. A customer came in with a complaint of a grinding noise, like something was being dragged under their car. Happened mostly when braking, or turning.
My first guess was wheel bearing, but during my inspections, I saw that the sound was actually coming from the driver side axle. The thing that concerns me the most, however, is that the CV axle has an insane amount of play, more than I've ever seen.
This leads me to believe that the axle/differential bearing has worn out, but the issue is, I can't find any literature on how to replace this bearing, and it's not like a normal differential where you can open it up and service the gears/bearings if need be. I don't wanna take it all apart just to find there's a lip in the way and I can't get it out with a slide hammer, or that you need to remove the transmission to press a new bearing in, or something else like that.
It should be noted that the ball joint was also extremely worn out. I've advised the customer to find alternative transportation until they have the funds to get it worked on.
So, in the meantime, I figured I'd come here and ask you guys what you think. Has anyone done this job before, and if so, how is it done? Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for? What are the consequences of not replacing this bearing, so I can tell my client in more detail how urgent it is to get this done? The customer wants to know in particular if we can get away with replacing the axle, the axle seal, and the ball joint, but not the bearing, if the bearing isn't serviceable. Anything at all that you could tell me would be an enormous help.
Thank you very much.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/MfTirajhoEQ?si=RSw7DyVEfp_VCWvW

That looks like it's been ran dry.

 

10 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

That looks like it's been ran dry.

 

Alright. What do you do about that?

I'd say you probably need to source a new transmission

The driveshaft should just pull out

8 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

I'd say you probably need to source a new transmission

The driveshaft should just pull out

You genuinely think that the differential can't be serviced in any way, shape, or form, even if the transmission is pulled?

4 hours ago, AlekAuto said:

You genuinely think that the differential can't be serviced in any way, shape, or form, even if the transmission is pulled?

The use of a 'Flux Capacitor' could help you go back to a time when it wasn't broke 😉

1 hour ago, unofix said:

The use of a 'Flux Capacitor' could help you go back to a time when it wasn't broke 😉

If I had a time machine, I would go back and prevent Ford from making transmissions with non-serviceable differentials. The DPS6 is a crime. Even beyond the recalls and lawsuits, it's just a huge middle finger that says "F-you, take it to a dealership, you don't have the right to repair your own vehicle, give us $30k".
Remember when Fords were at least easy to work on?