Ford Mustang (1999-2004) Service Manual: Gear Howl and Whine

Howling or whining of the ring gear and pinion is due to an incorrect gear pattern, gear damage or incorrect bearing preload.

Wheel Hub or Axle Flange Face Runout
NOTE: If the axle shaft assembly is removed, check runout of the shaft itself. The forged (unmachined) part of the shaft is allowed to have as much as 3.0 mm (0.120 inch) runout. This alone will not ...

Bearing Whine
Bearing whine is a high-pitched sound similar to a whistle. It is usually caused by worn/damaged pinion bearings, which are operating at driveshaft speed. Bearing noise occurs at all driving speeds. ...

Other materials:

Rear Drive Axle and Differential
  The axle housing assembly consists of a cast center section with two steel tube assemblies and a stamped differential housing cover (4033). The differential housing cover uses silicone sealant as a gasket. The hypoid-design gearset consis ...

Removal
CAUTION: Suspension fasteners are critical parts because they affect performance of vital components and systems and their failure can result in major service expense. A new part with the same part number must be installed if installation becomes necessary. ...

Removal
1. Remove the differential assembly from the differential housing. For additional information, refer to Differential Case in this section. 2. CAUTION: Record the torque necessary to maintain rotation of the drive pinion gear through several revolutions prio ...