Koyo carrier and pinion bearings, crush sleeve, pinion nut, seal and marking compound to rebuild or regear a Ford 9.75 inch 12-bolt rear axle.
A whine from under a 2011-or-newer F-150 that rises with speed, gets louder on the gas or on coast, or a rumble that grows when you tow is usually bearings in the Ford 9.75 inch rear axle. ExCel XL-1051-1 is a master bearing kit for the redesigned 2011-and-up 9.75, with Koyo tapered roller bearings for the carrier and pinion plus the small parts you need to do the bearing job or a regear once instead of twice.
The 9.75 is the 12-bolt-cover rear axle Ford uses on heavier F-150 builds. The pinion rides on two tapered bearings held in preload by a crush sleeve and pinion nut, and the carrier rides on two more tapered bearings at the sides. Those four bearings hold the ring and pinion in the exact position the gear pattern was set to. When a pinion bearing pits or the crush sleeve relaxes, the pinion moves under load, the contact pattern wanders and the gears start to sing. Carrier bearings that wear usually rumble rather than whine. Ford reworked the 9.75 for 2011, and the bearings and setup parts for the new axle are different from the 1997-2010 version, which is why this kit is year specific.
Note when the noise happens. Gear and pinion bearing noise changes between drive and coast; carrier bearing noise tends to be steady; wheel bearing noise changes when you swing the truck left and right on a sweeper. Our whine diagnosis guide covers the road test. With the truck parked, grab the yoke and push and pull it. Any clunk means the pinion has lost preload, and tightening the nut will not save the bearings. On 2011-up trucks, also look for gear oil on the inside of the rear wheels from a plugged vent; our Ford 9.75 problems guide explains that one.
XL-1051-1 is listed for the 2011-and-up Ford 9.75 inch rear axle with the 12-bolt cover, mainly F-150 from 2011 through 2023, and the fitment table also lists some 2011-2014 Expedition trims. It will not fit a 1997-2010 9.75. For those trucks use the Koyo R9.75FRL bearing kit for 1999.5-2010 or the Ford 9.75 master overhaul kit for 2000-2010. Ford changed several parts along the way, so read the axle tag on the cover bolt or the axle code on the door sticker, count the cover bolts (the 8.8 has 10), and if you are unsure send us your year and VIN.
The kit carries Koyo tapered bearings for both carrier positions and the front and rear pinion positions, the pinion seal, a crush sleeve, a new pinion nut, ring gear bolts, thread-locking compound, a cover gasket or RTV, gear marking compound and a brush for reading the pattern.
Drive gently for the first few hundred miles if new gears went in, and avoid towing until the pattern has seated.
| Part number | |
| Axle | |
| Bearing brand | |
| Pinion preload | |
| Includes | |
| Weight |
No. This kit is for the 2011-and-up 9.75. Ford changed the bearings and setup parts for 2011, so 1997-2010 trucks need a kit made for the earlier axle, such as the R9.75FRL bearing kit.
Koyo tapered roller bearings for both carrier bearing positions and the inner and outer pinion bearings, along with the seal, crush sleeve, pinion nut, ring gear bolts and setup supplies.
No. A crush sleeve is a one-time part and the nut is meant to be replaced. Both come in this kit, which is how preload stays where you set it.
Not always. If the old ring and pinion show a clean pattern and no pitting, they can go back in with new bearings, but they have to be set up again. If the teeth are pitted or scored, replace the gears in the same job.
If it is a 2011-or-newer F-150 with the 9.75 axle and the whine changes between throttle and coast, worn pinion bearings are the most likely cause and this kit covers them. Confirm it is not a wheel bearing first.
