Gear Like Noise While Driving (No matter turning left or right)

[STBlanco]

Good morning, was driving my 2020 ST to work this morning and pulling out of my neighborhood I noticed a very quiet subtle noise coming from the passenger front, so quiet I had to actually listen for it but it was there. It sounded as if gears were touching together and rolling, or a better explanation would be if you put something in the wheel of your bike when you were a kid like a playing card. Same thing as if it were on a bike, I accelerate and the noise would speed up, slow down and the noise would slow down only could hear it between 15-50 mph, when I got to work I took a look and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, nothing caught in the wheel or brakes, no flung up fluid, nothing dripping, I’m concerned if it’s the front drive unit or “diff” being dry or a bearing going bad? Maybe a CV Axle? I’m a forklift mechanic, so I don’t see many things as would be on these newer cars, but it’s not whining, growling, screeching, and can’t hear anything when I roll the windows down and drive, just sounds like it’s in the floor board, driving doesn’t feel weird or funny neither does braking. Any ideas? Going to check it out on my lunch break just curious if anyone else has experienced this.

 

[STBlanco]

I should also note that there is no clunking, no pops, no slipping, no wobble in the steering wheel, also another way to explain the noise is a roller coaster going up the constant and consistent “click click click” but it follows the speed of the wheel, as stated when I accelerate or slow down the noise follows

 

[2020FordRaptor]

The clicking is a result from improperly torqued axle nuts.

 

[STBlanco]

During my lunch break I climbed under and checked the front differential fluid, looked black, put some fluid in it and it wouldn’t go away. (It took a little less than half a quart so it was very low) Forgot about it and left to go home and it went away MOSTLY, not all the way, can still hear a creak, pops, and still as stated before just not as loud, either I have a leak somewhere, or it’s never been serviced, I just noticed it this morning it could’ve been making the noise longer because it was super faint this morning, only noticed it because I wasn’t playing any music, get home sharp left turns, sharp right turns in the cul-de-sac and I hear no popping, no signs of a CV Axle, should I check the Axle Nuts? Where should I go beyond this, probably going to drive my F150 to work tomorrow to keep stress off the explorer until I can get it sorted

 

[2020FordRaptor]

During my lunch break I climbed under and checked the front differential fluid, looked black, put some fluid in it and it wouldn’t go away. (It took a little less than half a quart so it was very low) Forgot about it and left to go home and it went away MOSTLY, not all the way, can still hear a creak, pops, and still as stated before just not as loud, either I have a leak somewhere, or it’s never been serviced, I just noticed it this morning it could’ve been making the noise longer because it was super faint this morning, only noticed it because I wasn’t playing any music, get home sharp left turns, sharp right turns in the cul-de-sac and I hear no popping, no signs of a CV Axle, should I check the Axle Nuts? Where should I go beyond this, probably going to drive my F150 to work tomorrow to keep stress off the explorer until I can get it sorted

It’s the axle nuts most likely.

 

[STBlanco]

Over tightened or starting to loosen? I apologies if this sounds like a stupid question I’m not familiar with CV axles or AWD systems, been learning slowly with this car I’ve had it almost a year, put 20k miles on it so far only had to replace the evap solenoid and oil every 5-7k miles, I’m used to my old F150 and forklifts