2006 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4WD REAR END NOISE/LOOSE STEERING

Change differential fluid with full synthetic for limited slip and see if that helps. Loose steering could be ball joints, tie rods, control arms. Best have a front end shop check it out.

2 separate issues. Noise: Need more information as to vehicle mileage,characteristics of the noise itself, and under what conditions it is present. For example: Possibly brake-related, from a dragging brake pad, or a warped brake rotor, IF a scraping or chirping type noise that increases frequency or goes away entirely as road speed increases, or changes/goes away when brakes are applied. Steering looseness: many causes, most often associated with worn parts, including ball joints, tie rod ends (inner or outer or both), pitman arm or idler arm if present, or looseness/wear in teh steering rack itself or teh steering box if non-rack and pinion steering system. To narrow it down: Rack wear/steering box wear is usually evidenced by having significantly greater steering wheel FREE PLAY while the steering wheel is within a few degrees of straight ahead, as the great majority of driving time is spent in that position. If steering wheel free play is reasonably consistent throughout the full range of steering wheel travel, then the INTERNAL rack itself or the internals of the steering box being badly worn is much less likely.