Hello, I have a 2008 edge with drivers side front end clunking.
started off with a metal dragging sound, then a propane smell and eventually a clunk that would not allow the car to drive normally.
In doing some research, I found that the propane smell is the PTU burning the fluid. However, only the drivers front wheel is affected and it drives in reverse perfectly fine.

I have it jacked it up on all fours and everything spins freely, except the front drivers side.

From my understanding the ptu is a transfer case and if it were the culprit, the rear wheels would be affected.

I purchased a new PTU but before I delve into that repair, I wanted to get some advice from people that may have had this issue and solved it could help me solve it.

appreciate anyone’s help.

 

 

A suggestion,
What if you checked thoroughly that left front wheel assy ?
There may be something going on up there that is causing the noise and putting unusual strain on the transfer case assy.
We could throw out guesses, but there is nothing like actually looking at the moving parts there.

 

That was my first thought and I did that, Jacked it up, had my son get inside and I laid under the car as he put it in gear and slightly pressed the gas. I did not notice anything on the drivers side they would cause that but I did hear the noise at the center of the car, sound like the driveshaft but I assumed vibration from either the transmission or ptu.

however, when I try to just spin it by hand, it either spins freely or it feels like something is there preventing it from spinning freely.

I’ll check again just to be sure.

 

My concern is that it may be the transmission. The passengers front and both rear wheels attach directly to the ptu and the drivers front attach directly to the transmission.
It seems as though the drivers front is the only wheel affected but all research points to the ptu, specifically the propane smell and the fact that it’s never been replaced or fluids changed(sealed unit).