Ford Ranger XL

The ball joints are pressed into the spindle, and the spindle must be removed to replace the ball joints. The ball joints can't be replaced with the spindle in the vehicle. The wheel, brake caliper, brake rotor and tie rod are all attached to the spindle, and all four items must be removed to get the spindle off. Up until the point that the ball joints get removed from the spindle, it's not that hard a job. But getting the ball joints out of the spindle can be difficult, if not impossible unless you know how to do it. But that gets explained in these instructions.

You will need metric sockets, and a breaker bar for this job. Channel lock pliers, diagonal cutting pliers and needle nose pliers are a must, along with a small, flat chisel, a hammer, and a 3 or 5 pound hammer. Buy some anti-seize compound and thread locker along with your new ball joints. I also had to use a 27mm impact socket and a propane torch with mapp gas.

I'd have hand cleaner, paper towels, and a trash bag right with you so you can clean your hands right at the vehicle.

REMOVE THE WHEEL

1. Loosen the lug nuts with the wheel on the ground before you jack the truck up.

2. Set the emergency brake, and/or chock the wheels. Jack the truck up. Put a jack stand under the frame.

3. Remove the lug nuts and take off the wheel. I use the wheel to sit on while doing this job.

REMOVE THE CALIPER

1. Remove the brake caliper by removing the two, 13mm bolts on the back side. After that, I pry the caliper at the bottom, first on one side then the other to get it unstuck. Then I set the brake caliper over the torsion or stabilizer bar so it's not hanging from the brake hose.

2. Remove the two 15mm bolts that hold the frame that the caliper bolts to. Note: These bolts have thread locker on them and you should replace the bolts with thread locker. Since this part holds the caliper on, you don't want the bolts coming loose. You can leave the brake pads in the bracket.

REMOVE THE ROTOR

1. Now the rotor can be removed by taking off the dust cap and removing the nut and washer. I use a metal chisel with a hammer to separate the dust cap around the edge. Work little by little around the edge to pop off the cap.

2. Remove the cotter pin from the end of the spindle and take the spindle nut off. You probably don't need a socket to remove this nut. It is for the tension on the wheel bearings, and even though your wheel bearings should be tighted quite snug, the nut should not be tighted real hard.

3. Remove the washer, and pull the caliper forward. The outer wheel bearing should slide out a little bit. Take it out. Have plenty of paper towels handy because you will get covered with grease.

4. Pull the rotor off and clean the grease off the spindle. You'll need the grease off the spindle because you will be handling the spindle to get the ball joints out.

REMOVE THE TIE ROD END

1. Bend the cotter pin so it's straight, cut the split end off with diagonal cutting pliers. Grab the loop end of the cotter pin with pliers and then hit the pliers with a hammer to knock the cotter pin out.

2. Remove the nut on the tie rod end. It takes a 21mm socket.

3. Turn the castle nut over and put it back on so that the top of the nut is flush with the end of the threads. Don't beat on it extremely hard, but you can hammer the top of the nut until the tie rod pops out if the tie rod isn't not rusted on to bad. This saves the rubber grease boot from being damaged by a tie rod seperator tool.

4. If the tie rod doesn't come out after beating on it 4 or 5 times, use a tie rod end seperator tool. But it will probably rip the rubber grease boot.

If you didn't have to hunt to long for your tools, and had all the tools you needed, then this part of the job should take an hour or less. If you really know what you are doing, it might only take 20 minutes.

REMOVE THE SPINDLE

1. On 4WD models, you must remove the axleshaft and joint assembly.

2. Take off the brake dust shield which is held on by three, 8mm bolts.

3. On 2WD rangers there is an adjuster on the top of the upper ball joint to adjust the camber when the vehicle is aligned. You have to pry that off. I used the tie rod seperator to pry it up. Make a note where the camber adjuster was position, so that if it's adjustable you can put it back in the same place, or you alignment will be changed. My camber adjuster only goes on one way.

4. The upper ball joint has a snap-ring on it. I hit the end of the end of the snap ring with a chisel to break it free from the rust, then used needle nosed pliers to spread the snap ring enough to work it up out of the slot.

5. The upper ball joint is held in place with a clamp bolt. Take that out. I was worried that the bolt was going to break, so try to watch that the end of the bolt is moving when you are turning the bolt. If the head of the bolt is moving, but the other end isn't moving, then the bolt is starting to break. Try to free the bolt up by cleaning the rust and dirt out of the slot in the middle.

6. Take the cotter pin and nut off the lower ball joint. My cotter pin head was jammed way in, so I couldn't get the cotter pin out. I had to cut the split end and I tried to pry the looped end out with a nail. But it didn't come out. But I was able to loosen the nut with a breaker bar even with remnants of the cotter pin still in the hole. The lower ball joint took a 24mm socket.

7. The lower ball joint doesn't have a snap ring. It has a lip on the top of it to keep the ball joint from going down through the hole.

8. Now there isn't much holding the spindle in place. If you pound around with your hammer, it should break loose. You have to pound the bottom of the spindle. First on one side, then the other.

REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS

I loaned out a special ball joint press from the auto parts store, but it did absolutely nothing on my lower ball joint. However I did use the "C-frame assembly tool" to press the new ball joints in.

The lower ball joint has to be pressed UP to remove it! The lower ball joint has a lip on the top which prevents it from falling out. The lower ball joint can only be removed in one direction.

This is how I got my lower ball joint out:

I used a propane torch and mapp gas to heat the bottom of the ball joint itself. Don't heat anything up on concrete or bricks. They could explode if it gets to hot. I didn't have to heat the ball joint red hot. I probably couldn't have got it red hot anyway, the heat dissipates through the rest of the spindle to fast for a propane torch to really do much.

After heating the bottom of the ball joint for about 5 minutes, I used a 27mm impact socket and a 3 1/2 pound hammer to beat on the bottom of the ball joint. I had to hit it pretty hard, but it came out. I had the spindle on the tarred driveway. A work bench probably would just absorb the impact and keep the ball joint from coming out.

When you put everything back together, I'd check the pins that the brake calipers slide on. They often don't slide very well because they get rusted stuck. After you get the brake rotor back on, clean it with some brake cleaner. Make sure your brake shoes can slide where the tabs are.

Ford Rangers from '93 to '97 2WD have an "I-beam" front suspension as opposed to the upper and lower control arms that most vehicles have. The '93 to '97 4WD Rangers don't have the "I-beams", they have axles. After 1997 Ford got rid to the twin "I-beam" suspension in the Rangers and started using upper and lower control arms. The ball joints are pressed into the spindle, and the spindle must be removed to replace the ball joints. The ball joints can't be replaced with the spindle in the vehicle. The wheel, brake caliper, brake rotor and tie rod are all attached to the spindle, and all four items must be removed to get the spindle off. Up until the point that the ball joints get removed from the spindle, it's not that hard a job. But getting the ball joints out of the spindle can be difficult, if not impossible unless you know how to do it. But that gets explained in these instructions.

You will need metric sockets, and a breaker bar for this job. Channel lock pliers, diagonal cutting pliers and needle nose pliers are a must, along with a small, flat chisel, a hammer, and a 3 or 5 pound hammer. Buy some anti-seize compound and thread locker along with your new ball joints. I also had to use a 27mm impact socket and a propane torch with mapp gas.

I'd have hand cleaner, paper towels, and a trash bag right with you so you can clean your hands right at the vehicle. REMOVE THE WHEEL

1. Loosen the lug nuts with the wheel on the ground before you jack the truck up.

2. Set the emergency brake, and/or chock the wheels. Jack the truck up. Put a jack stand under the frame.

3. Remove the lug nuts and take off the wheel. I use the wheel to sit on while doing this job.

REMOVE THE CALIPER

1. Remove the brake caliper by removing the two, 13mm bolts on the back side. After that, I pry the caliper up, from the bottom, first on one side then the other to get it unstuck. Then I set the brake caliper over the torsion or stabilizer bar so it's not hanging from the brake hose.

2. Remove the two 15mm bolts that hold the frame that the caliper bolts to. Note: These bolts have thread locker on them and you should replace the bolts with thread locker. Since this part holds the caliper on, you don't want the bolts coming loose. You can leave the brake pads in the bracket.

REMOVE THE ROTOR

1. Now the rotor can be removed by taking off the dust cap and removing the cotterpin, nut, and washer. I use a metal chisel with a hammer to separate the dust cap around the edge. Work little by little around the edge to pop off the cap.

2. Remove the cotter pin from the end of the spindle and take the spindle nut off. You probably don't need a socket to remove this nut. The nut is for the tension on the wheel bearings, and even though your wheel bearings should be tightened quite snug, the nut should not be tightened real hard.

3. Remove the washer, and pull the caliper forward. The outer wheel bearing should slide out a little bit. Take it out. Have plenty of paper towels handy because you will get covered with grease.

4. Pull the rotor off and clean the grease off the spindle. You'll need to get the grease off the spindle because you will be handling the spindle to get the ball joints out.

REMOVE THE TIE ROD END

1. Bend the cotter pin so it's straight, cut the split end off with diagonal cutting pliers. Grab the loop end of the cotter pin with pliers and then hit the pliers with a hammer to knock the cotter pin out.

2. Remove the nut on the tie rod end. It takes a 21mm socket.

3. Turn the castle nut over and thread it back on so that the top of the nut is flush with the end of the threads. Don't beat on it extremely hard, but you can hammer the top of the nut until the tie rod pops out. The tie rod should come out if it isn't rusted in to bad. This saves the rubber grease boot from being damaged by a tie rod separator tool.

4. If the tie rod doesn't come out after beating on it 4 or 5 times, use a tie rod end separator tool. But it will probably rip the rubber grease boot. If you didn't have to hunt to long for your tools, and had all the tools you needed, then this part of the job should take an hour or less. If you really know what you are doing, it might only take 20 minutes.

REMOVE THE SPINDLE

1. On 4WD models, you must remove the axleshaft and joint assembly.

2. Take off the brake dust shield which is held on by three, 8mm bolts.

3. On 2WD rangers there is an adjuster on the top of the upper ball joint to adjust the camber when the vehicle is aligned. You have to pry that off. I used the tie rod separator to pry it up. Make a note where the camber adjuster was position, so that if it's adjustable you can put it back in the same place, or you alignment will be changed. My camber adjuster only goes on one way.

4. The upper ball joint has a snap-ring on it. I hit the end of the end of the snap ring with a chisel to break it free from the rust, then used needle nosed pliers to spread the snap ring enough to work it up out of the slot.

5. The upper ball joint is held in place with a clamp bolt. Take that out. I was worried that the bolt was going to break, so try to watch that the end of the bolt is moving when you are turning the bolt. If the head of the bolt is moving, but the other end isn't moving, then the bolt is starting to break. Try to free the bolt up by cleaning the rust and dirt out of the slot in the middle.

6. Take the cotter pin and nut off the lower ball joint. My cotter pin head was jammed way in, so I couldn't get the cotter pin out. I had to cut the split end and I tried to pry the looped end out with a nail. But it didn't come out. But I was able to loosen the nut with a breaker bar even with remnants of the cotter pin still in the hole. The lower ball joint took a 24mm socket.

7. The lower ball joint doesn't have a snap ring. It has a lip on the top of it to keep the ball joint from going down through the hole.

8. Now there isn't much holding the spindle in place. If you pound around with your hammer, it should break loose. You have to pound the bottom of the spindle. First on one side, then the other.

REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS I loaned out a special ball joint press from the auto parts store, but it did absolutely nothing on my lower ball joint. However I did use the "C-frame assembly tool" to press the new ball joints in. The lower ball joint has to be pressed UP to remove it! The lower ball joint has a lip on the top which prevents it from falling out. The lower ball joint can only be removed in one direction. This is how I got my lower ball joint out:

I used a propane torch and mapp gas to heat the bottom of the ball joint itself. Don't heat anything up on concrete or bricks. They could explode if it gets to hot. I didn't have to heat the ball joint red hot. I probably couldn't have got it red hot anyway, the heat dissipates through the rest of the spindle to fast for a propane torch to really do much.

After heating the bottom of the ball joint for about 5 minutes, I used a 27mm impact socket and a 3 1/2 pound hammer to beat on the bottom of the ball joint. I had to hit it pretty hard, but it came out. I had the spindle on the tarred driveway. A work bench probably would just absorb the impact and keep the ball joint from coming out.

When you put everything back together, I'd check the pins that the brake calipers slide on. They often don't slide very well because they get rusted stuck. After you get the brake rotor back on, clean it with some brake cleaner. Make sure your brake shoes can slide where the tabs are.