How to Install a Lower Ball Joint on a 1998 Ford Ranger

Ford launched its own attack on import pickups in 1983, with the release of the Ford-built Ranger as the replacement for the Mazda-built Courier. The 1998 model, as with all Rangers since fall of 1982, came in either two-wheel or four-wheel drive. When replacing a lower ball joint on the standard two-wheel-drive 1998 Ranger, you must replace the entire lower control arm, because Ford permanently fixed the ball joints to the lower control arm.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the failed ball joint, using a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the vehicle with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the Ranger. Lower the truck onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off the front hub.

2

Remove the two caliper bolts with a ratchet and socket, and remove the caliper. Hang the caliper from a nearby suspension component, using a bungee strap. Pull the brake pads from the caliper bracket. Remove the two caliper bracket bolts with a ratchet and socket, and remove the caliper bracket.

3

Pry the grease cap from the center of the brake rotor, using a flathead screwdriver, exposing the front wheel bearing hardware. Pull the cotter pin from the spindle shaft with needle-nose pliers and pull the castellated nut retainer from the spindle shaft. Remove the spindle nut with a ratchet and socket. Pull the rotor outward slightly to pop the outer wheel bearing and washer from the rotor, then pull the washer and bearing off the spindle shaft and set them on a clean, lint-free cloth. Pull the rotor from the spindle shaft. Remove the three bolts securing the disc brake shield and pull it from the spindle assembly.

4

Loosen the upper shock absorber nut with a combination wrench, as you hold the upper shock stud steady with another combination wrench. Remove the two lower shock nuts with a ratchet and socket. Lower the front shock from the truck and remove it.

5

Remove the stabilizer bar link nut with a ratchet and socket, while holding the link bolt steady with a combination wrench. Pull the washer and rubber bushing off the link bolt.

6

Position a coil spring compressor around the coil spring and use it to take all the springs tension off the lower control arm. The specifics of using this tool vary, depending on the model of compressor you use, so refer to the compressors instructions for specifics.

7

Pull the cotter pin from the lower ball joint stud, using needle-nose pliers. Remove the lower ball joints castellated nut with a ratchet and socket. Position a Pitman arm puller so its jaws wrap around the lower part of the front spindle assembly and the screw part contacts the lower ball joint stud. Tighten the Pitman arm puller with a ratchet and socket until the ball joint pops free from the spindle assembly.

8

Remove the two lower control arm-to-frame nuts with a ratchet and socket, while holding each nuts respective bolt steady with a combination wrench. Pull the control arm and the coil spring off the truck. Some of the components from the sway bar link may fall off at this point; keep track of them for reinstallation.

9

Look at the spring seat on the new lower control arm and find the two holes in the seat. You must position the end of the coil springs coil between these two dots on installation. Set the coil spring onto its seat on the new lower control arm, making the aforementioned alignment.

10

Lift the lower control arm and spring into place, aligning the bolt holes on the inner part of the control arm with the bolt holes on the control arms brackets on the trucks frame. Slide the control arm-to-frame bolts through the bolt holes and hand-thread the nuts onto the bolts.

11

Reinstall the following components onto the sway bar link in the following order, if needed: rubber bushing, metal washer, metal spacer tuber, metal washer and rubber bushing. Pivot the control arm and coil spring upward, guiding the stabilizer bar link through its hole in the control arm and the lower ball joint through its hole in the spindle assembly.

12

Thread the nut onto the lower ball joint stud by hand. Guide a rubber bushing and metal washer onto the stabilizer bar link and hand-thread its nut.

13

Tighten the new lower ball joints castellated nut onto the ball joint stud by hand, then torque it to between 83 and 113 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. If a valley in the castellated nut does not align with the hole through the ball joints stud, slightly tighten the castellated nut until they do line up. Slide a new cotter pin, included with the new ball joint, through the hole in the ball joint stud and bend its legs in opposite directions with needle-nose pliers to lock it into place.

14

Torque the stabilizer link nut to between 15 and 21 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket, while holding the link bolt steady with a combination wrench.

15

Recheck the alignment of the coil spring to the spring seat in the lower control arm and adjust it as needed. Loosen the spring compressor until the spring compressor no longer holds the spring. Remove the compressor.

16

Slide the shock back into place, guiding the top stud through its hole in the frame and the lower bolt holes onto their mounting studs on the bottom of the control arm. Hand-tighten all three shock mounting nuts two lower and one upper. Torque the lower shock nuts to between 15 and 21 foot-pounds and tighten the upper shock nut to between 30 and 41 foot-pounds.

17

Reinstall the disc brake shield onto the spindle assembly and hand-thread its retaining bolts. Tighten the retaining bolts to between 7 and 10 foot-pounds. Guide the rotor back onto the spindle shaft, then slide the outer wheel bearing onto the shaft until it slides into the hole in the center of the rotor. Slide the washer onto the spindle shaft and hand-tighten the spindle shaft nut.

18

Rotate the rotor rearward and tighten the spindle nut to between 17 and 24 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Loosen the spindle nut a half turn with a ratchet and socket. Spin the rotor forward and tighten the spindle nut to its final torque value of 17 inch-pounds with an inch-pounds torque wrench and socket.

19

Guide the castellated nut retainer onto the spindle nut, aligning a valley in its castellated top with the hole through the spindle shaft. Insert a new cotter pin through the hole in the spindle shaft and bend its legs in opposite directions with needle-nose pliers to lock it into place.

20

Set the caliper bracket in place on the spindle assembly and hand-thread its retaining bolts. Tighten the caliper bracket bolt to between 72 and 97 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Slide the brake pads into the caliper bracket. Remove the caliper from the bungee strap and set in on the bracket. Hand-thread the caliper bolts, then tighten them to between 21 and 26 foot-pounds.

21

Reinstall the front wheel onto the front hub and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the Ranger off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the truck to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 100 foot-pounds.

22

Tighten the control arm-to-frame nuts to between 110 and 148 foot-pounds, while holding the bolts without turning, using a ratchet and socket. You may want to turn the wheels left or right for better access to the nuts and bolts.

23

Take the Ranger to a local auto repair facility to have an alignment performed.