How to Disconnect & Remove the Drive Shaft on a 2002 Ford Ranger for Towing

When looking to tow your 2002 Ranger, there are certain precautions you must take to prevent damage or unnecessary wear to your truck. One is disconnecting the driveshaft. On the two-wheel-drive 2002 Ranger with an automatic transmission, Ford recommends removing the driveshaft if you are towing the truck with the rear wheels on the ground and exceeding 50 miles in distance or a speed of 35 mph to prevent damage to the transmission. Some professionals also recommend removing the driveshaft on a manual transmission to eliminate wear and tear on the transmission from towing.

Instructions

Removal

1

Raise the rear of the Ranger with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the frame rails. Lower the Ranger onto the jack stands.

2

Crawl under the vehicle until you reach where the driveshaft connects to the rear axle flange. Match mark the driveshaft flange to the rear axle flange, using white marking paint. Crawl toward the front of the truck until you reach where the transmission and driveshaft connect. Create a match mark line on the transmissions tail housing and the driveshafts yoke. Position a drain pan under where the driveshaft yoke goes into the tail housing.

3

Insert a long screwdriver between driveshaft flange and the rear axle flange. Grasp the long screwdriver firmly to prevent the driveshaft from turning and remove the four driveshaft-to-rear axle bolts, using a ratchet and 12-point socket.

4

Pry the driveshaft from the rear axle flange with a 12-inch pry bar until it is free from the rear axle flange, then pull the rear of the driveshaft downward. Pull the driveshaft rearward to remove it from the transmission.

5

Insert a tight-fitting tail-house cover plug into the tail-house cover to prevent excessive fluid loss.

Installation

6

Repeat Step 1 of Section 1.

7

Coat the four driveshaft-to-rear axle bolts with a thread-locking chemical meeting Ford specification WSK-M2G351-A5.

8

Position yourself and the driveshaft under the truck and set a drain pan under the tail-house cover. Remove the plug from the tail-house cover. Guide the driveshafts yoke into the transmissions tail-house cover, aligning the match mark line on the yoke with the line on the tail-house cover.

9

Lift the rear of the axle until it is even with the rear axle flange. Turn the driveshaft until the match mark line aligns with the match mark line on the rear axle flange. Hand-tighten the four driveshaft-to-rear axle bolts.

10

Hold the driveshaft from turning with a large screwdriver and tighten the driveshaft-to-rear axle bolts to 83 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and 12-point socket.

11

Raise the rear of the truck off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Ranger to the ground.

12

Proceed to Section 3 or 4 depending on the type of transmission your Ranger has.

Checking and Refilling Automatic Transmission

13

Start the engine and allow it to idle until it reaches operating temperature, roughly halfway up the temperature gauge. Hold the brake and shift the gear shifter through each gear, pausing for three seconds at each gear. Place the shifter back into Park.

14

Remove the dipstick from the transmission and wipe the old fluid off the dipstick with a clean, lint-free cloth. Reinsert the dipstick and remove it again. Check the fluid level on the dipstick; the correct level is within the crosshatched area on the dipstick.

15

Insert a funnel into the dipstick tube and add Mercon V transmission fluid to the transmission in quarter-quart intervals until the fluid level is within the crosshatched area on the dipstick.

16

Reinsert the dipstick into the dipstick tube.

Checking and Refilling Manual Transmission

17

Lift the front of the truck with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the frame rails. Lower the Ranger onto the jack stands.

18

Crawl under the truck until you are just behind the transmissions bell housing. Find the transmission check-and-fill plug about halfway up the drivers side of the transmission, on the drivers side. Remove the check-and-fill plug with a ratchet and socket.

19

Insert your finger into the check-and-fill hole and feel for fluid. The correct fluid level is right at the base of the check-and-fill hole. If the fluid is low, add SAE 80W90 rear axle lubricant until fluid drips from the check-and-fill hole. Hand-tighten the check-and-fill plug, the torque it to between 30 and 43 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

20

Raise the truck off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Ranger to the ground.