Project Vehicle - 1998 Explorer Limited

[GLOCKer]

So I'd need something more like this: Suspension Kit - 1ASFK00443 at 1A Auto.com

 

[Mbrooks420]

Your ballpoints have probably been replaced.

 

[GLOCKer]

I wasn't specifically trying to get pics of the ball joints here, I was just trying to shoot the end links. Does the ball joint on the driver side look okay?

Driver side:

Passenger side:

 

[CDW6212R]

So moving on to some other things to work on for my truck...

I saw a video where a guy replaced the upper ball joint without replacing the upper control arm. Is this recommended or should I do the whole upper control arm?
I'd do the ball joints (upper and lower), end links, sway bar bushings, and shocks all in one shot. How much tome do you think I should budget for all of this?

If the control arms have the original bushings in them, I'd replace all of them given the age etc. I just did that with my 98 Limited, I had already done the hubs and axles the year before. It takes a good three hours to remove the whole set of CA's, and everything else disconnected. You have to get an alignment after the UCA's for sure. It took me a good 5-6 hours to swap it all out and back in.

Making the LCA BJ's let go can be easier or tough, depending on how big your hammer is etc. The biggest BFH you have is the best, it takes less swing power to pop the BJ loose, versus say a 2lbs hammer. If you can get a good angle to swing at the backside of the spindle behind the BJ, a 16lbs sledge is the best. Loosen the BJ and leave at least 1/4" of threads engaged before whacking the spindle.

If you R&R the LCA's, pay close attention to the torsion bar orientation, the location of the adjuster/keys as they get loose and come out. They have to be pointed the right way(six choices) to restore the original height range. That isn't hard, if you do it off one position. You'll know it immediately(the LCA should point downward 45* etc, if it's off, it'll point straight down or out and up etc. It takes a few minutes to put the torsion bar back into the key at the rear of it, no big deal.

 

[Mbrooks420]

LOL. This is sarcasm right? The ball joint shown looks dry and smoked. The second pic is of an end link that is also equally smoked.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d guess you are ready for 4 ball joints, 2 end links up front, 2 sway bar bushings and front shocks.

 

[CDW6212R]

The major wear items are the BJ's, but the bushings start to deform after 10-15 years. Tires don't last as long when the bushings become sloppy or misshapen.

I like the Moog parts also, the uppers are near $60 and the lowers are more like $115 each. End link kits of bushings ought to run $25ish, the best brands like ES etc. Tie rod ends aren't really expensive, and reliable, the outer TRE keep an eye out for any looseness.

Hubs are a 2nd weak link, expect to replace those every 100-150k miles. Moog had some last year when I did mine, for under $75 each.

I discovered recently SKF makes upgraded hubs, better than OEM and others. They have a stronger bearing design, I bought two for my work truck, those were about $135 each. I've got those ready for my 99, and another different UCA brand to try, a model called Terrain Tough Extreme. They look sturdy versus the Moog UCA's.

 

[GLOCKer]

I need to keep the budget tight on this one guys; bare minimum! So upper control arms, lower ball joints, end links, sway bar bushings? (I have four new shocks sitting on my work bench already waiting to go on).

 

[GLOCKer]

This is why I thought I could do just the ball joints on the upper but it just dawned on me this is a 2003 Ex.

 

[CDW6212R]

I need to keep the budget tight on this one guys; bare minimum! So upper control arms, lower ball joints, end links, sway bar bushings? (I have four new shocks sitting on my work bench already waiting to go on).

That is exactly what I did with my 99 when I rebuilt it in 2006. The lower BJ's were bad not long after I got it, so I did those same things, plus shocks. It's gone 75k since then, and I'm doing a little more this time.

 

[donalds]

I got all my front end parts from rock auto

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...+v6+sohc,1304413,suspension,control+arm,10401

I used mevoteck lower c arms they are nice same gauge steel as oem nice joints with nice boots
Moog on the upper c arms quality parts

The passenger side uca bushings the 2 piece design if you need them bushings
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...c,1304413,suspension,control+arm+bushing,7532

Sway links

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...c,1304413,suspension,stabilizer+bar+link,7580

Tie rod ends

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog....0l+v6+sohc,1304413,steering,tie+rod+end,7428

I used ac delco

Castle nuts
I like to re-use factory castle nuts if they aren't beat to hell
Better grade steel hope this helps

 

[CDW6212R]

...
Castle nuts
I like to re-use factory castle nuts if they aren't beat to hell
Better grade steel hope this helps

Ditto, I look carefully at all hardware that comes with parts. The OEM nuts and small hardware are often better than the new aftermarket stuff.

The last axles I bought had poor hub nuts with them, there was not very much depth for a socket to engage. The threads were a different pitch than stock, different socket required also(1 1/4" versus 33mm), but I did have other spare aftermarket nuts which had more size(depth) and the right threads. So I put the new nuts aside, and used to better used ones I had saved from past axles I removed.

 

[donalds]

Yep just because it's shinny don't make it nice
I have been trying to get my 15yo son to understand this

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Fun fact, I'mma hijack this thread to comment that the entire OEM front suspension on my 2000 when I bought it was OEM, down to the ball joints, the thing had literally half a rotation of slop in it, when I test drove it after getting it running it wandered all over the road, and when I got it apart, the ball joints were so worn you could see the BALL through the top, they'd worn through. I figure it had one good pothole in the drivers side before someone died in it. The whole truck was practically OEM, belts hoses and all, that was a fun ordeal as stuff died out, no doubt it'd been sitting for years.

 

[GLOCKer]

Quick question:
The shift from 1st to second gear is still a little soft (I think that's the correct way to describe it) but all of the other shifts are nice and smooth as the trans runs through the gears. Is this an easily solved issue or a sign that there are larger problems lurking in my trans?

Also, I'm not looking forward to the suspension rebuild. Ughhhhh.

 

[GLOCKer]

So, wanting to keep some momentum going on fixing this up but not being able to do anything with all of the parts I've got stacking up for it, I decided to start working on the paint today. So far, I've only done the hood and front driver side fender.

The paint is in ROUGH shape! It is very dull, etched, and scratched. There are also 16 years of stone chips on it. (Only 16 years because it sat un-driven for the past four years! LOL)

Being the paint is so rough, I've decided to limit myself to how much work I'm going to put in it. There is no way this thing will polish out to look like my Mustang does, so I'm not going to put that effort into it. So, to keep it simple, I'm compounding it with Meguir's Ultimate Compound and then following up with Meguiar's Black Wax. The Meguiar's Black Wax is a wax with polishing compounds in it. It's almost like killing two birds with one stone.

When I first got my hands on The Turd, I thought it was a dark blue color. Then after it was washed a little, I realized it was black. Today I learned it's actually metallic black!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

After pics...

Ughhhhhhhhhh! I still have to do the whole rest of the truck!

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I thought you had a blue Limited that had faded, it'll look good though clean.

 

[GLOCKer]

Gonna ask again...

Quick question:
The shift from 1st to second gear is still a little soft (I think that's the correct way to describe it) but all of the other shifts are nice and smooth as the trans runs through the gears. Is this an easily solved issue or a sign that there are larger problems lurking in my trans?

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could adjust the bands to see if it helps, and add Lucas.

 

[Turdle]

No bands in the 4r70w to adjust. I forgot but did you get into the valve body-transmission yet?

edit, what is the paint code on the door? Some pics look like you have deep wedgewood blue on that truck. The black of this year would be "ebony" , which doesn't have metallic flake-just curious