front end rebuild: mechaninc or DIY? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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martin_95037

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 30, 2015
Messages
136
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City, State
Morgan Hill, California
Year, Model & Trim Level
2005 Explorer EB 4.6 V8
I took my car to the dealership to get the transmission filter and fluid replaced. the service adviser said that I needed to get my left and right lower control arms and 2 ball joints replaced. about 320 dollars worth in parts from Napa Auto Parts. I went to got see my mechanic, Frank. He quoted me a whole days worth of labor to fix the problem, about 1000 dollars. he has given me more than a few deals in the past.

my dad has a small shop and has been working on cars and tractors for a for the past 50 years, but does not have the tools to replaces these parts.

I I just spend the following withing the past few weeks
transmission service (315)
new brake pad front and rear, I bought really nice brake pads (185)
2 quarts brake fluid (20)
rear diff fluid and friction modified (30 I think) did this myself
front diff fluid (20) doing this tomorrow, If I can get the fluid out.
transfer case fluid (20) did this myself

I plan to do the breaks pads and the break fluid flush myself and with dad as a helper. Does any one have any experience doing this these jobs. I know there are special tools required to replace the ball joints. Not to sure about the lower control arms. I am currently under employed and would like to do this myself if possible. I am wondering if anyone has any experience doing this.
 



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I took my car to the dealership to get the transmission filter and fluid replaced. the service adviser said that I needed to get my left and right lower control arms and 2 ball joints replaced. about 320 dollars worth in parts from Napa Auto Parts. I went to got see my mechanic, Frank. He quoted me a whole days worth of labor to fix the problem, about 1000 dollars. he has given me more than a few deals in the past.

my dad has a small shop and has been working on cars and tractors for a for the past 50 years, but does not have the tools to replaces these parts.

I I just spend the following withing the past few weeks
transmission service (315)
new brake pad front and rear, I bought really nice brake pads (185)
2 quarts brake fluid (20)
rear diff fluid and friction modified (30 I think) did this myself
front diff fluid (20) doing this tomorrow, If I can get the fluid out.
transfer case fluid (20) did this myself

I plan to do the breaks pads and the break fluid flush myself and with dad as a helper. Does any one have any experience doing this these jobs. I know there are special tools required to replace the ball joints. Not to sure about the lower control arms. I am currently under employed and would like to do this myself if possible. I am wondering if anyone has any experience doing this.
@martin_95037
The upper ball joints require a press to remove and install. However, the entire Upper Control Arm can be purchased with the ball joints already installed. Rubber bushings in your old arms are likely in poor condition, depending on the mileage. My guess would be that after working on vehicles 50 years, your dad likely has tools to replace control arms. What you REALLY need to do is find out what condition the ball joints are in. Your dad ought to be aware of such procedures. imp
 






the service advisory said that they don't have much time left. what ever that means.

a video on diagnosing ball joints. I will do this tomorrow.

 






Should be able to rent the tools to press out and in the lower ball joints. If not they are not too expensive on amazon. I picked up one that should serve the rest of my life for IIRC $110
 






I can rent one for a day from the too shed for 12 bucks a day. millage is 208000. I guess it is simply there time.
 






I got 2 ball joints today. the bushings will be here tommarow. I am going to press out the old bushing and press in the new ones.
 






A balljoint press is the best tool I have bought in a while I just did a full front end rebuild and used it a TON. Worked like a charm so glad I bought it
 






IF it's possible, get it broke down to where you have them ready to pull/press. Lowers obviously. To minimize tool time.
Now I have read threads here where some have replaced their upper arm joints. But with the cost of arm/joint combos for sale now, I would go that route. GL. Make sure you have the right end caps for the press and possibly shown how to work it. That took me more time than the job itself, figuring out how to use the tool.
 






they are the upper control arms.

worst thing that can happenin is if I cant press the new ones back in then I replace whole UCR.
 






Talking the front or rear bushings of the LCA? The fronts I couldn't get the bolts loose. Got one rear off and said eff it for the passenger side. May revisit, may.
 






Any idea on what kind of grease I should apply when pressing in the ball joints and UCR bushing? in bushing and ball joints I am not to farm away from where I should just buy a new UCR.
 






How To: Replacing Upper Ball Joints on a 3rd Gen 4x4 [Pictures]

2002-05 Sticky's
List of Useful Threads - Stock 3rd Gen Forum's Best How To Threads

Must applaud you for taking on your front end rebuild yourself. Although this forum offers more useful info than most repair manuals, buying one for future reference would be a good idea. Again, not criticizing here, just want you and others to be safe when you post questions like this. I'll delete this complete reply at your request.
yesterday I bleed my breaks in this order. Front left, back left, back right, front right. Did I bleed my breaks in the correct order? If not,what is the correct order?

Order of operation for break bleeding 02-05
 






I have looked at the thread. it will be used as some reference through out the work being performed.

I bought the manuals from Helm just after I bought the car for about 181.00. I didn not think to look in the manual to formamation on blleding breaks. I do know that depending on where the ABS module is the order can be changed.
 






There is coolant hose in the way on the passenger side. I needs to move, even after cutting the control arm.

There is not a bushing press kit available for rent locally. I will have to renturn the upper Ucr parts and buy a whole new control arm.

IMG_0037.JPG

IMG_0030.JPG

It’s very time consumeing to try to do this on an iPad.
 






I got the right UCR out, but a piece hose connector broke. I could not figure out how to get the UCR out disconnecting this peice of hose


The part number for this part is YC3Z18C286BA. It was 28.20 including tax. It will be here in about 3 days. The total volume of fluid that the cooling system requires is 20.2 quarts if I recall. A little more than 5 gallons.

0E7F21E3-52AF-473D-9EFC-F8238F17B645.jpeg
 






this coolant tee that broke, the old one was plastic, the new one is steel.

I got both UCRs installed. that was retivly easy. loosed the bolts on both sides and it is much easier to put in and take out. just make sure to tighten them back up when you are done.

I got to the shop this morning. I heard a loud crash and saw this. dad was a little shoken up.
IMG_0631.JPG


I got my ball joints pressed in. that was fun. what was even funner was getting the knuckle and the the CV joint (I think that is what it is) aligned with the lower ball joint. Word from the wise, use a floor jack. once to have the CV joint properly aligned and have the LBJ very close to where it needs to be you can move the knuckle into place and move the LBJ into place. once the LBN starts to go in then you can jack up the floor jack to push in the LBJ to a point to where you can screw it on. Initially I set my knuckel and my brake caliper down on a milk crate, that was a bad idea. get a banana box full of kindling wood or equivalent.
IMG_0632.JPG


getting the UBJ into place can be used with a floor jack too, I think, I Dont quite remember that part.
Do your tie rods last. those will more or less fall into place. make sure to inspect the the tire rod boot. just as I was about to put mine back into place I discovered a very small hole in the boot. the tire rods are the same for the left and right either side. about 25 bucks from napa. Napa is a short walk from my house.

More on this tomorrow. and to get an alignment done.
 






all this got done. I took it down to a tire shop to have the alignment done. they said that I needed new inner tie rods and left outer tie rods. I told them to do it.

I get my car back. then I go underneath my car because I saw a very small drop of AT fluid on the fill/drain plug. I drive down to ford and tell them to figure out what is wrong with plug. 1 or 2 hours later the tech comes to the determination that the fill plug is defective. so I told them to order a new fill plug. it will be here tomorrow. the service advisory said that the gasket is reusable, but to get a new one anyways this was when I first took ot down there to do the work. the less expensive metal part has to fail though. I suspect there is a gasket on the plug like on an oil drain pan plug. more on that later.

getting lots of exercise with out a car.
 






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