1998 4wd Front Suspension Diagram and Advice Needed Urgently

[NoStringsAttached]

Hi from New Zealand,
My Explorer failed a WOF (Warrant of Fitness) and the local garage I took it to gave me a $1200 quote to replace -
Front Right Upper Ball Joint and Arm - Strange as I replaced (with new) the complete upper control arm a few hundred miles ago at the same time as I replaced the complete lower control arm also with a new one.

Also to replace -
Left Front Lower Ball Joint - The same garage replaced the complete left lower control arm not long ago as I could not free the retaining nut despite heat etc. This was also done a hundred miles or so ago.
Left Front Top Inner Control Arm Bushes - I know the lleft upper control arm was replaced at some stage but I also thought that you can not replace the bushes themselves.

It would help me to see a diagram of the suspension parts to see if I am correct in thinking there is something funny going on as it seems to me that none of these parts should need replacing. Any comments would be welcome.Thanks

 

[gmanpaint]

They basically just called themselves out for shotty workmanship.

Do you not have some type of warranty, from the work they performed earlier?

 

[koda2000]

I think the "something funny going on" has to do with your garage.

 

[J_C]

Yes something funny, I suspect it's a scam, but stranger still is you'd think they would have at least looked at the parts and noticed that they looked newer than the rest of the vehicle and so wouldn't have the stones to claim they need replaced.

I don't think you really need a diagram, it is a pretty typical old school setup with the upper and lower control arms.

The bushings can be replaced separately but few do that because of the trouble to press them out, and that a new arm with a new ball joint and bushings already in it, isn't very expensive.

However I don't understand what you mean by a shop replacing the complete left lower control arm because you could not "free the retaining nut". There is no retaining nut holding the ball joint into the control arm, so any stuck nut would be one that had to come off anyway to replace the whole lower control arm, so once they had the knuckle free of the ball joint they could have just replaced the ball joint, unless it was determined the control arm needed new bushings or some road accident had damaged the arm?

Anyway you can check these things yourself. There are youtube videos to guide in the process.

 

[Turdle]

My thought is they torqued the control arm bolts tight on the lift, and this caused the bushings to split due to excessive "twist".

The arms must be attached with bolts left a little loose to allow the bushings to settle to their position when the vehicle weight is on them, then the bolts are torqued to spec.

Call them out. These parts should be a great shape, and should be under warranty.

 

[J_C]

These diagrams are for a Ford Ranger pickup, but to the best of my recollection they are the same as I saw on my '98 XLT 4WD, except the right side upper control arm, factory original part was a two piece design where the piece the upper BJ was built into could be removed without the whole arm coming off.

These vehicles being so popular has resulted in several youtube videos of either BJ or control arm replacements... just a matter of looking for them. Here's a random example:

 

[koda2000]

OP - Did your WOF inspector say exactly what he found that made him fail you?

 

[masospaghetti]

Most decent brand parts have lifetime warranties. Sounds clear that the shop should be picking up the tab under warranty.