Upper Ball Joint

[DSK]

good day my fellow ford truck owners. i have a 2003 Ford Explorer that requires Ball joint replacement on the passenger side.

Can i change JUST the ball joint or do i have to change the whole upper control arm?

thanks in advance.

 

[GuardianSport]

Um, well, there's a section for 2003 Explorers. Might want to check there.

If they're anything like the 95-01 Explorers, they are a breeze to replace, but yes, you have to replace the entire arm. If the 03s used the same two piece arm on the passenger side, you can replace it with a solid, single piece, so you get new bushings as well. Saves a headache, considering the uppers don't go often.

 

[GuardianSport]

Ah, here you go. A simple search will save some headache. They are a two piece design, that is, ball joint and UCA. Similar to the second gen lower ball joints. You'll need a ball joint press, but luckily they look simple to remove so thus you have the part right in front of you, rather than mounted on the vehicle, like out LCAs.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249135&highlight=gen+ball+joint