99 Exploder

[danno2944]

Alignment is good, but What I meant is that it will be easier (in theory) to re align wheels with having touched the adjustment on one side only.

Believe it or not, I think it is all OEM suspension, I have a squeak and some loosing steering, but ,all in al, it does drive straight with no pulling or uneven wear on tires. There is a high speed vibration after like 110, but it is very subtle, and I never drive the truck that fast.

You know how it goes though,..I have to remove all the weak/old parts to get to the worn BJ, so I figure I would replace some of the important components since they must all be on the verge of failure. 175000mile all original suspension, lol. Not fun...

 

[CDW6212R]

The bushings in the control arms are worn out at this age, buy the whole set of arms to fix them. Find the cause of the loose steering first, if it's not the rack then it's fine to just replace the TRE's. The racks are very sturdy thankfully, but it's a matter of time before they begin to get worn.

Buying rebuilt steering boxes after 20 years is a risk, the rebuilt units have a high dud rate.

 

[danno2944]

Gard darn it, just realized I ordered the wrong motocraft lower ball joint mcs104222 and the actual oe part is McF2233 man this is getting old, any thoughts on the part mentioned?

 

[CDW6212R]

Both of those come up in searches, and Amazon lists them both as fitting the 2nd gen Explorer. Where did you find them, and how are they described as different? The first one, mcs104222, on Amazon looked better in the picture than the other one.

 

[danno2944]

They are on rock autos site.
From what I have found is The mcs104222 needs to be greased regularly and is a metal on metal joint, the oe specs mcf2233 doesn't need to be serviced.

The size of the top lip is also noticeably different.

It is also half the price, which seems odd.

 

[J_C]

^ Many of us prefer the all metal design that needs greased. "Regularly" isn't much of a hassle, I just do it every other oil change. If you take it to a shop to get an oil and lube done, that's the lube. Just be sure to mention you have BJs that need it, otherwise they might assume original sealed BJs.

The ones that are sealed for life typically have plastic bearings in them and IMO don't hold up as well against potholes/etc. On the other hand, especially until broken in, they make steering a little smoother.

Then again if yours were original and held up this long, another 20 years isn't a bad run... except who knows whether they are still made in the same country, let alone the same factory as the originals?

This is yet another problem with buying parts. You can buy two of the same thing the same day and get a different part, let alone after some years have passed.

 

[CDW6212R]

There you go, one's greasable and most OEM isn't from Ford. I'd get that first one and have it greased every 10k miles etc.

 

[danno2944]

I do my oil changes, and have a grease gun as well, so that's no biggie.

My concern is only qaulity, it... I obviously don't want to do the Job twice.

 

[danno2944]

I already have the BJs so it's an easy decision, I was debating shipping them back which obviously isn't practical at all...but I'm already shipping the cheap moog UCAs back as well which isn't practical either...ah well, my first blunder on the rock auto, I don't mind...

 

[danno2944]

Just seen the "Chris fix" YT video on control Arm preload before tightening, why have I not read about this yet??

 

[CDW6212R]

That's just logical, lift the LCA to be level, before the final tightening of the two bushing bolts.

 

[danno2944]

Lol, not if you have never done it. Thanks.

 

[Terkins]

Whatever you buy, I would stick with the 2-piece RH upper control arm unless your UCA bushings are shot. The purpose for the 2-piece RH UCA is to provide additional adjustment for wheel alignment. A plus is that it's easy to change the outer part.

I'm sitting at home reading this/my truck is abandoned at a trucker mechanic's lot that allows me to work there. He even tried helping me 'finish' the 'easy to change' Moog CK8708T (URBJ; OEQ-style). The stud simply won't bottom inside the steering knuckle. It inserts to within about 1/2 the pinch bolt recess width and 'stops'.

3. Thoroughly clean the hole of the steering knuckle before assembly of the stud with the knuckle. Insert the stud of the new ball joint through the hole of the knuckle and install the new pinch bolt and nut supplied. Torque the nut to 30-40 ft. Ibs. (40-55 Nm). https://fme-cat.com/livedocs/DYK10_106_ENG-R.pdf

Yea...it sounds so easy. But it isn't. I can't insert the stud full-length even when it is not attached to the control arm bolts.
It seems there's only two (maybe a 3rd?) solutions: 1) Use a crowbar (in the vertical channel) to 'spread' the steering knuckle ever-so-slightly; or 2) use a wood block/sledge and hammer the (top of the ball joint) stud until it bottoms into the knuckle? ("2" seems it may damage the internals of the ball joint before it even gets to experience the road!) 3)...equally dangerous: Mount the wheel to the knuckle and drive around the parking lot @5mph--hoping the stress will 'seat' the stud into the knuckle (without the pinch bolt, this seems a risky proposition! Further, it may simply damage the internals of the knuckle without seating the stud fully--requiring replacement of the knuckle!)
I've applied anti-sieze compound to the stud,hoping that would help lube it a little. [I had to hammer the old control arm side-to-side to get the old stud to release/exit the knuckle hole.]
"Help appreciated."

 

[J_C]

^ Terkins, you may have to put a chisel/screwdriver/prybar/etc in the slot in the knuckle to get it to open up a little while beating the BJ stud down in.

Beat on the control arm with a BFH (no wood/cushion needed), on one side of the BJ then the other and repeat, not directly on the top of the BJ.

If your BJ has a grease zerk nipple already installed, you might want to take that back off just in case, so it won't have a chance to get in the way of a mis-aimed hammer blow.

I had sanded the corrosion out of my knuckle-BJ-hole and still had to do that.

Do NOT put the wheel on and drive around, lol !!

 

[Terkins]

^ Terkins, you may have to put a chisel/screwdriver/prybar/etc in the slot in the knuckle to get it to open up a little while beating the BJ stud down in.

Beat on the control arm with a BFH (no wood/cushion needed), on one side of the BJ then the other and repeat, not directly on the top of the BJ...

I had sanded the corrosion out of my knuckle-BJ-hole and still had to do that.

Thanks! I just found another YouTuber where a rubber mallet was used on the control arm and atop the ball joint. I like your suggestion better (hitting only the control arm side-to-side.) I may be able to wedge a cold chisel in the knuckle slot before using the BFH to create a hair-more 'passage'.

I have my tools in many different places; gotta take the bus back to the repair site AM along with my 'hammer toolbox'/lunch! The truck mechanic is moving: I don't know 'where' I'll be doing my next repairs (side of some railroad crossing? 'dead-end-road'?)

 

[imp]

Thanks! I just found another YouTuber where a rubber mallet was used on the control arm and atop the ball joint. I like your suggestion better (hitting only the control arm side-to-side.) I may be able to wedge a cold chisel in the knuckle slot before using the BFH to create a hair-more 'passage'.

I have my tools in many different places; gotta take the bus back to the repair site AM along with my 'hammer toolbox'/lunch! The truck mechanic is moving: I don't know 'where' I'll be doing my next repairs (side of some railroad crossing? 'dead-end-road'?)

@Terkins
When one considers the tremendous impact pounding imposed on Ball-joints due to recurrent road conditions, while either top or bottom BJ is also supporting vehicle weight of maybe 1000 lbs. do you really think hammering on one would/could damage it? imp

 

[J_C]

^ You may be right but the top BJ is designed for rotational (for lack of a better word) loading instead of vehicle weight, and the impact of a BFH is in one tiny strike-contact area on the back plate or lip holding it on, where it isn't designed to bear any load. Why chance it if you don't have to?

 

[Terkins]

@Terkins
When one considers the tremendous impact pounding imposed on Ball-joints due to recurrent road conditions, while either top or bottom BJ is also supporting vehicle weight of maybe 1000 lbs. do you really think hammering on one would/could damage it? imp

I had similar thoughts. Still, the act of hammering on brand new parts rubs against my couth. After a few taps with my dad's old #3 sledge, I opted for his old wooden mallet which provided the necessary 'whipping'.
Explorer rides 100% better after alignment. Speed bumps aren't 'glug-and-glug'--just a 'pa-thud' now. I was beginning to question my replaced shocks but now I realize how much my BJs were contributing to S.B.D.S. (='speed-bump-derangement-syndrome')!

 

[imp]

^ You may be right but the top BJ is designed for rotational (for lack of a better word) loading instead of vehicle weight, and the impact of a BFH is in one tiny strike-contact area on the back plate or lip holding it on, where it isn't designed to bear any load. Why chance it if you don't have to?

@J_C

Yes, you're right, if the vehicle load is carried by the bottom BJ. The first year Mustang, as well as Falcons had the spring ABOVE the upper control arm, the load was carried by the upper BJ. Sorry!
imp

 

[Terkins]

Explorer rides 100% better after alignment. Speed bumps aren't 'glug-and-glug'--just a 'pa-thud' now. I was beginning to question my replaced shocks but now I realize how much my BJs were contributing to S.B.D.S. (='speed-bump-derangement-syndrome')!

Latest: The inner fender splash guards were just replaced with new push-pins from RockAuto. New grease tip added to my WalMart grease gun. Wheels loosened/one removed to grease upper (very-new) & lower (former-owner-new) front ball joints. Tire replaced/both tires' lugs torqued to 100 ft-#s. Now there's a shimmy/vibration in the steering wheel when rurning in/out of parking spaces. Otherwise it rides fine. What happened?