99 Front Suspension Rebuild

[supra8311]

I need to replace a few front suspension components in my 1999 4.0 soch 4x4 Explorer. My X needs shocks (I'm looking at Ranchero 5000 's), tie rod ends, and passenger side upper control arm bushings (they squeak).

I have found kits on ebay (via this forum ...http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...STRK:MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=330047673293&rd=1 ... Thanks!) that include the tie rod ends (inner and outer), however they do not include the passenger side upper control arm bushings.

I am going to buy my ranchero shocks from checker auto; they also carry all sorts of bushing for the front end but I’m not sure if they are the ones I need.

In summary I would like to install the front end parts that make sense prior to having the X aligned:

• kit from ebay
• energy suspension sway bar bushing kit
• passenger side upper control arm bushing (If I can find them)
• ranchero 5000 shocks

My questions are :
Anyone ever replace the passenger side upper control arm bushings? If so how did it go? Any special tools?

Anyone replace the lower control arm bushings ?

Any suggestions for more or less parts before I have the alignment done?

Any alternative kits of parts for the X?

Thanks
Andre

 

[dynamite196]

if you want to save some money on shocks go with the procomp es3000 it's buy 1 get 1 free now so you can get all 4 for a 100 bucks

 

[IZwack]

x2 on the es3000s

 

[ma96782]

Haven't done the work myself....but, if you're dealing w/ a high mileage vehicle.....may I suggest.....changing: shocks, ball joints (all), tie rod ends (both), sway bar bushings and control arm bushings (all).......cause once you go in there.....why not fix it all? Get it aligned once(after you're done) and call it good and done.

If you already changed some parts then forget about those and move on.

Explorer sway bar and end links:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1425414&highlight=end+links#post1425414


Ball Joints:

(From another thread) It took right around an hour.
-We start on jackstands with no tire and nothing under the control arm yet.
-Remove all braking components
-Remove sway bar end links
-Remove axle nut
-Remove Hub/Bearing assembly
-Disconnect TRE
-Push stub axle back through the hole in the spindle and out of your way
-Remove cotter pin and castle nut from Lower BJ
-A few quick hit's with a 1 pound deadblow released the BJ from the spindle (strike the control arm)
-Grab the trusty BJ Press and propane torch.
-I put as muh pressure on the BJ as I could get with the press and an Impact wrench
-I then aimed the torch at the area and leaned back to have a smoke
-By the time my cig was done the BJ had begun to move on it's own and was relatively easy to press in.
-Let the area cool back down some before replacing with new part
-To press the New BJ In I found that it was easier to take my floor jack and fit the install cup from the BJ Press on it. The lift up on the bottom of the BJ I had started by hand. It won't press in all the way like this , but once you start to lift the whole vehicle rather than the control arm, get that trusty 1 pound deadblow back out and start tapping the control arm in a circular motion around the BJ. The vehicle weight combined with the tapping pressed them in a lot easier than the press.

P.S. Don't forget that the BJ boot has a notch in it which faces in.
__________________

REPAIR:

http://www.haroh.com/explorer/ball_joint.html

________________

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149449&highlight=ball+joint+tools

________________


Upper Control Arms:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/0d/c3/77/0900823d800dc377.jsp

Lower Control Arms:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/0c/74/8c/0900823d800c748c.jsp

________________________________________________________________

IF, you haven't yet......invest in the book......Haynes Manuel or Chilton.



Aloha, Mark

 

[supra8311]

Thanks ... I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

[supra8311]

I have read elsewhere on this forum that you can spray your suspension with WD-40 type lubricants. Anyone every use WD-40 on there bushings? I have seen that WD-40 does weird things to some types of rubber (O-ring for example). Any ideas?

 

[dynamite196]

Why would you want to use wd 40 as a lubricant in that application?

 

[supra8311]

The bushings squeak

 

[IZwack]

you need a heavier lubricant.. like the lithium grease type or something -- comes in a tube, not a spray can.

 

[CJYoung]

Haven't done the work myself....but, if you're dealing w/ a high mileage vehicle.....may I suggest.....changing: shocks, ball joints (all), tie rod ends (both), sway bar bushings and control arm bushings (all).......cause once you go in there.....why not fix it all? Get it aligned once(after you're done) and call it good and done.

If you already changed some parts then forget about those and move on.

Explorer sway bar and end links:

Poly bushing for front sway bar and end links


Ball Joints:

(From another thread) It took right around an hour.
-We start on jackstands with no tire and nothing under the control arm yet.
-Remove all braking components
-Remove sway bar end links
-Remove axle nut
-Remove Hub/Bearing assembly
-Disconnect TRE
-Push stub axle back through the hole in the spindle and out of your way
-Remove cotter pin and castle nut from Lower BJ
-A few quick hit's with a 1 pound deadblow released the BJ from the spindle (strike the control arm)
-Grab the trusty BJ Press and propane torch.
-I put as muh pressure on the BJ as I could get with the press and an Impact wrench
-I then aimed the torch at the area and leaned back to have a smoke
-By the time my cig was done the BJ had begun to move on it's own and was relatively easy to press in.
-Let the area cool back down some before replacing with new part
-To press the New BJ In I found that it was easier to take my floor jack and fit the install cup from the BJ Press on it. The lift up on the bottom of the BJ I had started by hand. It won't press in all the way like this , but once you start to lift the whole vehicle rather than the control arm, get that trusty 1 pound deadblow back out and start tapping the control arm in a circular motion around the BJ. The vehicle weight combined with the tapping pressed them in a lot easier than the press.

P.S. Don't forget that the BJ boot has a notch in it which faces in.
__________________

REPAIR:

Haroh.com is for sale | HugeDomains

________________

4x4 Lower Ball joints

________________


Upper Control Arms:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/0d/c3/77/0900823d800dc377.jsp

Lower Control Arms:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/0c/74/8c/0900823d800c748c.jsp

________________________________________________________________

IF, you haven't yet......invest in the book......Haynes Manuel or Chilton.



Aloha, Mark

Great Tutorial!!
Having to do all that myself.
My 99 Rustbucket (inherited) must have spent years in a swamp

 

[donalds]

Great Tutorial!!
Having to do all that myself.
My 99 Rustbucket (inherited) must have spent years in a swamp

If you need any help with your 99 just ask
I have a 99 to and have just about touched just about every nut bolt and wire on it

 

[CJYoung]

If you need any help with your 99 just ask
I have a 99 to and have just about touched just about every nut bolt and wire on it

That's great. If I have any questions I'll definitely be shouting your way.
With my schedule, I can only do part of the work, periodically

 

[J_C]

you need a heavier lubricant.. like the lithium grease type or something -- comes in a tube, not a spray can.

Yes/no/maybe... a tube of grease is a bit unwieldy to get into a bushing, even with a grease gun needle on it. On some bushings you can put a hole in the metal carrier, or even a zerk fitting, to stick the needle in or do without it using a grease gun.

However, there are spray can greases that are easier to use to get into tight crevices, especially if the spray can nozzle has the recess in it to accept a straw. Many are a lithium complex grease with a petroleum carrier that evaporates. On the other hand, high viscosity silicone grease tends to last the longest and I doubt there are any spray can greases that are silicone (oil) based because there's no petroleum solvent that works with silicone oil to evaporate away so the only solution there is a propellant that is a gas then it is thin enough to spray because it has a very low viscosity. I mean a wet silicone spray, dry silicone sprays are near worthless for bushings.

Back to WD-40... it is not a lubricant. If you have a very tight fitting bushing you'd be better off with spray can oil. Vehicle bushings are resistant to petroleum/organic oils so whether light machine oil or motor oil or WD-40 it shouldn't harm the bushing but since WD-40 isn't a lubricant, it will have a shorter effective period than most other options, would have to be reapplied quite a bit more often.

Another thing you can do if you have the colored (blue, red, etc) polyurethane bushings is swap them out for black ones (even if still polyurethane) because the black have carbon to give them that color and that results in a "little" self-lubrication.

 

[CJYoung]

That's great. If I have any questions I'll definitely be shouting your way.
With my schedule, I can only do part of the work, periodically

If you need any help with your 99 just ask
I have a 99 to and have just about touched just about every nut bolt and wire on it

Would you know the Axle Nut Size?
I have a 32, (too small), 35, (too big) Goldilocks Guessing 33...

 

[CJYoung]

Would you know the Axle Nut Size?
I have a 32, (too small), 35, (too big) Goldilocks Guessing 33...

 

[J_C]

^ The axle nut should be 32mm, possibly it has some rust removal needed?

 

[CJYoung]

^ The axle nut should be 32mm, possibly it has some rust removal needed?

OK, Its fairly clean, the 32 goes over the bevel, but not entire nut.
Amazon sells a 5 piece set, 32-36 mm Impact for $30.
I'll just those, fill out my collection.
Thanks J_C

 

[donalds]

J c is right 32mm

 

[CJYoung]

J c is right 32mm

Ok, I'll try again

 

[1stTimer]

Family time of the year but I'm still working on my 99 XLT. At the moment if anyone can point me to a post covering transmissions and drive shafts. Specifically the transmission output shaft and the slip yoke that goes goes over the output shaft. I'm have a hard time finding wear patterns. grease or no grease with an explanation how it's not contaminating the trans/fluid. My slip yoke is on the front side of the drive shaft and U joints on the other, most articles cover the drive shaft with the slip yoke mid shaft.