OMFG i need help!!! ugh, ABS, BALL JOINTS, AHHHH

[SwaintaN]

OK so Im doing my ball joints, now... I have the thread etc, followed it, now i got the Driver side done.. im onto the pass side... this is where i need help!!!! :fire:

The small bolt that goes into the Cast Iron piece around the ABS sensor... well the head is rounded, tried a few things, cant get it out of there!!!! i need that piece to come off of the abs sensor so we can remove the spindle, please help with any advice on how to get that small lil bolt out... so i can finish my job

Just Info
Ball Joints are Moog
Tie Rods are Moog

 

[SwaintaN]

Fyi

ABS has not worked in a VERY VERY VERY long time! just thought I would throw that in

 

[DeRocha]

One you round off the head you will either need to see if a smaller sized socket will fit (Most likely they won't).

In this case I used several differently sized drill bits to Erase most of the rounded off head (Don't drill into the Knuckle!). I then used a cold chisel and hammer to pop off the head. I then removed the ABS Sensor bracket, put it in a vise and used vise grips to unscrew the broken bolt (it came off easy).

 

[SwaintaN]

i got a lil lost so im gonna ask a few questions

Info first, we didnt round it, lol, i think these have been replaced before cause there was 3 other bolts that were already rounded off.

Now the bolt im talking about is that small little bolt coming from the back towards the part surrounding the ABS sensor. even with taking the head off wouldnt it be hard as hell to get the part surrounding the abs sensor to come off... cause that is what im working with. the ABS Sensor is stuck in place, so i cant push it through either, getting off the surrounding bracket was (i thought) my only option

 

[gmanpaint]

:ttiwwp:

 

[DeRocha]

The ABS sensor and the bolt holding it in (the one going through the wire harness) do not need to be removed. The ABS sensor protector and the little 6mm 12pt bolt (1/4" socket) on the left do. This bolt passes through the steering knuckle and threads into the ABS Sensor protector. As such if you remove the head you can pull off the ABS sensor protector. There will be about 1/4" or so of threads sticking out of the protector which can be removed with vice grips.

 

[DeRocha]

On 1st gen Explorers (91-94) the front ABS wheel sensor is pressed into the steering knuckle as shown in the picture below. The second picture shows the backside of the steering knuckle. You only need to remove the little bolt to the left of the ABS Sensor wire.

 

[SwaintaN]

your a savior... however... the protector around the abs sensors.. both broke! UGH.... well the ABS hasnt worked in FOREVER.. so i left them off took off the ABS sensor even, got it all done though, thank you for your help, and i mean THANK YOU!!!!!!


the people on this site and this site has helped me out 100s of times, thank you all!

 

[DeRocha]

Glad to hear you got everything taken care of.. ABS is nice in certain situations, but nothing absolutely necessary. Not having it as you already know is NOT that big of a deal.

 

[SwaintaN]

did u mean is or isnt that big of a deal? i coudlnt stand them, in the winter when i pressed the brake and had abs i didnt stop, screw that i like to stop, lol

 

[DeRocha]

did u mean is or isnt that big of a deal? i coudlnt stand them, in the winter when i pressed the brake and had abs i didnt stop, screw that i like to stop, lol

Sorry my bad.. I edited my post to include "NOT".. My mind thought NOT, but my fingers didn't when typing..

 

[SwaintaN]

lol ive done that alot.. even tonight.. haha.. yeah abs was crappy ne wayz up here in ohio i just wish i would have removed both instead of just the one.

 

[BrianDye]

ABS has not worked in a VERY VERY VERY long time! just thought I would throw that in

Same with my 92, crazy **** is, when i bought a pair of LED taillight bulbs, my explorer wouldnt go into the last gear, so doin 45, it was up at like 2200 RPMs, instead of the usual like 1350, and the ABS light would stay on,


i put the regular bulbs back in, everything went back to normal, thought maybe it was a coincidence but i did it again and same results.

my truck was HORRIBLE this winter for stopping, if i pressed on the pedal in snow, instant slipping....got me pulled over once..got off with a warning....you say taking the ABS off would make it stop better??

 

[SwaintaN]

if you know how to handle it in the snow. the ABS or not abs will determine if you slid or not, ive locked it up when the abs did work..... but a long time back i had smoke come from the fuse box (under the hood) and every sense then my ABS has been not working, with light on. with me doing the ball joints, and finally getting them out (do to help, thank you guys) i just left them out, busted anyways.... so its up to you and how you feel, ABS isnt really gonna stop you from having a wreck(slipping)..... i would like to fix my abs sometime soon, just not sure where and how to start

 

[TedJ]

Same with my 92, crazy **** is, when i bought a pair of LED taillight bulbs, my explorer wouldnt go into the last gear, so doin 45, it was up at like 2200 RPMs, instead of the usual like 1350, and the ABS light would stay on

This is not as strange as it sounds. Basically, the LED bulbs have much different electrical properties then a standard bulb does. Doesn't matter for them working, but the PCM is also connected to the brake light circuit, so that it will unlock the torque converter (your "last gear") when you step on the brakes.

The LED bulbs make the PCM think you are braking all the time, so it does not go into lockup.

You can install a resistor in the taillight circuit, so you can use the LED bulbs. There was information about doing that somewhere around here (try searching)


Also, 92 is rear wheel ABS only, so you don't have the sensors or any ABS functions in the front. The rear wheel ABS systems don't do much but it might help you from going into a spin.

I would leave it alone, personally I like my ABS (I have a '94 with 4 Wheel ABS), I think it helps a lot in the snow, just don't jam the brakes on because once you go into a four-wheel skid, the ABS thinks you are not moving so it doesn't do anything. It depends on sensing the differential in speed between the tires to work.