whats the easiest way to get to the spark plugs to change them on a 97 aerostar

 

I did a set the other day and they aren't real easy to do. On the driver's side I did them all from up top with a 3' long extension with a u-joint and socket.
On the passenger's side you do the front 2 from in the wheel well and the back one from underneath.
Some people do more of them from underneath, some do the driver's side through the wheel well.

 

I've done a few aerostar tuneups, the way I get the drivers side is from the top and for the passenger side I jack up that corner just a bit so that there is more of a gap between the the wheel well and tire then pull all three out from there with the help of a ujoint and 2 wobble extensions. I can do the plug change it's self in about 15-20 mins now.

 

I recommend investing in a good quality universal spark plug socket, the kind where the swivel joint is built right into the socket itself. You want to get one where the u-joint moves freely, yet still has enough resitance that you can set the angle the way you want it with your fingers and it'll stay that way. This allows for better "aiming" of the socket at the plugs while you're trying to manever the ratchet and extensions into position. Also comes in very handy when putting the plugs back in.

The spark plugs on my Ranger 4.0L are a little hard to get at, and the universal spark plug socket helps out a lot, and regarding my Taurus SHO with the DOHC design and deep plug wells, I honestly couldn't have replaced the plugs without it.