97 Ranger XLT 4.0 5 speed extended cab, 2wd.

My truck needs a new steering box and radiator support in order to pass an inspection. The inspecting mechanic suggested that it was not worth fixing but this truck has years worth of enjoyment left in it. I am going to do the work myself. I have a fairly complete set of hand tools and a mig welder. I have never done a steering box or a rad support before. So, I am seeking advice from those more experienced members here.

I intend to do the steering box while the radiator support is out. I have read threads on removing the pitman arm and I have a strong 2 jaw puller which I think will work.

1. Will it be better, or is it a requirement to remove the fenders?
2. Is the rad support bolted in or welded? If welded do I need a spot weld remover or will a cutting wheel be ok?
3. The 2 body mounts at either end of the rad support - the parts place had no listing for the hardware, and I want to use new bolts/washers. If someone here knows the size please post it up.

 

The steering box replacement is fairly straight forward with what you need to do. Have the front wheels as straight ahead as possible. Three bolts hold it to the frame. Disconnect the input shaft from the steering column and remove the power steering hoses from the box. Good idea to have the wrenches made for fluid lines for this. The fittings can be pretty tight & rusty and the corners can round off pretty easy with just an open end wrench. Maybe soak them with your favorite rusty parts spray the day before you start removal. Keep the box bolted to the frame to loosen the pitman arm. Best way to hold it while you crank on the puller. Soak it down good too around the sector shaft splines on both sides of the pitman arm. The nut holding the pitman arm will take a larger socket than what you probably have so you'll have to buy, borrow or rent one if you have those options. On my 91 Ranger the socket was 1 & 5/16 inch which converts to about 33 millimeter. Yours should be around that size. Pitman arm pullers are made specifically for this job. They're pretty heavy duty. If your puller isn't up to it you should be able to rent one. Once you remove the nut and get the puller on and tightened down, you may need to leave it on for a while if it doesn't break loose right away. You might be able to help it along if you can tap/hit on the side of the pitman arm with a hammer while the puller is as tight as you can get it. Helps to have half inch drive breaker bar to get it tight. If it still won't come loose, leave it on tight and go back every 20 minutes and tighten it more. Eventually it will come loose. When you take it off check to see if there is a master spline on the sector shaft. It's wider than the others. It will need to be lined up with the same place on the new box with your pitman arm, so you may need to turn the steering input shaft on the box to move it. You should be able to leave the pitman arm attached to the steering center link while doing this. On your radiator support, be aware that some after market parts like radiator supports are not as well made as the original on your truck. Some of the bends may not be the same angle or at the right place and it may be larger or smaller than it should be. You may be able to get a support from Ford but it will be about 2 or 3 times the after market price. Also the paint on them isn't the best and won't protect the metal very long. So you may need to do some painting. Make sure the new one matches the original with its shape and all the holes, both size and location. Otherwise it may not fit/work. It might be easier to get at everything if the fenders were removed. But, you could leave them on until you have removed the front grill and other body items in front of the radiator. By that time you should be able to see if it would be better to also take off the fenders for better access. The radiator support is spot welded to the fender supports. You will get a better result if you can just cut the spot weld with a spot weld cutter. Cut down through the weld only on the piece of metal closest to you. That way you have something on the back side to weld the new part to. You may need to move the cut over a little if you don't get it all the first time. But you can weld it back up when you put it back together. Before you take the old one off, take some measurements and make some reference marks so you can get the new part on as square as possible like the original. You may need to make some trial fit runs to see if everything lines up so it will go together before you make the first weld. Make sure you pay attention to how it all comes apart so it will go together easier. Take your time with it and it should go pretty well. You should be able to get the body mount hardware from Ford along with the rubber mounts. They're special shoulder bolts so they don't bottom out the rubber mounts. They might be a bit expensive. I'm not sure if LMC Truck may have the hardware too but you could check on their site. Sounds like you'll be having some fun for a while. Let us know how it goes.

 

Thank you very much Rangerman Stan, for taking the time to type out that very detailed response. You have answered my questions and then some. I will update the thread when I get her done!

 

Yes, three cheers for Rangerman Stan!. I can see that you've done this before.

 

Just a little update.

It's not finished yet! Between work, family life, and a hunting trip, this job is taking me a while. Right now I have the fenders, bumper, rad support, and steering box out.

The biggest PITA so far is removing the rad support - there are way more spot welds than I was expecting and their placement seems kind of random. The support to the battery tray is also spot welded to the rad support and because of the location it might be a pain in the butt to weld it back up to the new rad support. No way were the bolts to the frame coming out with wrenches - those I had to cut.

The pitman arm came off with no problem using the method and tools suggested by Rangerman Stan!