So I picked up this 2000 Ranger 4x4 4.0 5 speed with 98,000 miles about a month ago. I already have a 2004 4x2 which is a great little truck but I wanted 4 wheel drive and the extended cab. So far I really like it but am having a few issues.

It drives pretty good but there is a growl/roaring sound at about 65 to 70 mph that I can't quite pinpoint where its coming from. At first I thought it was at the rear but now I'm not so sure. The rear wheel bearings both have just a slight bit of up and down movement (pass. side is worse) but not bad enough to make noise like this.

So then to the front. Both hubs 'seem' to roll smooth and have no play in them but that doesn't always mean they aren't shot. Both lower ball joints are bad and are getting replaced this weekend. The noise does seem to go away some by turning the wheel.

I know they switched to live axles in late 2000. The door sticker dates this truck as 03-00. My hubs have the big 32 mm bolt so its not the PVH system. However, there is a black plastic tube that comes out of the back of each hub. They go up under the radiator support into a small plastic plug with wires coming out of the other end. It looks like a vacuum line but maybe there are wires inside? I'm not sure if this truck has ABS.

So my questions are:
What the heck is this black plastic tube for?
To avoid confusion at the parts store, would I want hub/bearings for a 2000 or a 2001?
If I have bad wheel bearing, can I replace just the bearings or does it have to be the entire hub?

Advance Auto lists individual bearings for the front but because of the live axle vs. PVH for the 2000 year I'm not sure if this applies to my truck.

Also, I cross rotated the tires to see if the noise would go away (as per my extensive use of the search button; I'm not a rookie). We'll see if it helps tomorrow unless we get dumped on with snow again.

As always, thanks in advance for any input.

 

I don't know about your other problems, but in my experience, if the ball joints are worn out, the the inner & outer tie-rods are also worn out. If you replace them all at the same time, then you'll only need to get the alignment done once...

 

The black tubes are vacuum tubes which switch you in and out of 4x4. They enact the hubs for the live axles.

Now, I have a '96, but I don't know of any of the trucks that you would have to switch out the whole hub. You should be able to replace the wheel bearings separately. Normally if you turn and the noise gets better or worse, it'll be the front bearings.. (I said normally). If you turn left and the noise is worse, it's probably the right bearings and vice versa. They aren't expensive, so just change them out.

 

Right now the plan is to change out the lowers now. The uppers can wait until spring. Haven't checked tie rod ends yet but I will when I start taking it apart. I usually do my own alignments on all my older trucks and VWs so I will set this one for now but probably will take it in to an alignment shop when I put the uppers in.

 

Thats the part that has me puzzled. If i had vacuum operated hubs, I should have a big c-clip at the end of the hub right? Mine has a big 32mm nut which tells me that I have live axles and no need for vacuum lines.

 

Live axle= the cv and the hub are permanently attached so that the axle and wheel turn all the time. The disconnect is in the transfer case. Only the early 2000 had the vacuum hubs. your truck being built in March? of 2000 is a latter one.

the 32mm nut indicates you have a live axle

The plastic tube is probably the ABS. look under the hod and follow the brakeline from the MC. you should see the ABS device with 4 lines coming out of it.

The wheel bearings are part of the HUB assembly.

I would change all the fluids but I would immediately do a flush on the power steering fluid.

 

Well I finally got around to replacing the lower ball joints last week. Found out the little black tubes are in fact ABS sensors/harness and cost 50some dollars at RockAuto. (yes i broke one)
While it was apart I did some crawling around underneath and checked every moving part under there in attempt to find where this vibration i have is coming from.
The only thing I found with any movement was the bearing in the transfer case where the front driveshaft bolts up. It has just enough up and down play in it where you can feel it clunk a little. I thought about pulling the front driveshaft and driving it around to see if that makes any difference. Would I be correct in assuming that part won't turn if the driveshaft is removed as long as I am in 2wd?