Greasing front end?
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Newport, WA
Greasing front end?
My wife has a 98 Ranger 4x2 that sounds like it could desperately use some grease in the control arms up front, but I can't find any grease fittings anywhere. Suggestions?
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Joined: May 2003
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Mine was making a squeaking noise up front as well. I thought it was the bushings on the upper control arms. After a little more thorough searching I found out it was the upper ball joints. I had to remove the upper control arms and have new ball joints pressed in at a machine shop. I tried to locate replacement upper control arms but no one carried the right ones. Mine has coil springs and the replacement control arms everyone carried were for a Ranger with torsion bars. They only stocked the replacement ball joints for my Ranger. Even the Ford dealer did not stock the control arms. They would of had to be special ordered. I now have ball joints that I can grease. 
You may have to replace the ball joints.
GreenBoonie
You may have to replace the ball joints.GreenBoonie
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Newport, WA
Thanks for the tips.... I don't think anything is worn out, I think it's just got some dust in it from a 3 month vacation. Time to break out the WD40! 
The truck only has 93K easy miles on it, so I doubt ball joints are an issue right now.
The truck only has 93K easy miles on it, so I doubt ball joints are an issue right now.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: poughkeepsie ny
Whoa. Be careful with that Wd-40 or other petroleum based lubricants you might think of using up there. Though they might provide some lubrication, they may also serve to eventually eat away at rubber(like) bushings and components. Try silicone instead. Its much more friendly to those kinda materials.
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Mine only had 80K miles on it. Mostly city and highway driving. Parked in a garage every night. The lube in the ball joints dried up and there is no way to relube them. I would look closer at where the noise is coming from.
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From: Newport, WA
Originally posted by seagull369
Whoa. Be careful with that Wd-40 or other petroleum based lubricants you might think of using up there. Though they might provide some lubrication, they may also serve to eventually eat away at rubber(like) bushings and components. Try silicone instead. Its much more friendly to those kinda materials.
Whoa. Be careful with that Wd-40 or other petroleum based lubricants you might think of using up there. Though they might provide some lubrication, they may also serve to eventually eat away at rubber(like) bushings and components. Try silicone instead. Its much more friendly to those kinda materials.
I'll try and check into the ball joints as well. I also noticed a kind of "popping" while going down the road... could be ball joints after all.
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Re: Greasing front end?
Originally posted by superduty4x4
My wife has a 98 Ranger 4x2 that sounds like it could desperately use some grease in the control arms up front, but I can't find any grease fittings anywhere. Suggestions?
My wife has a 98 Ranger 4x2 that sounds like it could desperately use some grease in the control arms up front, but I can't find any grease fittings anywhere. Suggestions?
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Originally posted by seagull369
Whoa. Be careful with that Wd-40 or other petroleum based lubricants you might think of using up there. Though they might provide some lubrication, they may also serve to eventually eat away at rubber(like) bushings and components. Try silicone instead. Its much more friendly to those kinda materials.
Whoa. Be careful with that Wd-40 or other petroleum based lubricants you might think of using up there. Though they might provide some lubrication, they may also serve to eventually eat away at rubber(like) bushings and components. Try silicone instead. Its much more friendly to those kinda materials.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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My 91 2 wheel drive Ranger squeaks more in cold weather. In the past I'm fairly sure that it was the bushings because I could spray lub and it would stop it for a while. And yes I made the mistake of using WD40. I've also used the silicone and will stay with that from now on. I was unaware about the WD40 until I read these posts. I haven't been getting any popping so hopfully my ball joints are okay. Since I'm at about 120 thousand I guess I need to be more watchful. What about installing grease fittings. I haven't looked to see if there is enough access for drilling and tapping.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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On my 97 F-150, I drilled and installed self tapping zerks in the balljoints and tie-rod ends. I really don't understand why ford doesn't, other the huge replacement parts thing. Doesn't take long to do and it really helps. Good luck.