2004 ford explorer sport trac RWD 4.0L V6 XLT 4D crew cab, torsion bar suspension

I have a broken driver side front spindle and need to replace my steering knuckle to fix the problem..

No parts store that I can find has the steering knuckle I need, they all have only the 4wd option. RockAuto gives me the same result. At AutoZone, the matching hub/rotor assembly is listed as a rear part.

I finally found the part and part number on fordpartsgiant.com as 1L5Z-3106-AA I'm not particularly cheap, but nearly $500 seems a bit steep.

On another website (and several others throughout my hours of searching) I found the part listed as fitting multiple vehicles from '98-'10 (explorer, ranger, sport trac, mountaineer), so I go back to rockauto, orielly's, and advance searching several of the other models, all coming back with a Dorman 698199 and a similar alternate part number 1L5Z-3106-CA. As far as I can tell, it looks to be exactly what I need!... Dorman's website says this part will not fit my vehicle.

So my questions are: does the "CA" vs "AA" make a difference? What is it? Do all these parts dealers have their databases screwed up? I can't find any info on the subject anywhere, I'm really hoping someone else has ran into this problem. (I feel for you)

Thanks

 

I was curious so I looked around and this is what I found on them letters. Sorry not much of an explanation.*Note – in the Body section the first two numbers define the body style of the car. You need to refer to the front section of the catalog to find out this information if you do not know what your car is.

Final digits – Design Level. On Soft trim used to define color. A or AA first design, then AB, AC, AD, etc. BA or CA would be a part that was the same function as the AA but slightly different

Taken from this web site: click here
Let us know how you made out.

 

If a used part is not out of the question, there may be something on car-part.com. You enter your vehicle's particulars and your location, then pick the part from a list. It will show you all the nearby yards that have the part. I find it useful for parts the dealers don't carry.

 

based on the link below, the AA and CA designations just means the part has gone through design changes , with CA being the latest design.

https://www.fordification.com/tech/p...s_overview.htm