O.K. So now I'm really confused. Maybe someone can help. I have a '98 Ranger SuperCab XLT 2WD with 4.0 L V6 and Automatic o/d transmission. If you look for the suspension drawings in a Chilton's manual you will notice that the front suspension for this truck shows either shocks between the upper and lower control arms with a torsion bar OR a coil spring between the upper and lower control arms with a shock absorber mounted beside the spring. My truck however has the shock absorber INSIDE the coil spring.

So what's the deal? If I want to change the lower ball joints the Chilton's manual says that they're integral with the control arm and thus must be replaced as a unit BUT I can see a snap ring on mine that would look as an earlier design. Is this possible?

The truck's front suspension definitely does not match the assembly drawings. If I go to the auto parts place and give the year and model I know that they are going to tell me that I'll need the whole assembly not just the ball joints.

Sorry for the length of this post and thanks in advance for advice.

 

The ford dealership parts dep can probably get a print-out drawing of the front end, if someone here can't. Moog (I believe) makes replacement greasable balljoints, you don't NEED to replace the whole control arms.

 

I appreciate your help. I'm still wondering why the front end does not match the diagrams in the books and the specifications for the year in question. I've run across similar differences when I restored my '69 Mustang but the differences were minor such as a '68 fuel pump or a '65 ignition switch but nothing as radical as a different suspension set up.

 

My 2000 and her 2002 have the shock in the spring, that might be a pic of the older TIB front end. See the tech info post for a link on doing the lower ball joints.

 

Thanks Ken, but I didn't see lower ball joints in the tech article section. Where do I need to look?

Mike

 

Its the last one in the brake/suspension section of the tech info thread in the Ranger forum.

 

Thanks