I recently bought a 92 Exp XLT(68k orig miles) 4WD. After driving it awhile I've become convinced something isn't quite right with the front end but I don't have experience enough to figure it out. (I have a 90 Ranger 2WD also. Maybe because it feels different is the reason I'm paranoid.) When braking, sometimes I hear a clunking in the front end but it sounds more aft, like the radius arm bushing, but visually it looks okay. The sliding blocks that hold the calipers seem in good condition and I believe the calipers are tight. I've seen some posts about the bushing, but can anyone provide specifics? Also the front tires had severe inside tire wear but I had attributed that to very loose wheel bearings which I've tightened. I even posted on this forum about the bearings. The front end still seems loose somewhere. Maybe I have more than one issue here...
(The mileage is verified. I bought it from dad)
Thanks

 

Could be the ball joint(s). I've got around 150K on my '92 Explorer and have not changed mine. However, I'm getting ready to go through that experiece. My left sid tire has severe inside wear, and I periodically hear popping when breaking or turning. I'm not sure yet what all is involved in changing them, but I'll probably know within the next couple of weeks.

 

I know these trucks the wheel bearings loosen off a lot I check mine twice a year tighten the crap out of em and they still loosen off. If you think your tires are screwed because of the bearings maybe your inner bearings are screwed right up. try taking the hubs off and get a good look at the inners.
supposidly you can check all front end wear by leaving the truck on the ground in a spot where you can have a good view off all the tie rod ends ball joint and pitman arm's. ( my driveway is on a downward slope so i sit the truck and the top and have a good view of the front chassis ) Have someone inside the truck with the key on just to unlock the wheel tunring the wheel like 15 or 20 degrees back and forth just enouch to move all the front end components. and whatever is worn out should move more than it should ( sloppy )showing you that its worn out
hope this makes sence and might help you out
something else to try is take your tires of the ranger and put em on the ex see if it makes a difference

 

May be a little bit of a long shot, but sometimes when the auto hubs get too much grease built up inside of them, they can try to engage when they aren't supposed to.
When you checked the RA bushings, did you just look, or did you get a hold of the radius arm and make sure it couldn't move within the bushing?
I would also go around and check all the other suspension parts (sway bar bushings, shock absorbers, etc) to make sure it's all tight. Might even check all the u-joints and make sure they are tight.

 

Thanks for the tips. It looks like I can do some more checking...
I guess I didn't tell the whole story. While driving the Explorer the 300 miles it took to get it home I noticed a little drifting in the front end (at 75 mph). At home I checked the ball joints by jacking the axle under the radius arm attach bolt, and with a pry bar I wiggled it under the tire. The ball joints seemed tight but that's when I noticed the wheel loose at the bearings. After removing the tire I noticed I needed brakes and rotors so I replaced those. At that time I cleaned and repacked the bearings. (It's been over 15 years, but in school I worked at a tire shop and did a lot of brake jobs. I think my competance is up to par, but one can never be sure!!!!) All of my inspections have been with the wheels "unloaded". To check steering parts, I'll try wiggling the steering wheel with the front end on the ground as suggested by lotr-hammer. Is there a better way to check the ball joints than what I did? Also I only did a visual inspection on the radius arm bushing. Also Jerrysim...It sounds like you have the same problem I do.
And finally... I need to recheck the bearings. Sounds like that may be a recurring problem. Thanks for the help. I'll reply in a couple of days to report my findings.
Later

 

Sorry for the delay...2 months in getting around to working on this...I must sheepishly admit that after re-tightening the bearings and scraping some white powder stuff off of the brake calipers (corrosion?) that the noise has gone away. Every thing is fine now, but I'm still going to change the calipers.
Thanks for the help!!