2002 Ford Ranger 2WD Coil Spring Upper Ball Joint
- Thread starter DuckRyder
- Start date
Originally Posted by Kruse
I do feel sorry for some of the Ford parts men when a customer comes in wanting the replacement ball joints ONLY when the vehicle had been previously replaced with aftermarket control arms that have the replaceable ball joints. I'm sure some of the "know-it-all" customers leave feeling that the parts (wo)men are complete idiots.
Happens all the time. Just part of the job I guess. Or when something is obsolete or the pricing is completely outrageous. We don't set the pricing and if something is way out of line I will offer a customer a discount, but even then the marital status of my mom gets called into question.
I do feel sorry for some of the Ford parts men when a customer comes in wanting the replacement ball joints ONLY when the vehicle had been previously replaced with aftermarket control arms that have the replaceable ball joints. I'm sure some of the "know-it-all" customers leave feeling that the parts (wo)men are complete idiots.
Happens all the time. Just part of the job I guess. Or when something is obsolete or the pricing is completely outrageous. We don't set the pricing and if something is way out of line I will offer a customer a discount, but even then the marital status of my mom gets called into question.
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
Getting hard to find good tires to fit Rangers, at least 2WD non Edge ones...
Yokohama served well in the past. Road force put the red dots close to the stems on all 4 which is not what Yoko says, unless the stem is also the point of minimum radial runout...
Move up to 235/75/15 next time. Still less selection than there used to be, but more than 225/70. It doesn't change the speedometer much.
I have used Geolandar ATs before and liked them, but didn't get great life out of them, around 40k miles. Right now I have Nexen NPriz all seasons on my 02 2WD... they are great in rain.
Getting hard to find good tires to fit Rangers, at least 2WD non Edge ones...
Yokohama served well in the past. Road force put the red dots close to the stems on all 4 which is not what Yoko says, unless the stem is also the point of minimum radial runout...
Move up to 235/75/15 next time. Still less selection than there used to be, but more than 225/70. It doesn't change the speedometer much.
I have used Geolandar ATs before and liked them, but didn't get great life out of them, around 40k miles. Right now I have Nexen NPriz all seasons on my 02 2WD... they are great in rain.
Originally Posted by Kruse
In general, Ford truck suspension parts won't last 100K.
They used to. The Twin I Beam and TTB front end trucks from the 60s to 90s were very strong. My TTB Explorer has had one ball joint replaced, the rest are believed to be original with 256k miles. My TTB Ranger has what appear to be all original ball joints with 203k miles. My 02 Ranger with 239k needs at least uppers sometime soon AGAIN, for the third time, but they do have a lifetime parts warranty.
In general, Ford truck suspension parts won't last 100K.
They used to. The Twin I Beam and TTB front end trucks from the 60s to 90s were very strong. My TTB Explorer has had one ball joint replaced, the rest are believed to be original with 256k miles. My TTB Ranger has what appear to be all original ball joints with 203k miles. My 02 Ranger with 239k needs at least uppers sometime soon AGAIN, for the third time, but they do have a lifetime parts warranty.
Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
Getting hard to find good tires to fit Rangers, at least 2WD non Edge ones...
Yokohama served well in the past. Road force put the red dots close to the stems on all 4 which is not what Yoko says, unless the stem is also the point of minimum radial runout...
Move up to 235/75/15 next time. Still less selection than there used to be, but more than 225/70. It doesn't change the speedometer much.
I have used Geolandar ATs before and liked them, but didn't get great life out of them, around 40k miles. Right now I have Nexen NPriz all seasons on my 02 2WD... they are great in rain.
I have NPriz on the Jetta OE, they are horrible tires maybe it is just because they are OE but I've scratched any sort of Nexen on any car off the list... If i wasn't cheap I'd have already replaced them...
40,000 is enough out of the Yoko...
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
Getting hard to find good tires to fit Rangers, at least 2WD non Edge ones...
Yokohama served well in the past. Road force put the red dots close to the stems on all 4 which is not what Yoko says, unless the stem is also the point of minimum radial runout...
Move up to 235/75/15 next time. Still less selection than there used to be, but more than 225/70. It doesn't change the speedometer much.
I have used Geolandar ATs before and liked them, but didn't get great life out of them, around 40k miles. Right now I have Nexen NPriz all seasons on my 02 2WD... they are great in rain.
I have NPriz on the Jetta OE, they are horrible tires maybe it is just because they are OE but I've scratched any sort of Nexen on any car off the list... If i wasn't cheap I'd have already replaced them...
40,000 is enough out of the Yoko...
Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
Originally Posted by Kruse
In general, Ford truck suspension parts won't last 100K.
They used to. The Twin I Beam and TTB front end trucks from the 60s to 90s were very strong. My TTB Explorer has had one ball joint replaced, the rest are believed to be original with 256k miles. My TTB Ranger has what appear to be all original ball joints with 203k miles. My 02 Ranger with 239k needs at least uppers sometime soon AGAIN, for the third time, but they do have a lifetime parts warranty.
I had to replace upper, lower ball joints and tie rod ends on my 87 F150 at 55k miles. So I have to strongly disagree with your thoughts of the twin I beam front end parts being strong. The OEM joints were all junk from the start.I know several others who had the same issues before 75k miles. I still have the truck and the greasable Moog front end parts I put on back in 1997 are still good and tight to this day.
Originally Posted by Kruse
In general, Ford truck suspension parts won't last 100K.
They used to. The Twin I Beam and TTB front end trucks from the 60s to 90s were very strong. My TTB Explorer has had one ball joint replaced, the rest are believed to be original with 256k miles. My TTB Ranger has what appear to be all original ball joints with 203k miles. My 02 Ranger with 239k needs at least uppers sometime soon AGAIN, for the third time, but they do have a lifetime parts warranty.
I had to replace upper, lower ball joints and tie rod ends on my 87 F150 at 55k miles. So I have to strongly disagree with your thoughts of the twin I beam front end parts being strong. The OEM joints were all junk from the start.I know several others who had the same issues before 75k miles. I still have the truck and the greasable Moog front end parts I put on back in 1997 are still good and tight to this day.
Last edited:
![[Linked Image from rangerxlt.com]](http://www.rangerxlt.com/images/forums/vehicles/F100/DiscSwap/DiskStuff4.jpg "[Linked Image from rangerxlt.com]")
TWIN I Beams good as long as bushings are bronze.
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
TWIN I Beams good as long as bushings are bronze.
I'm not talking to anybody on this post or this site who had trouble with their twin I beam system, but too many people never greased the king pins. Unlike a ball joint, you cannot over grease a king pin.
You simply take the weight off the king pin and grease away...until the grease comes oozing out, all the while turning the steering wheel back and forth to spread it around.
TWIN I Beams good as long as bushings are bronze.
I'm not talking to anybody on this post or this site who had trouble with their twin I beam system, but too many people never greased the king pins. Unlike a ball joint, you cannot over grease a king pin.
You simply take the weight off the king pin and grease away...until the grease comes oozing out, all the while turning the steering wheel back and forth to spread it around.
Originally Posted by Lubener
I had to replace upper, lower ball joints and tie rod ends on my 87 F150 at 55k miles. So I have to strongly disagree with your thoughts of the twin I beam front end parts being strong. The OEM joints were all junk from the start.I know several others who had the same issues before 75k miles. I still have the truck and the greasable Moog front end parts I put on back in 1997 are still good and tight to this day.
Maybe it varies by application. On Ranger specific forums the consensus has always been that TIB/TTB is preferable to either torsion bar or coil spring IFS, and that has been my experience as well. My trucks get driven on the same roads, and the IFS truck eats ball joints for lunch compared to the Twin Traction Beam trucks.
I had to replace upper, lower ball joints and tie rod ends on my 87 F150 at 55k miles. So I have to strongly disagree with your thoughts of the twin I beam front end parts being strong. The OEM joints were all junk from the start.I know several others who had the same issues before 75k miles. I still have the truck and the greasable Moog front end parts I put on back in 1997 are still good and tight to this day.
Maybe it varies by application. On Ranger specific forums the consensus has always been that TIB/TTB is preferable to either torsion bar or coil spring IFS, and that has been my experience as well. My trucks get driven on the same roads, and the IFS truck eats ball joints for lunch compared to the Twin Traction Beam trucks.
