DIY: Ford Ranger 2wd Upper Control Arm Replacement

Right control arm (Canada): http://bit.ly/2upQZ9C
Left control arm (Canada): http://bit.ly/2zGTHwp
Right control arm (USA): http://bit.ly/2unDC9O
Left control arm (USA): http://bit.ly/2KYaa4G
US website: www.autopartsway.com
Canadian website: www.autopartsway.ca

Video tutorial on how to replace the upper control arms on a Ford Ranger. The truck I’m working with here today is a 1998 Ranger 2wd equipped with front coil spring suspension. The same procedure can also be applied to the Mazda B series trucks. The upper control arms on this truck has an alignment adjustment that affects the camber. I would highly recommend having your taken in for an alignment. If the alignment is incorrect, this can affect the handling and also cause excessive wear on your tires. The control arms can fail in a couple ways, one is through the ball joint and the other is through the bushings. When worn you may notice clunking, irregular handling, or uneven wear on your tires. In an extreme situation, the steering knuckle can separate from the upper control arm at the ball joint.

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Tools/Supplies Needed:
-15mm socket
-16mm socket
-3/8” drive ratchet
-1/2” drive ratchet
-1/2” breaker bar
-wire brush
-new control arms
-spray paint or a paint marker
-hammer
-sandpaper
-jack and stands
-punch

Procedure:
-safety elevate the front of the truck, use jack stands, and then remove the wheels
-remove the rubber barrier which is held on with plastic clips
-use a wire brush to clean up the threads and camber adjustment plates
-mark the camber plates using a paint marker or spray paint
-remove the 15mm pinch bolt which connects to the steering knuckle
-using a hammer, knock out the pinch bolt and then tap the control arm out of it’s location
-to remove the control arm bushing bolts, they require a 21mm socket and remove the bolts
-do not mix up the camber plates as they are different between each side
-pull out the control arm
-compare the old and new control arms to ensure they are the same
-there are different control arms for both the right and left sides of the truck
-using sandpaper, clean up the pinch clamp where the ball joint fits into place to remove any debris
-reinstall the new control arms, snug the arms in place but do not tighten them
-install the ball joint in the pinch connection and then install the pinch bolt
-you may need a hammer to help assist that bolt into place, be careful not to damage the threads
-the torque spec for this bolt is 35 to 46 ft lbs
-the same procedure applied to the opposite side
-using a wire brush, clean up the threads of the bolts and alignment areas so it can be easily marked
-remove the rubber barrier which is held into place with the plastic clips
-I used paint to mark the outline of the eccentrics, a paint marker can also be used to make lines instead
-using a 15mm socket and wrench, remove the pinch bolt
-then knock out the pinch bolt with a hammer
-use 21mm sockets to remove the control arm bushing bolts
-in order to break these bolts free, I used a breaker bar first
-remove the control arm
-clean up the spot where the ball joint fastens into the steering knuckle using sandpaper
-install the new control arm, you may need a hammer to gently tap it into place
-install the bushing bolts and snug everything into place, but don’t fully tighten them just yet
-install the ball joint into the steering knuckle
-install the pinch bolt and then tighten, the torque spec for this bolt is 35 to 46 ft lbs
-reinstall the wheels on both sides, the vehicle should be on responsibly level ground to do the bushing preload
-tighten the control arm bushings, the torque specs for these bolts are 83 to 113 ft lbs

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