Explorer Sport trac brake upgrade for Ranger Help needed badly

[Drummadude]

TRS Forum member Josh T has an article on the site about upgrading the 95-97 Ranger spindles/knuckles for 2004 Ford 2wd Sport Trac 12-inch rotors. My problem is the 2004 Sport trac caliper brackets I ordered are wrong. When I enter it online I get pn 14-1002. Does anyone know the correct part number for the bracket? The metal bracket drawing shows the spacing between the holes on center is 6.843 and these brackets are 5.625. I am dead in the water and I have my vacation scheduled for next week to install the brackets I fabricated for this upgrade.

 

[don4331]

TRS Forum member Josh T has an article on the site about upgrading the 95-97 Ranger spindles/knuckles for 2004 Ford 2wd Sport Trac 12-inch rotors. My problem is the 2004 Sport trac caliper brackets I ordered are wrong. When I enter it online I get pn 14-1002. Does anyone know the correct part number for the bracket? The metal bracket drawing shows the spacing between the holes on center is 6.843 and these brackets are 5.625. I am dead in the water and I have my vacation scheduled for next week to install the brackets I fabricated for this upgrade.

The article for installing 2wd Sport Trac 12-inch rotors requires you to manufacture an adapter to move the '95-'97 calipers out the 7/8". If you have '04 Sport Trac calipers you would need different spacing on the holes (as you have found out).

 

[JoshT]

I've got an article around here?

I've posted some stuff around the forums that has been incorporated into articles, but I can't take much credit for it. The work was doen by other people on a now defunct webforum, Ranger Power Sports. I was just sharing what I learned so members here could benefit.

Sounds like you are looking at using 12" Sport Trac rotors on 95-97 Ranger TIB suspension. In that case Don 331 is correct. The bracket is designed to used 1995-1997 Ranger calipers and brackets, and I'm not surprised that the Sport Trac ones are different.

I think, but can't promise, that the caliper itself will be the same. In your shoes I'd probably see if I could scrounge up a bracket for a 95-97 caliper and see if the caliper fits. If it does, you have your solution. If it does not, I'd be trying to exchange those calipers for the earlier model before next week.

 

[JoshT]

Did some quick checking for the calipers and still can't confirm the caliper thing. No one seems to ofer a basic caliper, only calipers w/ brackets.

When I enter it online I get pn 14-1002.

I just noticed this part of your post. My searching tells me that for the 95-97 Rangers, that would have been a 4wd bracket. They probably consolidated to have a single part on later models. The 2wd part number for 95-97 would be 14-1053.

It sounds like you only ordered a caliper bracket, was that the 14-1002?
What calipers are you using?
Will your caliper mount to the 14-1002 bracket you have? If so they will likely fit the 14-1053 as well considering that the same pads were used for 2wd and 4wd.

Personally I'd try to return the brackets you have and order a pair of 95-97 2wd calipers through RockAuto. Those brackets are going to cost you $35/ea locally. A complete caliper with bracket is going to be about $40/ea including the core charge. Plus you can use the 5% discount code. That said I know RA's shipping speed to me and, if I ordered today, I'd have them by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. I'd spend the weekend taking out the old and prepping for reinstall. Even if I started going back together, the calipers would arrive before I was ready for them.

After thinking about it some more, I don't think anything ever said that the 2004 Sport Trac caliper brackets were needed. May I ask where that bit of information was found?

 

[Drummadude]

Thanks guys! I think that has helped greatly. I was watching the T-Brad Fabrication video and got it in my head that the Sport trac bracket was used.

 

[JoshT]

I just watched it. I can see how you would come away from that thinking that you needed the ST calipers and brackets.

Have you already got the adapter brackets, or do you stil need those as well? If needing them, there is a company that sells them again.

 

[Drummadude]

I just watched it. I can see how you would come away from that thinking that you needed the ST calipers and brackets.

Have you already got the adapter brackets, or do you stil need those as well? If needing them, there is a company that sells them again.

Hey Josh, yes, who is selling the adapters now?

 

[JoshT]

S&S Engineering

Did you get things figured out so you can do it this week like you planned?

 

[Drummadude]

S&S Engineering

Did you get things figured out so you can do it this week like you planned?

I ordered the full kit calipers and brackets, but when I opened the box, one of the inner packs had damage, opened it up and it looked like a returned item that someone didn't bother to check. It was missing a caliper bolt and the hardware pack. So I have to return it. But I do have one to get started with and I hope they can fast track the other to arrive mid-weekish.

 

[Drummadude]

So I picked up the bearings and wheel seals and it appears that backside race isn't installed. Can someone look at this rotor and confirm please. This is my first time dealing with front wheel bearings. I suspect I should rent a race installation tool from the parts store. Thanks in advance!

 

[JoshT]

Back when I had a working 2wd, new rotors came with new races installed. That was for first gen Rangers, but essentially the same rotor was used (with addition of ABS ring) until 1997.

I can't really tell from that picture, but it looks like it has a race installed to me. That would be that shiny beveled/tapered edge you can see.

Having said that, if the new bearings came with a race, I would use the race that came with the bearing. Might be a little more work, but might have better tolerances being a matched set from the same manufacturer.

 

[don4331]

So I picked up the bearings and wheel seals and it appears that backside race isn't installed. Can someone look at this rotor and confirm please. This is my first time dealing with front wheel bearings. I suspect I should rent a race installation tool from the parts store. Thanks in advance!

Race is install on the side you've taken the picture for. Seal isn't, but you'd want to install the greased bearing before anyways.

 

[Drummadude]

Back when I had a working 2wd, new rotors came with new races installed. That was for first gen Rangers, but essentially the same rotor was used (with addition of ABS ring) until 1997.

I can't really tell from that picture, but it looks like it has a race installed to me. That would be that shiny beveled/tapered edge you can see.

Having said that, if the new bearings came with a race, I would use the race that came with the bearing. Might be a little more work, but might have better tolerances being a matched set from the same manufacturer.

Back when I had a working 2wd, new rotors came with new races installed. That was for first gen Rangers, but essentially the same rotor was used (with addition of ABS ring) until 1997.

I can't really tell from that picture, but it looks like it has a race installed to me. That would be that shiny beveled/tapered edge you can see.

Having said that, if the new bearings came with a race, I would use the race that came with the bearing. Might be a little more work, but might have better tolerances being a matched set from the same manufacturer.

When I drop the bearing in to test where it lands, it rides on the black area in this picture (not shiny, raw unpolished metal), that's why I was asking if the race needs to be installed. I can see the outside bearing race is there ( I have the original bearing, washer, and nut). I am wondering if I have the wrong inner bearing?

I have an 87 Ranger and I did the 97 drop beams/spindles and the TRQ 2004 Sport Trac rotors. Everything I have read says the 97 Ranger bearings should be fine, but this is confusing. I have already done the rear conversion to the SN95 Mustang disc brakes, that was smooth.

 

[JoshT]

Yes, it sounds like either you are trying to install the bearing in the wrong spot, or they gave you the wrong bearing. If it drops that far into the rotor, it sounds more like the outer bearing.

Number 8 in this picture is going to be your inner bearing, it should ride on the race (shiny polished metal) in the picture above. Your outer bearing, number 10, is going to go in from the other side of the rotor after you have it slid on the spindle. There should be another shiny metal race on that side of the rotor.

If you don't have a bearing that sits properly on the inner race, then they definitely got you the wrong stuff.

Do you have the part numbers handy for the bearings that you have. Should be 4 bearings total, two of each part number. If you can provide those P/N maybe we can help figure out where the confusion is.

 

[don4331]

When I drop the bearing in to test where it lands, it rides on the black area in this picture (not shiny, raw unpolished metal), that's why I was asking if the race needs to be installed. I can see the outside bearing race is there ( I have the original bearing, washer, and nut). I am wondering if I have the wrong inner bearing?

I have an 87 Ranger and I did the 97 drop beams/spindles and the TRQ 2004 Sport Trac rotors. Everything I have read says the 97 Ranger bearings should be fine, but this is confusing. I have already done the rear conversion to the SN95 Mustang disc brakes, that was smooth.

Did you order bearings for an '87 Ranger or a '97 one? Does the bearing fit on the spindle?

'87 Ranger uses

cup/cone id od thickness​

LM67048/LM67010 1.250 2.328 0.625 aka set 6​

LM67048/LM67010 0.750 1.781 0.610​

​

'97 Ranger uses

LM48549/LM48510 1.375 2.5625 0.710 aka set 5​

LM11949/LM11910 0.750 1.781 0.655​

​

Seals are different too