Ball joint question?

[Southern3.0]

On my '96 Ranger the driver side lower ball joint is loose, so I went and picked up a new one, and I plan on changing it Saturday. But I was looking up the repair guide online just to see if there was gonna be any surprises and I relised all the pics of the 2wd ball joints are different then what my truck looks like. The pics online show the Ball joint pressed into the I beam and the threads pointing down, but on my truck the ball joint is pressed into the knuckle with the treads pointing up.

Now its got me wondering, and now I'm worried I might have the wrong parts. I know there were some Changes to the knuckles in '95, is that what the difference is and there just not showing it?

Online it looks like this

My truck looks like this

and heres the ball Joint I bought, it has a groove for a snap ring and my truck dosnt have a snap ring on the lower joint. It looks like the upper for my truck, but it cant be because my upper isnt threaded for a nut.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

That kinda almost looks like the balljoint for a 4x4

 

[Southern3.0]

The one I bought?

 

[superrocker10]

that looks like the lower ball joint in my truck

 

[Original_Ranger84]

That sort of looks like my upper or lower joint, I have 4x4.

 

[Combs Customs]

Every lower balljoint I have bought for a D35 has come with a snap ring. You can't put it on, balljoint doesnt stick thru the knuckle far enough. It probably fits another application and thats what the snap ring is for. The bad part about the TTB balljoints is, in order to press in the new lower one, you must remove the upper one.

 

[Todd~Rod]

Ball joints

I think they gave you the lower ball joint for a 4x4 i just looked and mine and that looks identical to the lower joint on my 4x4

 

[reno]

Not a hijack, but why is some of ya'lls tie rod ends on top and some are on bottom? You do know this thread will be moved shortly, right??????

 

[TrucksGetDirty]

Is your tierod upside down...?

 

[Southern3.0]

I'm planing on doing it today, in the morining after I wake up seeing that its 2 am, but I dont wanna tear into my truck and find out I have the wrong parts. I think I might go to another parts store and see what they have.. But on the other Hand if my truck is undriveable and I need parts my mom will throw me the keys to her '06 GT...

I'll keep you guys...and girl up dated on how things

Oh and I get to go buy my self a nice Pickle fork set and ball joint press as a present to my self for my B day today. Finally 18! woo

 

[Combs Customs]

To The Tierod upside down question.

I BELIEVE the diagram is off a F-150 front suspension. Due to the removable pivot brackets on both sides and the ball joints pressed into the beams and not the knuckles.

On RANGERS
2wd tie rod on bottom
4wd tie rod on top

Bronco II's
2wd/4wd on top


CHANGES IN 95+ Knuckles
You have bolt on calipers, not slide pins. Thats the difference.

 

[reno]

My tie-rods are on the bottom and the nut is on top. It is a 1993 4wd 5spd.

 

[Todd~Rod]

the 2wd ranger tie rod ends point up and the 4wd ends point down

 

[reno]

Well I guess once all this rain and these doctor visits (which is killing me $$ wise) are done, I will flip them. I assume the P.O. or the P.P.O. (Previous Previous Owner) dropped them for the lift and put them on upside down????

 

[Southern3.0]

Yea i got held up today too due to the rain, that and the ball joint press I rented from Autozone didn't work quite right and then all my freinds wanted to take me out for my B-Day, so I ended up putting it all back together and I'll give it a shot tommarow.