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Installing camber bolts. How difficult 98 Ranger?


JohnnyF

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Dec 1, 2008
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I guess I need to put a camber bolt kit in my daughters Ranger 4x. How difficult is this undertaking and what do I need to be able to do it. I'm in Phoenix and she's in Yuma so I have to take everything with me needed to get it done. Do I need 2 bolts for each side? Are there any special tools required? I haven't found much info Googling this so far. Any links for the procedure?
Walk me through this will you?

Thanks

JohnF
 
Sure, John.

Go to NAPA.
Buy two camber kits (2 bolts per kit). I believe I paid $23/kit.

I wish I could remember the size of the OEM bolts and nut. I know I had the wrenches, so they are <23mm.

The kicker is difficulty of bolt removal, squirt 'em with PB Blaster. I was replacing my UCAs anyway but I did use a crowbar and a deadblow hammer to position the new UCA/bushings. They wedged in there tighter than what came out, naturally. You should be trying to keep yours from moving at all.

In your case, it sounds like a simple bolt removal and install, so do each one at a time. Once the nut and locator plate are off, rotate the bolt head with the wrench while you push the threaded end back through. Helps to have a short drift to tap on, but there isn't much room.

On the DS aft(?) bolt, there are brake hoses clipped directly in the way of bolt removal, so you have to be careful to unclip those and move them as needed.

So, you'll need a jack, jackstands, lugnut wrench, wrenches, sockets /ratchet, common screwdriver, hammer, drift, etc. Take off the front tires and remove the splash guards for access. Although they are visible, I just can't see you doing it from under the hood. I had my fenderwell liners out, making access easy.

If that truck has never had LBJs replaced, it's a sure bet they are shot. List gets way longer for that.

This may help: http://www.autozone.com/addVehicleI...pping/repairGuide.htm?pageId=0900c1528018f129

Once you get it jackstanded, I'd position the floor jack under the lower a-arm to keep weight on the torsion bars so the UCA doesn't move when you pull the bolt. Adjust jack pressure to ease bolt removal. You are obviously going to get it aligned (no other reason to do this job, eh?), but there's no sense letting it get all out of whack for the drive to the shop. Tires wear quick.

Good luck. I don't think you'll have any problem.
 
Thanks for the info, Earl.
I had gone to that link before but didn't go down far enough. I just saw the TBB front assembly and quit looking.
Is the Napa kit for a larger offset? Everything I've seen so far seems to indicate that the stock adjusters would be sufficient for a torsion tweak but it looked like they were maxed out now and the tires are far from vertical.
There are more repairs needed on the front end so it won't be going to an alignment shop very soon, I'll eye-ball it for now. I need to replace tierod ends etc and don't know if I'll get to everything right away but I gotta get the tires back near vertical since the ones on there now are down to the 1st ply on the insides. I'll put used tires on to replace these until I get everything back in shape.
Anybody between Phoenix and Yuma make me a good deal on some used 30/9.5/15's ???

JohnF

Don't EVER forget to stress to your kids that YOU need to look at the vehicle they just fell in love with before they buy it. Even a plane ticket is cheaper than having a shop repair the minor cr*p.
 
make sure that you take your alignment rack along also.

you cant just "put them in" per say, to do this the proper way they need to be installed while the truck is on the alignment rack, that way you can make the proper adjustments before driving it! "eyeballing it" :annoyed::icon_confused:

why bother doing anything to it :shrug: if your not going to address the real problems

and i hope you plan on taking it to a different shop to get the alignment, not the same one that told you that you need them, i'm sure the tech will be real happy to see the same truck come back with new parts that he recommended installed. personally, it would piss me off.
 
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The head of the bolt and the nut will be 21mm. Install the new eccentrics from the inside of the upper control arm pointing towards the outside. When you put the new ones in point both the eccentrics so the bolt head is at the bottom and the egg shaped part is at the top. Tighten them down and take it in to have it aligned. This will get you in the ballpark and make the alignment go easier. I know when you get the eccentrics from Ford, you have to buy the eccentric bolt and the eccentric that goes behind the nut separately. The factory nut is reused. Not too sure about the kit from NAPA.

Also there is no adjustment in the factory bolts, they have a square 'eccentric' that only goes in one way.
 
when i TT'd my 98 i didnt need camber kits for it and i did the alignment myself at the shop. you may not need them at all unless you alignnment is wackd already
 

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