Need Help - Upper control arm/spindle

[Militiaman]

Hi all,

I am hoping to get some help ASAP. My friend and I replaced the CV drive shaft assembly on the drivers side this afternoon and now we are having a hell of a time getting the upper control arm ball joint shaft back into the spindle.

We have tried just about everything we can think of and now I am hitting the forums to find an answer. Truck is a 2001 Ranger XLT 4.0 4x4 auto.

Is there some trick to getting that sucker in the spindle? I feel like maybe we are fighting the torsion bar suspension? We have tried to jack the lower A arm up, but the upper arm just moves up as well. We tried a ratchet tie down to try and compress the lower and upper arms together, didn't work. I am stumped and my truck is at my friends house and I have no ride.

Here are a couple pictures of what I am talking about. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[kennykenny]

I have always used a prybar to pull down for more leverage. Put a dab of grease in the spindle and on the balljoint to help the process. If it is still not budging give the upper control arm a few love taps while still prying down.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

First things first, did you clean out the boss where the upper ball joint slides into? If there's crap in there it won't slide all the way in.

Now, I just did this on Friday by myself, so I know you can get it back it (I had to replace my lower ball joint). Have your friend hold and steady the knuckle for you. Take a LONG pry bar and put the end of it in the shock tower, above the control arm, on either side of the shock. Pry down with all your might, and it will slide in I promise. Have your friend be ready to slide the bolt through and you'll be all set. You can lightly hammer the upper ball joint in if necessary after you've got it started.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you need any more help.

 

[triumphrider-1]

It is important to try to get all of the peices to line up with each other. I had a really hard time getting mine to go in , but once everything was lined up the joint slid together really easily (put it together with one hand).

If I remember correctly I left my lower spindle nut loose so I could line it all up better.

 

[Militiaman]

Got everything put back together. Thanks for the help.

Now I am getting a constant humming noise coming from the front axle area, not sure what side. It does it whether I am driving straight and turning. Do you guys know what would be causing this? The replacement CV driveshaft assemblies are made by Cardone. Everything went together fine. Do you think this noise will go away?

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

Did you replace the axle seal at the knuckle? They are known to go bad and cause a constant hum/squeak.

Also did you torque down the axle nut properly?

 

[Militiaman]

The seal on the cv driveshaft? If so the new driveshaft already came with the new seal installed.

The axle nut is torqued to at least 175-200lbs.

 

[Militiaman]

We rechecked the drive axle nuts and they are on there pretty darn tight. Re-torqued the lug nuts to 90 ft lbs. Looked under the truck and everything looks ok.

Can't figure out why in the heck it making that noise. The noise is a humming whaa whaa whaa at speeds from 5-25 mph. After 25 mph it hard to hear the noise because of the wind noise.

Any ideas? I hope it is not damaging anything by diving it, but I have no choice, got to get to work tomorrow. It's only 5 miles, in town.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

How is the wheel bearing assembly? Did you test it to make sure everything's nice and tight?

 

[klogtruck]

sound's like it mite be a bearing in the steering nuckle.find a safe place to test it by driveing it forward at about 15 mph and turn left and right, do this very fast
(the turning) and see if the sound come's and go's. you well be shifting the weight of the truck. if when you turn right the sound leave's then it's the left bearing if when you turn left and the sound leave's then it's right.

 

[Militiaman]

How is the wheel bearing assembly? Did you test it to make sure everything's nice and tight?

Are you talking about the drive axle nut? If so it is around 175 ft lbs.? Maybe it's to tight? I did loosen it to 150 ft lbs and still have noise.

Everything else is good and tight.

 

[Militiaman]

sound's like it mite be a bearing in the steering nuckle.find a safe place to test it by driveing it forward at about 15 mph and turn left and right, do this very fast
(the turning) and see if the sound come's and go's. you well be shifting the weight of the truck. if when you turn right the sound leave's then it's the left bearing if when you turn left and the sound leave's then it's right.

I'll try that today. I can try it at my storage unit. The units on both the left and right side of the truck will amplify the noise.