'96 Ford Ranger Spindle Removal

Until mid-1982, Ford sold a Mazda-built truck, known as the Courier, as its compact truck. In the 1983 model year, Ford released the American-built Ranger. In 1993, Ford redesigned the Ranger from its boxy-looking body to a more rounded body. The 1996 model year Ranger came standard with a 112-horsepower, 2.3-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine. The 1996 Ranger also had recirculating ball steering and used a one-piece steering knuckle that included the spindle, commonly called a spindle assembly. Replacing the spindle is a fairly detailed and difficult task that only experienced do-it-yourself mechanics should attempt.

Instructions

Loosen the Ranger's front lug nuts with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the Ranger and set jack stands beneath the frame rails. Lower the Ranger until only the jack stands support its weight. Remove the lug nuts and the wheel.

Place the blade of a flat-head screwdriver on top of the upper caliper pin and set it at a 45-degree angle. Press the pin inward by tapping the head of the screwdriver with a hammer. Once the pin is too far in to tap with a hammer, grab the inboard part of the pin with pliers and squeeze it while prying on the tabs on the inboard part of the pin with a 6-inch pry bar; do this until the tabs on the pin slip into the grooves on the spindle. Place a 7/16-inch drift punch on the outboard side of the caliper pin and tap the pin out, using a hammer.

Repeat Step 2 on the lower caliper pin.

Pull the brake pads and caliper off the rotor as a set. Do not remove the pads from the caliper. Suspend the caliper from a nearby suspension component, using a bungee strap.

Insert the blade of a flat-head screwdriver between the metal dust cap and the center of the brake rotor. Pry the dust cap from the center of the rotor, exposing the retaining hardware for the rotor and wheel bearings -- cotter pin, castellated nut retainer, nut and washer.

Remove the cotter pin by pulling it from the spindle shaft, using pliers. Remove the castellated nut retainer from the spindle shaft. Remove the nut with a ratchet and socket, and pull the retaining washer from the spindle shaft.

Grasp the rotor and pull it from the spindle; notice that the outer bearing falls out when the rotor moves. Remove the bolts securing the brake dust shield to the spindle, using a ratchet and socket, and pull the dust shield off the spindle.

Pull the cotter pin from the outer tie rod end -- the outermost steering linkage -- using pliers. Remove the outer tie rod end nut with a ratchet and socket. Position a tie rod end remover over the outer tie rod end, so that the screw part touches the tie rod end stud and the fixed portion contacts the spindle. Tighten the tie rod end removal tool with a ratchet and socket until the tie rod end pops out of the spindle. Do not twist or disturb the tie rod end any further, as this causes severe misalignment.

Remove the bolt securing the antilock brake sensor to the spindle, if equipped, using a ratchet and socket. Remove the ABS sensor from the spindle.

Pull the cotter pin from the upper and lower ball joints' castellated nuts, using pliers, and remove the ball joints' castellated nuts with a ratchet and socket. Hit the inner part of the bottom part of the axle beam with a hammer to release the ball joints and spindle assembly from the axle beam.

Place a wheel bearing seal puller under the bearing seal on the rear of the brake rotor, and pry the seal from the rotor. Discard the wheel bearing seal. Pull the inner wheel bearing from the rear of the rotor.

Inspect both the inner and outer bearing by placing them on your finger, so that they are snug. Simulate the bearing spinning by rotating each bearing on your fingers; if any grinding or heavy resistance exists, replace the bearings as a set. With the bearings still on your fingers, grasp the top and bottom bearings with your fingers and shake them back-and-forth. If either bearing feels loose, replace them as a set.

Place a generous amount of wheel bearing grease in the palm of your hand and rotate each bearing in the grease until fully packed with fresh grease.

Reinstall the inner bearing in the brake rotor, and install a new bearing seal with a hammer and a seal driver.

Set the grease-packed outer wheel bearing in a clean area.

Position the ball joint press over one ball joint so that the screw side contacts the ball joint stud and the fixed side touches the spindle body. Tighten the ball joint press until the ball joint releases from the spindle assembly. Repeat this step for the other ball joint.

Check the ball joint boot for any tears, and move the ball joint in all directions. If the boot has any tears, or if the ball joint moves with no resistance, replace it with a new one.

Place the ball joints in the new spindle assembly, just as they were positioned in the old assembly, and press them in using the ball joint press.

Set the new spindle in the axle beam and insert the upper and lower ball joint to hold it in place. Hand-tighten the castellated nut on both the upper and lower ball joint.

Torque the lower ball joint nut to 89 to 133 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Check that a notch in the castellated nut lines up with the hole in the ball joint stud. If not, tighten the ball joint nut slightly until it lines up -- never loosen the nut to line up the notch. Insert a new cotter pin through the notch in the nut, through the ball joint stud, and bend the cotter pin legs in opposite directions, with pliers, to lock it into place.

Tighten the upper ball joint castellated nut to 50 to 68 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Make certain that a notch on the castellated nut lines up with the hole in the ball joint stud. If the two do not line up, slightly tighten the nut until they line up. Insert a new cotter pin through the notch in the nut, through the ball joint stud, and bend the cotter pin legs in opposite directions, with pliers, to lock it into place.

Insert the ABS sensor in the spindle assembly and tighten its bolt to 5 to 8 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

Set the rotor on the Ranger and insert the outer bearing in the center of the rotor. Place the washer on the outer bearing and hand-tighten the nut on the spindle shaft. While rotating the brake rotor, tighten the nut to 17 to 25 foot-pounds, with a ratchet and socket, to seat the bearing. Loosen the nut half-a-turn and tighten the nut to 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Place the castellated nut retainer over the spindle shaft nut; insert a new cotter pin through the notch in the castellated retainer and through the hole in the spindle shaft. Bend the cotter pin legs in opposite directions, using pliers, to lock it in place.

Set the caliper and brake pads in place on the spindle assembly. Line up the lower caliper pin so that the tabs face downward. Squeeze the inner end of the pin with pliers and insert it into the caliper. Tap the pin until it locks into place.

Repeat Step 6 for the upper caliper pin, but position the tabs upward.

Insert the outer tie rod end stud through the hole in the spindle and hand-tighten the castellated nut on the tie rod end stud. Torque the nut to 52 to 74 foot-pounds with a ratchet and socket. If a notch on the castellated nut and the hole on the tie rod end stud do not line up, slightly tighten the nut until they do line up. Insert a new cotter pin through the notch in the castellated retainer and through the hole in the tie rod end stud. Bend the cotter pin legs in opposite directions, using pliers, to lock it in place.

Install the tire and wheel assembly and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the Ranger from the jack stands, using the floor jack, and remove the jack stands. Lower the truck to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 100 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

Take the Ranger to an alignment facility immediately to have the alignment corrected.