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Ranger Front End Noise

Bob Ayers

North Carolina Chapter member
1,474
111
Durham, NC
I'm getting a popping noise from the front end of my little ranger. I just checked it out, ball joints, control arm bushings, and sway bar bushings are tight. The noise is coming mainly from the driver's side tie-rod. It makes the noise when you bounce the body up and down, so I'm assuming that it's the inner or outer tie rod ends. There is no play in them at all, just the popping
noise like they need lubricated. If it's the inner one (inside the steering rack boot), can you pull the boot back and lubricate it someway?

Thanks!
 
BKW

BKW

Ford Parts Guru
1,896
118
Simi Valley, CA
18124 or 18198?

Bob, I'm no expert, but how does bouncing the body up and down affect the tie rod ends? Bouncing the front end like that was the old used car dealers way of checking shocks. You could have a bad shock or bad shock mounting bushings.
 

Brian_B

blank
6,833
84
Mountain Home, AR
I had a clunk in an old torino when I bounced it. It turned out to be a body mount basically gone. It didn't really pop though.

My old 89 ranger still has all the original front end parts under it. Except bearings, rotors, and hubs. Eveything else is original and it was all working fine the last time I rode in it. It had 192,000 miles then. My brother has it now.
 

Bob Ayers

North Carolina Chapter member
1,474
111
Durham, NC
BKW said:
Bob, I'm no expert, but how does bouncing the body up and down affect the tie rod ends? Bouncing the front end like that was the old used car dealers way of checking shocks. You could have a bad shock or bad shock mounting bushings.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

The tie-rod pivots from the end of the steering rack when the wheel moves up and down. The noise is definately coming from either the inner or outer
tie-rod ends, because I can feel it in the tie-rod.
 
blacksnapon

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
9,461
301
waynesville,mo.
Yeah you can shoot some grease in the boots, one at a time then bounce to find the bad one. Keep in mind the tie rods can and will transfer noise and vibration. I think you're on the right track though.
 

Bob Ayers

North Carolina Chapter member
1,474
111
Durham, NC
blacksnapon said:
Yeah you can shoot some grease in the boots, one at a time then bounce to find the bad one. Keep in mind the tie rods can and will transfer noise and vibration. I think you're on the right track though.
Click to expand...

Yes, when I hear the noise, I can feel it in the steering wheel.
 

Rusty Shackleford

Certified Ford Tech
61
1
I had the same issue with my Explorer... after hours of chasing the noise, I found the inner ball sockets to be dried up. Just separate the outers from the knuckle and move the tie-rod up and down... you should feel it.
 

bowtiehatr

Certified Ford Tech
859
21
Florence, South Carolina
bob, i had a ranger with a popping noise in the front end that the noise was actually in the rack. there was to much play in the internal gear slide and the gears would bounce back and forth. no danger just noise. good luck.
 
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