So my truck is fine.

"19JRC99" (19jrc99)
03/13/2019 at 20:15 • Filed to: Ranger

After Belle Tire quoted me $726 for ball joints and a wheel bearing (which is built into the hub on Rangers, or at least, 4x4 Rangers), I went to a local place to get a quote. They said $586 for the same stuff. Now, before you say “Why not do it yourself?”

Well, it’s cold and I didn’t want the truck to be down for a while. WHat is normally a 3 hour job will take a month in my family. I don’t know how long that stuff SHOULD take, so I didn’t even think to do it ourselves.

Anyway, I drop it off, and the next day they call.

“Who actually told you that you needed this stuff? Your truck is fine and you can come get it. We won’t charge you anything, either.”

Thank god.

Also, I still can’t get over how much I love this truck.

Now, if I could just find a cleaner set of the FX4 wheels for a decent price. The picture kinda hides just how cruddy they really look.

DISCUSSION (16)

Captain of the Enterprise > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 20:23

You mean to tell me Belle Tire lied about needed service? Jk they did that to me too with my Expedition. Never went back to them again.

19JRC99 > Captain of the Enterprise
03/13/2019 at 20:25

I kinda knew they were lying as soon as they said it. The truck drove way too well for the ball joints to be bad and the wheel bearings are dead silent.
I only got the tires there for their warranty, at Dad’s urging. Next time I’ll go to the local place. Three generations of my family have gone there now.

My mom’s dad (who owns the toys) , my dad, and now me.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 20:27

Ford BJs tend to crap out quickly, glad yours is okay. I imagine the Ranger is the same perm upper BJ in the control arm as the F150? $586 sounds like a great price for when you inevitably need it.

19JRC99 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/13/2019 at 20:28

I couldn’t tell you as far as upper ball joints. I was *told* by BT it needed lowers.

Yeah, it was a $140 difference. Definitely going there immediately if I need anything.

Captain of the Enterprise > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 20:30

I broke the mold at my house. I buy from Tirerack for tire and get them installed at my local Firestone. It seems like a good one, I’ve talked to the manager a few times and he even drove to get the right battery while I waited when they got shipped the wrong one.

19JRC99 > Captain of the Enterprise
03/13/2019 at 20:34

See, that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to order the tires and have Akron (the local place) install them, but I didn’t because it’d have been a pain to move them.

Captain of the Enterprise > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 20:37

Mine were shipped straight to Firestone. But they have certain authorized retailers they will ship to directly.

vicali > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 20:56

Back when I was 16 I dropped off my truck for a new set of shocks and they g ave me the ‘We shouldn’t really let you drive this thing out of here ’ speil- I was freaked out about all the stuff they li sted it needed, my dad came back with me and kindly told them to take a hike.

shop-teacher > 19JRC99
03/13/2019 at 21:34

Dude, you have a truck. I wouldn’t have done my own ball joints and wheel bearings this time of year either, but tossing a set of tires in the truck is pretty dang easy!

Anyways, I'm glad to hear hear you found an honest shop. I would go back to them next time you actually do need some work done on it.

19JRC99 > shop-teacher
03/13/2019 at 22:27

I meant not leaving them on the porch of the house lol. Mom can’t move them and I never know what time I get out of work. So it was just easier to have a shop get them (the plan was to get General Grabbers which would’ve had to be ordered, but they had the BFGs in stock so I took them instead.)

nerd_racing > 19JRC99
03/14/2019 at 09:08

check out car-part.com for wheels, junkyard directory.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > 19JRC99
03/14/2019 at 11:36

All I got to say is screw the 4WD front hub engagement system on your truck. It’s so dumb. There is a vacuum line that runs to your steering knuckle and it pulls a vacuum through your wheel bearing to engage/disengage the hub. But Ford’s rust bad!!! Yeah eventually the area around the wheel bearing becomes so pitted it can’t pull a vacuum anymore and engage the hub. This is the best fix

Kinja'd!!!

Sorry, my dad had a 99 Ranger and it was so frustrating dealing with this issue

19JRC99 > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
03/14/2019 at 14:22

I’m never doing manual hubs. Not when it reaches -35 in the winter here.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > 19JRC99
03/14/2019 at 14:36

Do they salt in your area? I am not sure where you are. If they do, I would pull your wheel bearings and coa t them in anti-seize or something so they come out again easier and so that part of the knuckle doesn’t rust as fast.

19JRC99 > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
03/14/2019 at 18:00

Quite heavily. I hate living here for about six months of the year. Snowy, salty, frozen misery.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > 19JRC99
03/15/2019 at 10:04

That sucks, I know the feels. I live in southern MN.