i am getting alot of squeaks from the front end recently. turning the steering wheel left and right while sitting still or driving. also when i push down on the front bumper it squeaks. I heard about sticking a needle attachment inside the rubber boot and filling with grease. thanks as always,

 

Why only temperarily fix it? Replace parts as they need replaced.

I'd also take a peek at those shocks.....they like to squeek when they're dead. Shoot some grease in the bushings...thoselike to squeek as well.

 

i didnt realize that it would be a temporary fix. thats kinda why I'm here, to learn. do i need to replace the bearings or just the boot etc? shocks or struts on the front/back ??

thanks

 

year, make, model, 4x4 or 2wd?

 

99 ford ranger ext cab xlt 4 cyl. 2wd.

thanks

 

is there any additional info needed?

 

It is really easy to change the bearings on a 2wd. They only cost like $12-15 is I remember correctly. Just make sure you get a Haynes manual or similar to get the proper torque sequence on the bearings. Also since you will have the brake rotor off you can change it out if its bad.

Whatever you do get quality bearings. Timken bearing are one of the best if not the best.

 

Thanks so much. i bought mine new and really havnt had many problems. serp / timing belt not too long ago. i sprayed alot of wd 40 on the moving parts ( sorry, dont know all of the names) that had something to do with the suspension and the squeaking is almost gone. now that is not a permanent fix but at least it will help me to find where its coming from. i am going out to buy a chilton etc. hopefully i will be able to do alot of the work myself.

 

Working on cars is easy. Just follow directions and have common sense and you will be able to do almost everything.

 

squeak. since you said it squeaks when you push down on the bumper, my bet would be one or more dry ball joints rather than wheel bearings...
something to check soon.

 

if they are dry is there a way to grease them? if not, what am i replacing? the boot that holds the grease or the whole ball joint? sorry for the newbie question. i'm sure once i buy the chilton or haynes book it will be obvious. thanks

 

you may be able to get some extra life out of them by using the needle greasing
method, but the ideal if they are bad is to replace the entire ball joint. just make sure to get new ones that have grease fittings installed in them.

you do not want to have a ball joint let go on the highway. real bad things can happen...

 

is there an easy for me to tell if the ball joints are bad?

 

the truck would wabble back and forth if the ball joints are bad. my brothers went out and the truck shook like a leaf in a hurricane lol

 

then hopefully they are not bad. would you please tell me what i need to do then? can i just replace the grease boot since it is squeaking?

 

x2 on my truck lower and upper ball joints there is a fitting for a grease gun. Shoot some new grease in and see if it helps.

 

no if it doesn't have a grease fitting which most originals did not then you need to either use the needle or replace it.
as said if replacing make sure the new ones have the grease fittings already installed.

 

yes jack up the front end (use jackstands!!) and grab onto the wheel and see what if any play there is.
if any of the ball joints are bad it will be obvious.

 

i purchased the grease gun with the needle attachment. i dont know which part is which ( i will get a book soon for diagrams) one of the rubber boots seemed deflated and the other sides was faily plump. i put some grease with the needle in both. here comes what i think will be bad news. there are four other places with sealed grease fittings that are completely falling apart. the rubber just fell apart in my hand. i might of caught it in time because it started squeaking recently. please tell me whats ahead of me. is this something i could possibly do myself?

 

this honestly sounds like dry bushings in the suspension. sealed bearing cannot be greased. they are designed to seal out water and other contaminants.

 

will someone please try to tell me the names of the parts that i need to replace? i bought the haynes book for my truck and the only picture i can find of the suspension was photographed from the bottom and i still cant tell what parts are what. I have only found 6 rubber boots. i believe 4 are are the same type and are almost completely gone. i can post pictures if needed. am i able to just replace just the rubber boots? I dont think any of the parts have worn down. the truck doesnt shake and the tires dont wobble from side to side. I would like to go ahead and replace as many parts as i can afford while i have it all torn apart. will someone please give me suggestions or a list of what to replace? i am thinking shocks, maybe brake pads etc. thanks so much.

 

post some pics, then it will be much easier to identify. on the other hand to answer your question, it may be possible to replace just the boots but the amount of work involved vs. money saved usually isn't worth it. since the ball joints come with the boot already attached you might as well replace the entire thing. joints with torn boots will inevitably fail from lack of grease, and even if the suspension doesn't shake which is a good thing, those joints may already be worn.

 

thank you so much. thats the kind of info i needed. i will get some pictures ready to upload. is there a reason to order the parts online or should i just get everything at autozone? ( and I wont forget to buy the ones with grease fittings on them )

 

is there a way to post a picture to the forum directly without hosting it somewhere else? wasnt sure so i made a album within my profile with 11 pcitures. please help me identify the parts that i should replace.

 

ok pics say a thousand words. from what i saw
you will need to replace the joints in pics no 4,9 + 11.
it needs a special tool to press in those lower ball joints. i would take it to your local mechanic and ask for grease fittings in the new joints.

the tie rod ends +stabilizer bar bushing look ok.

pic no 2 indicates you probably should get an alignment after the work is done.
good luck.