Newbie looking for insight from Ranger gurus.

My son just bought a 2004 Ranger 4x4 XLT, 43,000 miles, standard tranny. Saw online, pics looked good, liked miles and price. Bought sight unseen and we made a weekend out of picking it up. Flew 1000 miles and drove it home.

Pretty much uneventful drive until it wasn’t. Got 4 miles from home, exited the 75 mph interstate and at a top sign the brand new drivers front tire went flat. Apparently someone didn’t put the rear caliper bracket bolt in, and the caliper actually grinded through the wheel. And no, didn’t hear terrible sounds the whole trip if you can believe that. There was a shudder in 1st but I was fearful the clutch was sketch.

Get it home and I’m not sending my son into the world with questionable brakes so I start a full brake job including drivers caliper. The passenger side is giving me fits and here is the real plot twist. I realize the passenger side rotor is 11 1/4” rather than the 12” rotor from the driver side. Autozone found me the smaller size rotor but what the...??

Looking it over, the best looking nuts on the entire front end are around the knuckle. So clearly the right knuckle swapped fairly recently. The drivers side had a grease zerk that the passenger side didn’t.

I’m not familiar with Ranger tricks so looking for ideas. I don’t like mismatched rotors, I may hit a salvage yard at some point but any thoughts?

Former wheel

Mystery knuckle

This is a greased fitting on drivers side

 

In 2003 and up 4x4 Rangers got 12" rotors, previous were 11.25" and still used on 2WD, you want the 12" to match calpers
(1997 and earlier 2WD use 10.2", 4x4s 10.8", in 1998 2WD or 4x4 were 11.25", then in 2003 4x4 got 12")

Hard saying what previous owner did, maybe parts store gave him wrong size and he didn't notice or didn't care, lol

Many factory parts don't have zerk fittings, they call them "lifetime" parts, another lol

 

Brakes, rotors, calipers all replaced. Next challenge is 4x4 is noisy. Probably need to have someone check out xfer case.

This little truck has had more use and abuse than expected for 43k miles.

 

1998 and up Rangers have propeller joint on front drive shaft where it bolts to transfer case, these were a common failure, they wore out faster than "normal"
But caused a noise in 2WD or 4WD both, since front driveshaft is always turning