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on my 2007 ranger, 4 liter v6 four wheel drive, i noticed something that i later found out was called a shield. this was installed on part of the top control arm bushing at the passenger side. --as referenced by the area in the red circle.
from what ive heard, this shield supposedly protects the bushing from heat, coming from the exhaust manifold.
this truck though, from the factory, only came with a shield along the passenger side top control arm bushing. there was no shield in same place at the driver side.
the point of this post is to enquire with anyone who would know why ford only installed a shield at the passenger side and not also the driver side. left and right side bushings are about the same distance from heat generating sources, though the driver side is just a few inches further away. please explain this to me. thank you
ron, i dunno where the heat is coming from on this, as the manifold seems too far away from the bushing there. and catalytics are on both sides of the vehicle. both are behind and toward the rear of where this shield is. around the area of the cabin and driver and passenger seat area. near the rear of the cabin the two come together and form one 'pipe' that goes toward the rear and passenger side ending at the muffler by rear right wheel.
there is nothing really in the way at driver side to prevent a shield from being installed. the only thing and rather minimal is the exhaust gas recirculation pipe coming off the manifold going to the intake. i looked at the bushings for both sides, and regardless of the shield, the condition of the bushings seems to be the same.
there in adding to my small pile of things i removed. and in this case, seeming to have no purpose. especially as there is no shield on driver side, yet bushings still in exact same place and not far from the heat generating exhaust manifold.
it may just be a silly manufacturing and assembly mistake at the factory going with just one shield. OR cookie cut manufacturing in that some smaller size 2007 engines had no manifold on driver side. not needing a shield.
