Hey everyone. I’m a newbie. Glad to be here. I am a 5+ year Navy veteran and a cancer survivor (hodgkins Lymphoma) and I am getting started back with my life again. It is good to be alive. Damn skippy..
Anyway I need your help. I tried the search and found a lot, but I am still lost. I have a 2003 Ford Ranger XLT, 3.0, 2wd reg. cab, auto/OD and I have the following issue:

Vibration felt in cab, seat and steering wheel at speeds of 45 - 60 mph
· NOT felt when brakes are applied.
· According to 4 different service shops the front-end components and brakes are good. The LH/RH lower ball joint boots are deteriorated but still good.

NO MODS TO DRIVETRAIN OR SUSPENSION ALL STOCK.
· Installed new Monroe shocks front/rear and new tires (BFG long trail 225/70R15) and balanced wheels. Vibration detected.
· Rebalanced wheels vibration gone. I was told I had one slightly warped steel wheel (original equipment) detected while balancing. I planned on getting new wheels but later when I had $.
· I had front end and alignment checked as a preventative to tire wear, all was good.
· Bought new Unique 298 steel wheels (15 x 7) $60 each and vibration returns I have wheels rebalanced. Vibration not resolved. My brakes were due so I thought this may be the culprit. Installed new front pads, rotors, greased front bearings and adjusted rear brakes. Brakes are good. Vibration not resolved
· Rebalanced wheels. Vibration not resolved. Rebalanced wheels again and I have the front end and alignment checked, all still good.
· I turned front rotors and greased bearings again (brakes feel great) and I know if it was the brakes I would feel while braking. I guess I was grabbing for answers. Vibration not resolved. Rebalanced wheels. Vibration not resolved.
· I had the drive shaft inspected and balanced at Drive Line Service of Jacksonville it was slightly out and U-joints checked well, no play. Vibration not resolved and seems worse.
· Returned to tire place complaining so they upgraded at no charge to me MB Motoring Blitz aluminum wheels (15 x 7) they would cost $91 each. They balanced them out and I hit the road again. Guess what???? Vibration not resolved. But wheels look sweet. I called the president at the driveline service and he wants me back with the shaft, he will rebalance it himself or replace at no cost.

Next I can check for torque converter shudder or engine vibration or I may try another tire place to rebalance. It really mimics an out of balance wheel. Oh is it possible rotors are out of balance? Wheels check well on machine but could they be bad when mounted on the rotors? Any suggestions welcomed?

 

U Joints.....

 

U Joints are good..

 

That the u-joints. I had the same problem a little while ago started out when it hit overdrive there was a quick vibrations then stopped, then got worse to where when i was going between 45-60 it vibrated really bad but at 60 was fine over 60 vibrated again. I was told to try pushing on the driveshaft is the they to tell if its the u-joints and when i did it was tight but when I tried turning it there was a lot of play. And another thing does it feel like it pops or jerks when going from reverse to drive? if so that is other thing telling you time for new u-joints.

 

If your ball joint boots are trashed then the ball joints are gonna go bad real soon- crud and stuff is gonna get in there and contaminate the grease causing them to squeak and groan. Hope you find the problem.

 

Yeah I had the drive shaft removed and the technician said they are good and when I get the $ I'll change the ball joints. I hope I can figure this out. thanks for the info..

 

Just hope that your truck doesnt have the uppers that are casted into the arm and the ones that can be pressed out.

 

I beleive all of the newer rangers are like that and you need the whole arm, I am sure someone else will verify.

 

yea dude go get new u joints...i think there like 12-18 bucks....mine are bad the the truck pops between reverse and drive a little....

 

Yes you'll have to get whole new control arms to attain new upper ball joints. The lowers just press out- pretty easy to do.

 

upper ball joints are good and u-joints are tight no popping. I only have a vibe at 45 - 60. It gets worse the faster you go. My coffee and change is all over the place.
Tires wheels new. Drive shaft is going back monday to balance again. other than that I dont know...

 

man that makes me thing cause my truck is doing the same thing.....

 

I am going to tire place in a.m. they are going to rebalance and if that does not work they are replacing tires and we start from there. Monday I take the drive shaft back to be balanced again. Soon or later it will be fixed.

 

No the Uppers on 2wd coil spring suspension I know for a fact can be pressed out and you can buy indivual upper balljoints for them from www.rockauto.com

On my truck they were casted into the uppers, On my friends 00 they were pressed out and new set were pressed in. You have to go to a machine shop with a press to press them out and have new ones pressed in. Off topic before DJM came out with there newer strong control arms on the old ones you had to press out your stock balljoints and have them pressed into the djm arms. Now 2 of my workers one owns a 99 and other is a 04 I asked to check out there trucks in curiosity tonight and They both have the same control arms that can be pressed out like my friends 00. It can be done but you will need a press I dont think a balljoint remover tool will do it.

On the 98-00 It depended on where the truck was made deciding if thewy had casted ball joints in the arms or ones that could be pressed out from what I have heard. I havent seen a 01+ with balljoints casted into their uppers but all the ones I have seen were 2wd with coils not torsion bars Im not sure if the uppers are different on the edges or if they come with casted balljoints.

 

my 02 does the same thing...its 40-55or60.....balance/rotation/allignment helped a little bit, but i dont know. ive almost learned to deal with it.

 

Maybe put a set of new wheel bearings in the front yea they greased them but did they check to see if they were good and had no problems before greased?

 

I have a 2000 4x2 and mine are cast in. I'm not sure they are meant to be 'pressed' out, when I had to replace ball joints I talked to a few people at the dealer as well as a few shops and they said on the Rangers- the whole upper control arm has to be replaced- thus the reason parts stores and the dealership only carry the lowers for our trucks. Seems odd of ford to have two different types of upper control arms.. Hell maybe they corrected the issue with the '01+ and made them serviceable instead of having to buy the total arm. I'll have to find out when I go back up there to pick up some parts.

 

Well I went to the tire place and they rebalanced the wheels. Vibration is gone from steering wheel but you can feel it in the seat and cab. So we removed the rear wheels and reinstalled lug nuts and put it in drive. You can see the right rear drum bouncing. Imbalance drum perhaps or axle bearings or bent flange???? Or shaft????
The ride is better but not the way it use to be… This Monday I’ll remove the shaft again this time I am going to replace both fwd and aft u-joints then rebalance….
Then if that does not solve it the axle comes apart, replacing the axle bearings.
If the drums were imbalanced would I feel it in the brake pedal? May be I will change the drums too…..
I will find it……
I don’t feel it is in the tires or wheels anymore.