Ford Ranger and Exploder Front Drive shafts

[zetasig]

Any one know if a 1998 4x4 explorer front drive shaft will work on a 1998 4x4 Ranger?

I have one from an exploder but it seems to be a hair too long. I am having all sorts of problems getting the new one bolted in.....

Its got a funny CV joint on the transfer case end that is giving me fits.

any help would be great.

I went to the library and looked at the haynes and chiltons. "installation is the reverse of removal"

I got the old one out no problem because it was in pieces.

[lingo]

I am a former Ford parts guy. They shouldn't be interchangeable. The Ranger should of had a 4 spd tranny (if auto) and the explorer should of had a 5 spd tranny (if auto). the explorer's shaft should be too long to fit in the ranger. Which engine/tranny is in the Ranger? Do you know anything about the explorer? Let me know and I might can point you in the right direction.

[zetasig]

Thats actually all I needed. to know. The Ranger is an auto trans. the Exploder, I have no Idea. its what the junk yard brought up to me. Guess I will take it back there and see if they have a RANGER front drive shaft.

Well that clears things up a bit. THANKS MAN, that saves me another two hours of cursing.


Hey, napa does not sell any type of rebuild kit for the CV end of this drive shaft. Does anyone know who might carry it?

A remaned Shaft is like 280 bucks.

I am hoping I can rebuild the one I have. or maybe swap the guts out of the exploder shaft into my ranger shaft.???

[lingo]

I couldn't believe it the first time I saw one of the stupid things. The stealership is only going to offer a full shaft. Last one I sold was about $550. Hard to find used from what I was told. Good luck. Make sure that its the same engine as what you have in the ranger as well, if they have a ranger shaft. The 2.3 3.0 and 4.0 all took a slightly different tranny and the shaft length vary according to what drive train they had. We had to have the VIN to now which shaft to sell. People don't understand that all that stuff makes a difference.

[zetasig]

Well, I measured the shafts again, They are the same. No matter, I have both of them put back together. and my problem is that the CV end of it wont move at all....... when I pull the cage and the balls out and put them in the outer ring. everything moves like it should, (like a CV joint) when I put it all back on to the main shaft it is all bound up. Nothing is moving in any direction.

I think that is the real problem here, if I could get the CV end to free up and move like its supposed to I could manipulate the CV end enough to get it it slide into the transfer case end of things. This would give me the 1/4 inch I need to get the U joint in place. Now even the shaft I took out of the ranger wont go back in because of the binding on the CV end.

Does this need to be put together in some special order??