Here you can find information regarding repairs to the Ford Explorer rear end system. These repairs include the
rear leaf spring, the rear differential system torque specs,
the rear diff fluid change procedures, and the axle driveshaft bearing removal and installation. All of these repairs and
procedures include in depth details on how to perform the replacement and or repair. They
also contain all the detailed torque specs needed for each bolt involved in the repair.
Rear Control Arm and Ball Joint Installation
The rear Suspension is much the same as the front end except it does not have a steering component. With this said the rear suspension consists of an upper and lower control arm that
bolt to the frame and ball joints that connect the wheel hub to the arms. The upper control arm has both a normal bolt and nut and a flag bolt and nut that it uses to connect to the frame. The
normal bolt and nut need to be torqued down to 98 ft-lbs, while the other set needs to be torqued to 59 ft-lbs. There is a bushing that connects to the arm itself that contains a nut for assembly. This nut
can be torqued to 89 ft-lbs. The upper ball joint that connects to the knuckle contains a pinch bolt and a nut that holds the joint into the arm. This pinch bolt and nut can be torqued to 66 ft-lbs.
As for the lower control arm it has two bolts and nuts that hold it to the vehicle frame which can be torqued down to 129 ft-lbs. There is a bolt and nut that holds the arm to the wheel knuckle which acts as the
lower ball joint. This bolt torques down to 111 ft-lbs.
Ford Explorer Upper Control Arm to Frame Bolt Torque Specs : 98 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Upper Arm Flag Bolt Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Upper Arm Bushing Nut Torque Specs : 89 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Upper Ball Joint Pinch Bolt Torque Specs : 66 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Lower Arm to Frame Torque Specs : 129 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Lower Ball Joint Bolt Torque Specs : 111 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub Installation
The rear Wheel bearing and hub assembly is much the same as the front end consisting of an axle nut, the hub itself, and a braking system. To remove the old one you
must jack the vehicle up and remove the braking system to gain access at the wheel hub knuckle as the old hub will need to be pressed out and the new pressed in. You also need to remove
the center axle nut that holds the axle to the wheel hub. The
axle nut will need to be torqued down to 203 ft-lbs when reinstalled. There is also a wheel speed sensor that torques to 8 ft-lbs. After the axle nut is removed you can move to the upper and lower
ball joints and remove them so that the entire wheel knuckle assembly can be taken out of the vehicle. With it out you can use a press to press the old bearing and race out of the knuckle and then press
the new bearing in. Once the new bearing is installed you can reverse the process to finish the job. The upper and lower ball joint torque specs are provided above in the control arm and ball joint section.
Ford Explorer Rear Axle Nut Torque Spec : 203 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Wheel Speed Sensor Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs
Rear Differential Fluid change
The first step in replacing your rear end differential fluid is to jack the rear end of the vehicle up into the
air. Be sure to use safety precautions so that
no injuries occur. With the vehicle in the air you will have clear access to the rear differential. If you want
to check the current fluid level you can
pop off the rubber plug, if the level is full the fluid should be directly below the level of the plug. If it is
lower then your are currently low on fluid.
To replace the fluid inside the diff you must remove the plate and allow for the fluid inside to seep out. Be
sure to have a container to catch the fluid.
Once the fluid stops flowing you can reinstall the plate by using some silicone sealant to help prevent leakage.
The bolts for the plate should be torqued to 24 ft-lbs.
With the plate reinstalled you can now take your new fluid and fill the rear end up through the rubber plug
hole. Once done reinstall the plug and ensure that there are
no leaks.
Ford Explorer Differential Cover Torque Specs : 24 ft-lbs
Rear Shock and Stabilizer Installation
To replace the rear shocks on a Ford Explorer you will need to remove two sets of bolts/nuts. To do this you can jack up the vehicle and then
proceed to remove the upper and lower bolts on both sides shocks. The upper portion consists of a mounting plate which bolts to the frame and then to the shock itself. The mounting
plate to frame bolts torque spec are 22 ft-lbs, while the plate to the shock nut is 37 ft-lbs. As for the lower shock bolt it is 184 ft-lbs. The rear end of this vehicle also contains a
stabilizer bar and a toe linkage. The stabilizer bar has both bracket bolts and endlink bolts. The bracket bolts torque down to 41 ft-lbs while the endlinks torque to 18 ft-lbs. The
toe link bolts to the frame and the wheel knuckle and also has an adjustment lock nut. The nuts to the frame torque to 59 ft-lbs while the knuckle attachment consists of a pinch bolt and nut that
torques to 66 ft-lbs. If you tamper with the adjustment nut it will need to be tightened back up to 59 ft-lbs.
Ford Explorer Rear Shock Upper Plate to Frame Torque Specs : 22 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Shock Upper Plate to Shock Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Shock Lower Bolt Torque Specs : 184 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Stabilizer to Frame Bolts Torque Spec : 41 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Stabilizer Endlinks Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Toe Link to Frame Torque Spec : 59 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Toe Link to Knuckle Pinch Bolt Torque Specs : 66 ft-lbs
Ford Explorer Rear Toe Link Adjustment Nut Torque Spec : 59 ft-lbs
