Here you can find information regarding repairs to the Ford Escape 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 control arm on the Ford Escape contains a spring shock system that allows for it to absorb road imperfections.
It is held on by 2 low mounting bolts one which connects to the spring assembly and the other to a bar link. On the opposite side of
the control arm is an upwards mounting arm that bolts straight up to the frame. Most of these bolts can just be tightened to desire.
As long as they are snug and will not loosen up they should be good. However, the bolts with nuts can be tightened down to 129 ft-lbs.
This includes all bolts that connect up the spring assembly and bar link. As for the upper mounting bolts they can be tightened to
55 ft-lbs.
Ford Escape Upper Arm to Frame Torque Spec : 129 ft-lbs
Ford Escape Lower Arm to Frame Torque Specs : 129 ft-lbs
Ford Escape Upper Frame Mount Torque Specs : 55 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub Installation
The rear wheel bearing is different front the front wheel bearing as it does not have pressed in bearings and rather uses a bolt in
hub assembly which allows for easier removal and installation. To begin taking the rear hub off you must take the tire off and the brake
assembly off. With them off you must then remove the center axle nut. This nut is typically very tight so you may want to use some
penetration oil and or an impact during the removal. Once off you can then move to the rear of the hub and start removing the 4 hub bolts
which are used to hold the hub in place. With the 4 bolts removed the hub should come off of the vehicle. Many times the hub is corroded on
and will need to be tapped or pressed out. With the old hub and bearing assembly out you can put the new one in place and begin to
tighten down the 4 hub bolts to 85 ft-lbs. Once tightened the brake assembly can be reinstalled and then the center nut can be installed.
The center nut will need to be tightened down to 160 ft-lbs.
Ford Escape Rear Axle Nut Torque Spec : 160 ft-lbs
Ford Escape Rear Hub Bolts Torque Spec : 85 ft-lbs
Ford Escape Wheel Speed Sensor Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs
Rear Differential Fluid change
To check the rear differential fluid on a ford escape you must jack the rear end of the car up into the air and
then remove the diff fill plug using a 3/8's ratchet or breaker bar. The fluid level should be up to the bottom of the fill plug hole.
If the fluid level is low you can fill it using the hole until it comes out. If you want to change the fluid you can remove the
rear diff cover by taking out the outside bolts and pulling off the cover from the diff. When this is done the fluid will pour out
so be sure to have a container ready to catch it from hitting your floor. Once all the fluid is out you can reinstall the cover using some permatex or
silicon sealant and tighten down the cover bolts to 20 ft-lbs. The fill plug can be tightened down to 10 ft-lbs.
Ford Escape Differential Cover Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs
Ford Escape Rear Diff Fill Plug Torque Specs : 10 ft-lbs
Rear Shock Installation
To replace the rear shocks on a Ford Escape 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 lower bolt from the bottom portion of the shock. Next we must remove the 2 nuts which hold the shock to the vehicle
body panels. The nuts can be accessed by looking up from the bottom of the shock assembly. With them removed the shock should drop down and be
loose from the car. To install the new
shock we can move the upper portion into the studs hanging down and start the 2 nuts to hold the shock in place. Next the lower bolt can be put in place
and tightened down to 130 ft-lbs. We can then go back to the upper nuts and torque them down to 30 ft-lbs.
