Ford Ranger Steering Arm Failures

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 12-03-2021, 01:08 PM

The company I work for has an operational site in central Queensland. A flyer came out the other day detailing three separate incidents, across a period of 3 years, where an incident occurred with some of the Ford Ranger fleet that was attributed to steering arm failure.

The flyer states that the site will look to "replace it's Ford Ranger fleet as the leases are completed and swapping them out prior to this with Toyota Landcruisers from other site where possible. The Landcruiser has a thicker steering rod arm and is considered more suitable for rural driving conditions (twice as thick 12mm-24mm)".

I've had a look in the Ranger section here, but could find nothing related to this issue.

Is this a known or widespread issue with Rangers?

Top_Ghia · 12-03-2021, 02:08 PM

No. I’ve never seen it.
Landcruisers might be built a bit more heavy duty but they certainly still break. Look up land cruiser diff failure or diff housing cracked.
Everything has a limit.
Landcruiser is also double the price and has wind up windows and ac is optional.

Bolly47 · 12-03-2021, 04:21 PM

Yes, I have seen it and replacing passenger side ldler Arm 3 or 4 time on my son's Ford Ranger They bend and jam up on the under the chassis*after 8 months of trouble my son sold it No matter what brand you buy still bending still too weak until new model has Rack and Pinion Steering is the way to go.Note I did the work, keeping replace until I told him that I had enough*too much BS so took to steering specialist and other fews weeks later bend again Just Faulty ford engineering*design.

GCRXR6 · 16-03-2021, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolly47

Yes, I have seen it and replacing passenger side ldler Arm 3 or 4 time on my son's Ford Ranger They bend and jam up on the under the chassis*after 8 months of trouble my son sold it No matter what brand you buy still bending still too weak until new model has Rack and Pinion Steering is the way to go.Note I did the work, keeping replace until I told him that I had enough*too much BS so took to steering specialist and other fews weeks later bend again Just Faulty ford engineering*design.

Ahhh...what model Ranger are you speaking of? PJ on have rack and pinion....no idler arm on the P series.

Tassie f100 · 16-03-2021, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

Ahhh...what model Ranger are you speaking of? PJ on have rack and pinion....no idler arm on the P series.

I must have a rare bird then!! My 2009 PK has steering box and idler,complete with drag link and tierods

GCRXR6 · 18-03-2021, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

I must have a rare bird then!! My 2009 PK has steering box and idler,complete with drag link and tierods

My apologies. I thought when I read the OP, and thought, "Rack and pinion aren't they?" So I thought I had better check on Bing.(PJ PK Ranger steering) ... First was R&P, so I went by that. Ok Seems I muffed. I checked again tonight and bugger me, one site sells Racks for 2WD, and further down 4WD the ol' box and links. So yeah, "Sorry about that Chief." Are they indeed different from 2WD to 4WD?

**DFB FGXR6** · 16-03-2021, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

Ahhh...what model Ranger are you speaking of? PJ on have rack and pinion....no idler arm on the P series.

PX onward have rack and pinion steering.

PJ and PK still had re-circulating ball.

Magee · 12-03-2021, 04:26 PM

If the failures are on fleet vehicles working in an off road application such as a mine site, then I would not read too much into for effecting privately owned vehicles that are driven on normal roads. Many years ago I did short stint in a Transport Workshop for what was then the SEC. Most cars just came in for normal servicing and general repairs, but it was clear that a few of the vehicles that came in were mechanically damaged by people who didn't have much respect for cars.

mac_man_luke · 15-03-2021, 10:17 AM

I did plenty of outback travel and hard 4wding when i had my ranger and never had any issues with steering arms (one of the few bits that had no issues haha)

Cruisers are tougher but i somehow managed to slightly bend a drag link on mine without even knowing it (only minor, showed up at a wheel alignment) but plenty of good aftermarket parts for them.

ebv8 · 15-03-2021, 11:16 AM

on one of 4wd24/7's YouTube shows they did one on a raptor, some mud driving and it snapped, used lots of ratchet straps to keep the wheel generally pointed straight
seems a bit off for a raptor to break suspension parts being hyped up so much

i'd be more worried about munching the torque converter or having a failed injector, my brothers car did both at 105,000km. luckily it was a lease car and i think ford ended up fixing for free ($15k quote)

mac_man_luke · 15-03-2021, 11:24 AM

I wonder if the raptor is due to the significantly wider track but maybe same diameter rack ends/tie rods? they also tend to drive like morons

Yellow_Festiva · 15-03-2021, 11:52 AM

I'm not familiar with the failing hardware however if it's a bolt on part can't someone (Ford??) make a more robust replacement?

If it's say 12mm diameter make one 18mm or 20mm and then provide those as a free upgrade to mining vehicles or any vehicles taken in for replacement after a failure?

Seems the cheaper option than losing fleet contracts?

BENT_8 · 15-03-2021, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I'm not familiar with the failing hardware however if it's a bolt on part can't someone (Ford??) make a more robust replacement?

If it's say 12mm diameter make one 18mm or 20mm and then provide those as a free upgrade to mining vehicles or any vehicles taken in for replacement after a failure?

Seems the cheaper option than losing fleet contracts?

Cant see why not, they did it with SX/SY1 Territory ball joints, made a slightly stronger part and offered 1 free replacement.
Didnt help much, was just a crap design having the joint under tension as opposed to compression like SY2/SZ.

Vesper Martini · 17-03-2021, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I'm not familiar with the failing hardware however if it's a bolt on part can't someone (Ford??) make a more robust replacement?

If it's say 12mm diameter make one 18mm or 20mm and then provide those as a free upgrade to mining vehicles or any vehicles taken in for replacement after a failure?

Seems the cheaper option than losing fleet contracts?

Certainly cheaper than replacing a whole fleet due to 3 failures with a much more expensive vehicle. I guess they just needed an excuse

XR Martin · 15-03-2021, 12:24 PM

Landcruiser has a solid front axle, so of course it's going to have a thicker steering arm (and completely different design)

But on the other hand if the Landcruiser's arm was 24mm mild steel and the Ranger's 12mm arm was Titanium, would the Cruiser's still be better?
I think not.

End of the day, a solid axle in rural conditions is far more durable.

GCRXR6 · 16-03-2021, 01:37 AM

A bit silly comparing a Ranger with a Landcruiser. A Hilux is more in the Ranger family. Hiluxes aren't unbreakable neither.

Bossxr8 · 16-03-2021, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

A bit silly comparing a Ranger with a Landcruiser. A Hilux is more in the Ranger family. Hiluxes aren't unbreakable neither.

Try hard enough and you can break anything. A friends brother who we sometimes go camping with can destroy anything. Drives like an utter mad man off-road. Hardly slows for anything. Just smashes it through creek crossings, drainage ditches, whatever. Has absolutely zero mechanical sympathy. Ended up with his Hilux's steering wheel in his lap when the steering column broke. He doesn't care. Breaks stuff constantly. Just fix it, and rinse and repeat.

I just don't get it. I just cringe watching him sometimes. It's brutal. No amount of engineering will stop these nutters breaking their cars.

Franco Cozzo · 17-03-2021, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Try hard enough and you can break anything. A friends brother who we sometimes go camping with can destroy anything. Drives like an utter mad man off-road. Hardly slows for anything. Just smashes it through creek crossings, drainage ditches, whatever. Has absolutely zero mechanical sympathy. Ended up with his Hilux's steering wheel in his lap when the steering column broke. He doesn't care. Breaks stuff constantly. Just fix it, and rinse and repeat.

I just don't get it. I just cringe watching him sometimes. It's brutal. No amount of engineering will stop these nutters breaking their cars.

I love people like that, I'm one myself, my cars get absolutely flogged