The Ford Ranger 4WD System
The Ford Ranger 4WD System
The Ford Ranger 4WD System
8Hs Powerstroke
Motor: Elaion SJ SAE 15W40, capacidad 6,5 litros. (yo uso hace mucho el XV-300 con excelentes resultados)
Caja de transferencia: ATF sintetico MERCON III R/MERCON/3/ capacidad 1,1 litros.
Dif. trasero DANA 44.3 convencional: Sae 75W90 (GL5) capacidad 1,6 litros.
Dif. trasero DANA 44.3 autoblocante: Sae 75W90 (GL5) mas 5% de aditivo modificador de fricción, capacidad
When the Ranger is in 2WD, the power is transmitted to the rear axle. When the Ranger is in 4WD, the transfer
case splits the power between the front and rear axles. The front axle uses a locking hub (1983-2000) to lock
(connect) the front wheels to the axleshafts. If these hubs are not locked, the wheel will not receive power from
the axle.
Note: the 2001-2011 4WD Ford Ranger has a live front axle. What that means is that the front wheels are
permanently connected to the front axle, and do not use a locking hub.
Misconceptions: Some believe that when you activate the 4WD, power is sent to all (4) wheels. I can see
where people get that idea….from the name. At the very basic models, power is only sent to one of the rear
wheels, and one of the front wheels when in 4WD. If the model is equipped with a limited-slip axle (differential),
then when one wheel spins due to a lack of traction, the differential will automatically provide torque to the
other wheel with traction. To get all (4) wheels turning requires a locking differential, which is a whole other
article.
Now that you know what it is, let‟s talk about how it works in your Ford Ranger:
It‟s not labelled, but you can see the front locking hub on the brake rotor. The locking hub slides over the same
wheel studs that your wheels bolt to, and is sandwiched between the wheel and the brake rotor.
The transfer case is engaged by a lever on the floor (the one on the left):
The transfer case knob has the transfer cases shift pattern printed on it.
(Ford Ranger transfer case)
Below is a front locking hub for a Ford Ranger. If you look closely, you can see that the hub has the words
LOCK and FREE cast in to it. The knob in the center of the hub has an arrow to indicate if it‟s in the FREE or
LOCK position. When the hub is turned to the LOCK position, it pushes a splined collar onto the end of the axle
shaft, connecting the hub and axle together. Since the hub is mounted to the wheel studs (remember, it‟s
sandwiched between the wheel and the brake rotor), it transfers the power from the axle to the wheel through
the locking hubs body. If you‟ve ever seen one of these break offroad, this is why the cylinder part of the hub is
busted off of its round base.
In 1986, Ford came out with “Shift on The Fly” and offered an electric shift transfer case.
(Ford Ranger electronically shifted transfer case – note the black shift motor)
Instead of manually pulling a lever and engaging the transfer case, the operator just needed to push a button
on the “Touch Drive”:
Since the “Touch Drive” was an after thought, there wasn‟t any place to mount the switch module in the
Ranger‟s dash, so Ford mounted it in an overhead console above the rear view mirror:
When you pushed the button on the “Touch Drive”, it sent a signal to a shift control module mounted under the
dash. The module then sent a signal to the shift motor mounted on the rear of the transfer case, which engaged
the transfer case.
Note: The shift control module receives speed input from a speed sensor on the vehicle. It does not allow the
transfer case to shift into 4WD if it is moving to fast, or in to 4WD Low Range if it isn‟t stopped. Additionally, the
transfer case will not go in to 4WD Low Range (4LO) unless it is in 4WD first.
Ford still offered the manual transfer case as well as the electronic shift transfer case. The automatic shift
transfer cases aren‟t as common in the 1986-1988 Ford Ranger as the manual shift transfer cases.
Below is an automatic locking hub for a Ford Ranger. You‟ll see that there isn‟t a knob on the end of it. The
spring-loaded hub automatically engages on the fly when the transfer case is shifted from 2WD into 4WD. The
application of torque to the axle causes the splined collar inside the hub to slide on to the splined axle and lock.
Just like the manual hub, it then transfer power to the wheels, since it‟s bolted on to the wheel stubs behind the
wheel.
1989 saw a new dash design in the Ford Ranger, and the new design allowed for a place to mount the 4WD
shift buttons. This meant they were now mounted in the dash, instead of in an overhead console.
The manually shifted transfer case was still available during these years.
1997 was the last year that a manual transfer case was available in a base model Ford Ranger. Ford re-
introduced a manual transfer case in the 2002-2003 FX4 level II equipped Ford Ranger, and only came with the
manual transmission.
(Ford Ranger FX4 Manual Transfer Case Lever – Manual Transmission)
Dana 44 Knuckle Swap On To Dana 35
Part numbers for upper and lower Dana 44 ball joints. Also a set of off set 44 alignment cams are needed.
First the proper ream must be obtained to re taper the lower ball joint mounting location as well as ream the 44 knuckle from the top of the steering arm as to mount the tie rod ends as they where in a 35. The 44
mounts from the bottom of the steering arm and the 35 from the top, thus it must be reamed from the top. I borrowed these from a friend.
To measure depth of cut bottom the ream into a 44 lower ball joint taper. Then mark the depth with tape, this is then the depth you will need to ream the 35 beam. During the cutting operation slow speed with
constant pressure works best. Don‟t spin the ream fast, it will cut very poorly. Also very liberal amounts of cutting lubricant should be used. 90 weight gear oil works very well. Check often when you start getting
close to the depth of cut mark. Stop reaming and test fit the lower ball joint. The margin of error is slim, if not enough is taken out the ball joint will not fit. If to much then the press fit can not be obtained. By test
fitting often you can better gauge how much more needs to be taken out.
Un reamed 35 beam
Reamed 35 beam
44 lower ball joint in reamed 35 beam
44 upper ball joint and alignment cam in 35 beam
The reaming process, slow and steady.
The same procedure is used in reaming the steering arm. Caution should be taken as the steering arm is cast steel and the lower ball joint mount is harder steel. So reaming the steering arm takes less force, the
material is easier to remove.
To accommodate the 44 upper ball joint inside the 35 beam some material must be removed from the inside of the beam. Depth of cut is easy to see from the pictures. Basically the thinner layer is ground off
flush.
Clearance 35 beam
Unclearance 35 beam
Side by side
Clearance process, notice the layer that is ground off.
After this was done I ran a few beads of weld around the upper ball joint pinch to retain strength. Although Im not sure if it was really necessary.
Now the lower ball joint is installed and torque to spec. Without the 44 alignment cam in place move the knuckle from lock to lock in different orientations of the upper ball joint. This is to see in what orientation of
the upper ball joint causes the most interference with the 35 beam. Then mark and clearance the 35 beam. Not much material needs to be removed to accomplish this.
Interference of 44 knuckle on 35 beam
Interference of 44 knuckle on 35 beam
Clearance of 35 beam
Clearance of 35 beam
After this is complete the beams can be installed into the truck. Set the toe, caster and camber, caster and camber done just as would be done on the 35 with the top alignment cam. Once alignment is complete
the upper ball joint nut is torque to spec taking special care as the alignment cam is not spun. Then the pinch bolt is torque to spec. The procedure for the upper ball joint differs from that of the 35 as the 35 upper
ball joint does not have a taper, the pinch bolt holds the upper in the cam. While the 44 upper does have a taper. So the upper ball joint nut presses the ball joint stud into the 44 alignment cam retained a press fit.
Then the pinch blot holds the alignment cam thus retaining the upper ball joint.
I already had a lot of time in fabbing up my own lift for the 35, and have it tuned how I want it. But I kept on blowing warn hubs and didn‟t want to buy Warn Jeep hubs as I knew I could do the knuckle swap for
cheaper. The main key thing here is the axle benefits of the 35/44 hybrid. So you have ½ ton outers meaning you have better hubs, wheel bearing spacing, larger rotors and calipers then on the 35.
Shaft wise, the Dana 44 stub shafts are larger than the stub shafts on a Dana 35. It‟s interesting to note, that the Dana 44 shafts have a neck-down on them that tapers down to 1.09″ inches. The smallest point on
the Dana 35 shafts is 1.16″ inches where it tapers down to go in to the carrier. The only shaft on a Dana 35 that is smaller than the neck-down on the Dana 44, is the Dana 35 stub shaft, which is 1.0625″ inches.
Therefore, swapping the Dana 44 stub shaft on to a Dana 35 will actually result in a axle assembly with larger axles than the Dana 44.
Also this was WAY faster and cheaper then doing a SAS.
Additional Notes:
The Knuckles I used where 1984-1986 I believe. Just about any TTB 44 knuckles should work.
The only special tool need is the ream. The ream used is 1-1/2” taper per foot.
The Dana 44 stub shafts use the same u joint as Dana 35 so shaft assembly is just like a 35 shaft but with the 44 stub in place of the 35 stub.
The stock brake master cylinder works fine with the 44 calipers. So it does not need to be replaced but could be if you see fit
In 1998, the Ford Ranger went to a Dana 35 SLA front axle. The Dana 35 SLA
switched from a reverse rotation gear to standard rotation gear. The gears in a 1997
and older Ranger/Explorer will not work in the 1998 and newer Rangers.
The below photos show the visual differences between the Dana 28 and Dana 35.
The 1983-1994 front brake is a single piston caliper with slide pins. In 1995
the caliper was upgraded to a dual piston (2-piston) caliper and the rotor was
upgraded to 1.023 inches thick. The caliper bolts to the steering knuckle and
does not use slide pins.
The 1983-1988 axle beams are different than the 1989-1997 beams. In
1989, Ford moved the ball joints from the beam to the steering knuckle. So
you can not swap the 1995-1997 steering knuckles on to these beams. The
dual piston calipers will only fit the 1995-1997 steering knuckles, and those
knuckles can only be swapped on to the 1989-1994 beams. So if you have a
1983-1988, you‟ll need to swap in a 1989-1994 beam, or swap in a 1995-
1997 beam with the dual piston calipers.
For more information about the front brakes and brake upgrades, check out
„Ford Ranger Brake Upgrades„.
Your front axle may have a code stamped on the left carrier arm between the fill plug
and axle end. It will look like 'F17A' or similar. What this code represents is;
E = 1980's
F = 1990's
1 = Last digit of year
7 = Ranger
A = Light Truck Engineering
(For more information on breaking down codes, click HERE.
Since the Dana 28's were built in the 1980's, their code will start with an 'E' where as
the Dana 35's were built in the 1990's and will start with an 'F'. The above mentioned
code would indicate that the axle was a Ranger axle built in 1991.
There is a manufacturers label on the back side of the right axle beam that lists the
year manufactured and gear ratio.
If you look at the top left of this sticker, you can see 610366 which identifies this as a:
The second box from top right identifies it as having 3.73 gears.
These stickers are on the back side of the passenger side axle beam.
Here is a picture of a Dana 28 & Dana 35 driver side axle shaft with the dimensions
shown.
Spindle Comparisons:
Here's a picture of a Dana 35 (Left) and Dana 28 (Right) spindle with dimensions
shown.
In the above (2) photos on the left it shows a Dana 35 hybrid that houses the Dana
28 carrier/gears. Note that the housing has a smooth surface. In the (2) photo's on
the right you'll see a true Dana 35 differential. Note how the case in the far right
photo is ribbed for strength.
The easiest way to check to see if your Dana 35, has Dana 28 "Guts", is to pull the fill
plug out from the front. If you can see the main cap, you have the Dana 28 guts
(Sorry!). If you can see the end of the carrier, you have "The Real Thing". If you
click on the photos above of the carriers internals you'll see a red dot. This marks the
location of what you will see through the "Plug".
Note that the Dana 35 Hybrid has a smooth bottom
610418
610484
610653
This number can be found at the top-left of the label located on the backside of the
passenger side axle beam. For SLA axles, it will be on the passenger side axle tube
Upgrades:
If you have the Dana 28 there isn't much available to upgrade your axle. Powertrax
makes the Lock-Rite locker for the Dana 28 and Precision Gear makes gears up to a
4.56 ratio.
If you have the Dana 35, you have a few more options:
Manual Hubs - You can upgrade to a set of Warn manual Jeep hubs for the Dana
35. Click HERE for more info.
C-Clip Eliminator - The c-clip that holds the axle in the passenger side of the
differential can be eliminated (required for some lockers, and also makes shaft
replacement on the trail much easier). Click HERE for more info.
Dana 44 Knuckle Swap - This swap involves replace the Dana 35 steering knuckles
with knuckles from a Dana 44 and using the bigger brakes, hubs, etc. The main key
thing here is the axle benefits of the 35/44 hybrid. You'll have 1/2 ton outers meaning
you have better hubs, wheel bearing spacing and larger rotors and calipers then on
the Dana 35.
Shaft wise, the Dana 44 stub shafts are larger than the stub shafts on a Dana 35. It's
interesting to note, that the Dana 44 shafts have a neck-down on them that tapers
down to 1.09" inches. The smallest point on the Dana 35 shafts is 1.16" inches where
it tapers down to go in to the carrier. The only shaft on a Dana 35 that is smaller than
the neck-down on the Dana 44, is the Dana 35 stub shaft, which is 1.0625" inches.
Therefore, swapping the Dana 44 stub shaft on to a Dana 35 will actually result in a
axle assembly with larger axles than the Dana 44.
The image above and below shows where the Dana 44 TTB axle shafts taper down
to 1.09" inches. That's smaller than the Dana 35 shafts.
To see how to do this swap click HERE. The hubs will be a 5 on 5.5 wheel pattern
which means you'll need adapters for the rear axle so you have the same wheel bolt
pattern on all (4) wheels.
Steering Upgrades - Superlift makes a Superrunner steering kit that replaces the
stock steering. It has virtually equal length arms to eliminate the bumpsteer.
ARB now offers P/N RD105 and Detroit Locker offers P/N 162C66A 30-spline lockers
for Dana 35's.
U-Joint Snap Ring Upgrade - Click HERE to see an article on a snap ring upgrade.
Skid Plate - DynaTrac (714-898-5228) manufactures a skid plate that bolts on to the
Ranger TTB front axle using the factory carrier bolts. It's designed to protect the axle
from impacts without losing ground clearance.
Replacement Shafts - Jeff Bronco Graveyard carries replacement axle shafts for the
Dana 35 HERE.
Things To Watch:
Bearings - Ranger TTB axles are known for bearing problems (particularly when
using wide-offset wheels). You should keep a close watch on your wheel bearings to
make sure they haven't loosened up or become damaged from overheating. If you
wheel your Ranger and carry spare parts you'll probably want to carry a spare hub
and wheel bearings. The stock hubs are prone to break from hard wheeling and the
wheel bearings could go out on you somewhere between the trail and home due to
debris, heat and working their way loose. Loosening of the bearings can be
minimized by torquing the outer bearing locknut to 225 ft-lbs instead of the book spec
of 150.
TTB Axle beams - A few cases of cracked beams have been reported right at the
end of the welds on the backside of the passengerside beam with prolonged hard
offroad use. If you use your truck hard (such as rockcrawling), some reinforcement in
this area (I.E., boxing up the open backside of the beam) can improve it's durability
here. Also, NEVER run with a missing pinch bolt behind the radius arm on the
driverside axle beam. Cracking of the beam around the lower radius arm bolt hole
can result if you do.
The Ford Ranger 4×4 received a new SLA (Short arm Long Arm) suspension in 1998, and used that suspension until its production end in 2011.
Unlike the reverse rotation Dana 35 used from 1990-1997, the Dana 35 SLA is a standard rotation axle. This means that the gears from a 1990-1997 Dana 35 will not work in a 1998-2011 Ford Ranger.
The 1995-2001 Ford Explorer 4×4 also used the Dana 35 SLA front axle.
The 1998-2011 Ford Ranger Dana 35 is offset on the drivers side and uses an intermediate shaft similar to the Dana 35 used in previous years, but is not attached to the axle beam as in previous years. Instead,
the Dana 35 is fixed in place between the frame rails with (3) bolts. Instead of axle beams, it uses a long arm / short arm setup and CV (Constant Velocity) shafts:
(Note that the left side has a sleeve for the Dana 35 intermediate shaft to slide in to.)
Manual Lockout Hubs:
The 1998-2011 Ford Ranger Dana 35 DOES NOT come with manual hubs. The 1998-2000 model had PVH hubs (Pulse Vacuum Hubs), but from 2001-2011, it was a live axle setup. The front axle shafts from
2001-2011 are permanently locked to the front differential. There is a manual lockout hub available as an upgrade to the PVH Hub setup, but the only way to install manual hubs on a 2001-2011 Ranger would be
to swap in the axles and hubs from a 1998-2000 Ford Ranger 4×4.
There are several articles in our „Axle Section‟ under „Locking Hubs‟ that deal with the PVH hubs and possible modifications & upgrades.
The label is similar to the one found on the Dana 35 TTB Axle beams of the 1990-1997 Ford Ranger:
The sticker will list the gear ratio across the top (second from the right). If you look closely, you can see that this sticker indicates a 3.55 gear ratio (this sticker is from an Explorer Dana 35). Below the yellow
section, you will see „F87A‟. That breaks down as:
F = 1990‟s
A = Ranger/Explorer
So this sticker came off of a 1998 Explorer/Ranger with a 3.55 gear ratio.
7 Drive pinion oil seal deflector 27 Differential cover bolts (10 required)
The 1995-1996 Ford Explorer uses a vacuum disconnect system on the axle – which should not be confused with the PVH vacuum hubs on the 1998-2000 Ford Ranger. The axle disconnect on the Explorer relies
on engine vacuum, control valves and an electrical current to activate/de-activate it. This means you can‟t just install a Dana 35 housing from a 1995-1996 Ford Explorer in your 1998 and newer Ford Ranger.
(1995-1996 Ford Explorer Dana 35 Housing With Axle Disconnect)