2004 Ford F150 Truck with New Body Style (excluding 8200LB GVW) Front Upper & Lower 4 Piece Control Arm with Ball Joint Set

1. It's recommended to seek an alignment after finishing this repair

   step 1 : Removing the Wheel 0:48

   • Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
   • Loosen the 21mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
   • Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
   • Secure the vehicle on jack stands
   • Remove the lug nuts
   • Pull off the wheel

2. step 2 : Loosening the Outer Tie Rod 1:22

   • Turn the wheel
   • Remove the 21mm nut from the outer tie rod
   • Leave the 21mm nut on a couple threads
   • Hammer the knuckle until the outer tie rod loosens
   • Set the outer tie rod off to the side

3. step 3 : Loosening the Strut 1:50

   • Remove the 18mm nut below the sway bar link with an 18mm wrench and an 8mm socket and ratchet
   • Hold the 20mm nut on the bottom of the strut with a 27mm socket and ratchet
   • Loosen the 30mm nut on the bottom of the strut with a breaker bar and piece of pipe
   • Remove two of the 15mm nuts on the top of the strut
   • Leave the other 15mm nut on the top of the strut by a few threads

4. step 4 : Loosening the Axle 3:03

   • Remove the hub nut cap with a pair of pliers
   • Remove the 13mm hub nut
   • Replace the 13mm nut by a few threads and tap the nut with a hammer to push the axle through
   • Remove the nut
   • Have an assistant hold the brakes
   • Remove the 12mm bolts from the axle with a 12mm 12-point socket

5. step 5 : Removing the Axle 4:12

   • Remove the 21mm nut from the bottom of the upper control arm
   • Thread the 21mm nut on
   • Loosen the upper control arm with a hammer
   • Remove the nut
   • Manuever the wheel knuckle to the side without straining the brake lines
   • Remove the axle

6. step 6 : Removing the Strut 6:00

   • Jack up underneath the control arm
   • Remove the bolt on the bottom of the strut
   • Pry the strut out and remove it

7. step 7 : Removing the Control Arm 6:30

   • Remove the nuts on either side of the upper control arm with a 21mm wrench and 21mm socket and ratchet
   • Leave the 21mm bolts on by a thread
   • Hold the upper control arm in place and remove the bolts
   • Remove the control arm
   • Step 8: Installing the Upper Control Arm [7:26]
   • Insert the upper control arm into place
   • Insert the 21mm control arm bolts in place
   • Preliminarily tighten the 21mm nuts

8. step 8 : Installing the Strut 8:00

   • Insert the strut into place
   • Insert the 15mm nuts to the strut to hold it in place
   • Pry the strut into the lower control arm
   • Insert the bolt into the strut
   • Preliminarily tighten the nut on the bolt
   • Tighten the 15mm nuts

9. step 9 : Reinstalling the Axle 7:49

   • Insert the axle into place
   • Insert the upper control arm into the wheel knuckle
   • Tighten the 21mm nut
   • Tighten the 12mm bolts into the axle
   • Torque the 12mm nuts to 60 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern
   • Tighten 13mm hub nut
   • Torque the hub nut to 20 foot-pounds
   • Tap the hub nut cap into place
   • Re-clip and realign any lines that may have come undone

10. step 10 : Reinstalling the Outer Tie Rod 9:27

    • Push the outer tie-rod up through the wheel knuckle
    • Replace the 21mm nut
    • Torque the 21mm nut to 111 foot-pounds
    • Tighten the bolt on the upper control arm
    • Torque the upper control arm 21mm nut to 111 foot-pounds
    • Tighten the 18mm nut to the sway bar link
    • Jack underneath the control arm
    • Torque the lower strut bolt to 150 foot-pounds

11. step 11 : Reattaching the Wheel 10:16

    • Slide the wheel into place
    • Start the lug nuts by hand
    • Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
    • Lower the vehicle to the ground
    • Tighten the lug nuts to 120 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
    • Reattach the center cap

Tools needed for replacement

• General Tools

  Hammer

  Jack Stands

  Floor Jack

• Materials, Fluids, and Supplies

  Rust Penetrant

• Ratchets & Related

  A Piece of Pipe (for leverage)

  Torque Wrench

  Ratchet

• Screwdrivers & Related

  Pry Bar

  Flat Blade Screwdriver

• Sockets - Metric

  13mm Socket

  15mm Socket

  27mm socket

  12mm 12-Point Socket

  8mm Socket

  30mm Socket