Disassembly & Assembly: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer and 2003 Ford Explorer. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

CAUTION: Any operation in which the pinion nut and washer were disturbed changes the differential pinion bearing preload. Carefully reset the preload during assembly.

Place the vehicle in NEUTRAL and position on a hoist. .
Remove the front axle assembly from the vehicle. For additional information, refer to FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLY .
Remove the components in the order indicated in the following illustration and table.
To assemble, reverse the disassembly procedure.

Fig 1: Exploded View Of Front Axle Assembly
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

Fig 2: Identifying Front Axle Assembly Reference Table
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
Fill the axle to the specified fluid level with the fluid listed in SPECIFICATIONS .