97 xlt 4x4 front suspension/steering rebuild kit?

[Gryffon]

Hello guys, yes I'm new here and I'm not a seasoned mechanic. I do however, research and learn and where possible, fix my own problems.
I've spent two days searching for a kit including tie rods, control arms, ball joints etc for my particular year/model and it's driving me mental.
There are a zillion kits for 98+ and little kits for separated parts, but NONE as I can find for my 97 4.0 4x4 XLT!

It may well be I'm a dummy and there's a very good reason why I can't find anything, but for the life of me I can't understand why not.
I would greatly appreciate ANY help in finding a solution. Maybe some part numbers, maybe a pointer in the right direction, or even a telling off for being so dumb!

 

[97RangerXLT]

steering box rebuild, I would just grab a remanufactured one from Rock Auto. I am doing the steering rebuild on my 97 right now, and I have run into some age issues (as in everything is original, 23 years old and has been marinated in road salt every winter for all of those 23 years....

so my project is replace power steering pump, lines, and steering box. got the pump out. it was fun.. the lines are all corroded to hell, so I am just cutting those off. got all my parts off of Rock Auto, and paid about 300 for them. I will get about 100 back in core charges tho.

I have not bought the steering linkage yet, altho that is what is holding me up right now. I cannot get the pitman arm off the old box, and I cannot unbolt the linkage in any corner... all the castlenuts are rust seized to the bolts and just spin the ball joints when you put the wrench to them. the kotter keys were in pretty horrible shape, I was able to pull the head through the bolt on one of them.

so my next thought is to buy a nut cracker and just break the old castle nuts off where the pitman arm connects to the linkage. then probably do the nuts at the spindles too, then put all new linkage in and call it good.

Once the linkage is free I am hoping to get the box out of the truck without too much trouble. I was able to loosen the bolt that holds the steering shaft to the box without issues, and if the three bolts that hold the box to the frame are a problem I will just break them off. (already removed one to get replacement dimensions )


For what its worth, this is my first foray into replacing the steering components... so if you have discovered anything enlightening in your voyage into this, let me know

AJ