Front Steering Knuckle: Service and Repair
FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE
1. Remove cotter pin, nut lock, and spring washer from the front stub axle.
CAUTION: Wheel bearing damage will result if after loosening hub nut, vehicle is rolled on the ground or the weight of the vehicle is allowed to be supported by the tires.
2. Loosen hub nut while vehicle is on the floor with the brakes applied. The hub and driveshaft are splined together through the knuckle (bearing) and retained by the hub nut.
3. Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
4. Remove front tire and wheel assembly from the hub.
5. Remove front disc brake caliper to steering knuckle guide pin attaching bolts.
6. Remove disc brake caliper assembly from steering knuckle. Caliper is removed by first lifting bottom of caliper away from steering knuckle, and then removing top of caliper out from under steering knuckle.
Correctly Supported Front Disc Brake Caliper:
7. Support brake caliper/adapter assembly using a wire hook and not by hydraulic hose.
8. Remove the braking disc from the front hub/ bearing assembly.
Tie Rod End Attaching Nut:
9. Remove nut attaching outer tie rod end to the steering knuckle. Nut is to be removed from tie rod end using the following procedure, hold tie rod end stud with a 11/32 socket while loosening and removing nut with wrench.
10. Remove the tie rod end from the steering knuckle using Remover, Special Tool MB-991113.
Speed Sensor Cable Routing Bracket:
11. Remove the speed sensor cable routing bracket from the steering knuckle.
Lower Ball Joint Attachment To Steering Knuckle:
12. Remove cotter pin and castle nut from the stud of the lower ball joint.
CAUTION:
- No tool is to be inserted between the steering knuckle and the lower ball joint to separate stud of lower ball joint from the steering knuckle. The steering knuckle is to be separated from the stud of the ball joint only using the procedure as described in step Step 13 below.
- When striking the steering knuckle, do not hit the heat shield covering the ball joint grease seal. Bending the heat shield against the ball joint grease seal will cause the grease seal to fail.
Separating Ball Joint Stud From Steering Knuckle:
13. Turn steering knuckle so the front of the steering knuckle is facing as far outboard in the wheel well as possible. Using a hammer strike the boss on the steering knuckle, until the steering knuckle separates from the stud of lower ball joint.
CAUTION: Pulling steering knuckle out from vehicle after releasing from ball joint can separate inner C/V joint.
14. Lift up on steering knuckle separating it from the lower ball joint stud. Use caution when separating ball joint stud from steering knuckle, so ball joint seal does not get cut.
NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner C/V joint during this operation. Do not allow driveshaft to hang by inner C/V joint, driveshaft must be supported.
Separating Steering Knuckle From Outer C/V Joint:
15. Separate the steering knuckle from the outer C/V joint. Separate steering knuckle from outer C/V joint, by supporting the driveshaft while pulling steering knuckle away from the outer C/V joint.
Upper Ball Joint Attachment To Steering Knuckle:
16. Remove the cotter pin and nut from the upper ball joint stud to steering knuckle attachment.
Ball Joint Stud Removal From Steering Knuckle:
17. Remove the upper ball joint stud from the steering knuckle using Puller, Special Tool, C-3894-A.
18. Remove steering knuckle from vehicle.
19. The bolt in type front wheel bearing used on the vehicle is transferable to the replacement steering knuckle if bearing is found to be in usable condition.
INSTALL
1. If required install a hub/bearing assembly into the steering knuckle before installing steering knuckle on vehicle.
2. Install the heat shield for the lower control arm ball joint grease seal before beginning the installation of the steering knuckle on the vehicle.
3. Slide drive shaft back into front hub/bearing assembly. Then install steering knuckle onto the ball joint stud in lower control arm.
4. Install the steering knuckle to lower ball joint stud castle nut.
Upper Ball Joint Attachment To Steering Knuckle:
Lower Ball Joint Attachment To Steering Knuckle:
5. Install upper ball joint in steering knuckle. Install the steering knuckle to upper ball joint nut. Tighten the upper ball joint castle nut to a torque of 54 Nm (40 ft. lbs.). Then, using a crowfoot and torque wrench, tighten the lower ball joint nut to a torque of 75 Nm (55 ft. lbs.). Install cotter pins in upper and lower ball joint studs.
Speed Sensor Cable Routing Bracket:
6. Install the speed sensor cable routing bracket on the steering knuckle and securely tighten the attaching bolt.
Torquing Tie Rod End Attaching Nut:
CAUTION: When installing tie rod on steering knuckle the heat shield must be installed. If heat shield is not installed, tie rod seal boot can fail due to excessive heat from brake rotor.
Tie Rod End Attaching Nut:
7. Install tie rod end into the steering knuckle. Start tie rod end to steering knuckle attaching nut onto stud of tie rod end. While holding stud of tie rod end stationary, tighten tie rod end to steering knuckle attaching nut. Then using a crowfoot and 11/32 socket tighten the attaching nut to a torque of 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.).
8. Install braking disc back on hub and bearing assembly.
Installing Brake Caliper:
9. Install disc brake caliper assembly on steering knuckle. Caliper is installed by first sliding top of caliper under top abutment on steering knuckle. Then installing bottom of caliper against bottom abutment of steering knuckle.
10. Install the disc brake caliper guide pin bolts. Tighten caliper assembly guide pin bolts to a torque of 31 Nm (23 ft. lbs.).
Front Stub Axle Nut And Washer:
11. Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer C/V joint stub axle. Install washer and hub nut onto stub axle and tighten nut.
12. With vehicle brakes applied to keep braking disc from turning, tighten hub nut to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.) of torque.
Installing Spring Washer, Nut Lock And Cotter Pin:
13. Install the spring washer, hub nut lock, and new cotter pin. Wrap cotter pin prongs tightly around the hub nut lock.
14. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install front wheel lug nuts and tighten in correct sequence. Then tighten to a torque of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
15. Lower vehicle.
16. Set front Toe on vehicle to required specification. Use procedure listed under Wheel Alignment.