Rear Knuckle: Service and Repair

REMOVAL
1. Raise vehicle on jackstands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
2. Remove the rear wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle.
3. Remove rear brake drum from rear hub and bearing assembly.

Access Panel:

4. If vehicle is equipped with antilock brakes remove the rear wheel speed sensor from the brake support plate and brake flex hose routing bracket.

Fig. 2:

Park Brake Cable Removal From Brake Support Plate:

5. Remove the park brake cable from the parking brake actuating lever. Then remove the park brake cable from the rear brake support plate. Park brake cable is removed from brake support. plate using this procedure. Position a 1/2 inch box end wrench over cable retainer to collapse retaining tabs. Then pull bear brake cable from. brake support plate.

Fig. 4:

6. Remove the rear hub/bearing assembly retaining nut. Then remove the washer and the hub/bearing assembly from the knuckle.

Fig. 5:

7. Remove the 4 bolts attaching rear brake support plate to knuckle. Then remove brake support plate, brake shoes and wheel cylinder as an assembly from rear knuckle. It is not necessary to remove brake flex hose from wheel cylinder when removing support plate. Brake support, plate when removed, must be supported using mechanics wire as shown.

Lateral Link Attachment To Rear Knuckle:

8. Remove the nuts and bolts attaching the forward and rear lateral links to the rear knuckle.
9. Remove cotter pin and castle nut attaching upper control arm ball joint to knuckle.

Removing Ball Joint Stud From Knuckle:

10. Remove ball joint stud from knuckle using Puller, Special Tool, CT-1106. Then using puller, install castle nut on ball joint stud to protect threads from damage.

Trailing Link Attachment To Rear Knuckle:

11. Remove the nut and washer attaching the trailing link to the rear knuckle. Use a wrench on the flat of the trailing link to keep it from turning when removing nut.

Shock Absorber Attachment To Knuckle:

12. Remove the shock absorber clevis bracket to knuckle attaching nut and bolt.
13. Remove the knuckle assembly from the vehicle.

INSTALLATION

Shock Absorber Attachment To Knuckle:

1. Install knuckle on clevis bracket of rear shock absorber. Then install clevis bracket to shock absorber attaching bolt with head of bolt facing rear of vehicle.

Trailing Link Bushing And Retainer Installation:

CAUTION: When installing trailing link bushing, retainers, retainers must be installed with cupped side of retainer facing away from bushing and knuckle.

2. Install knuckle on trailing link. Install the trailing link outer bushing, gold bushing retainer and retaining nut on trailing link. Using a large adjustable wrench, to keep trailing link from rotating securely tighten the trailing link retaining nut to a torque of 99 Nm (73 ft. lbs.).
3. Install the upper ball joint stud in the knuckle. Install and tighten the ball joint stud castle nut to a torque of 85 Nm (63 ft. lbs.). Install cotter pin in ball joint stud.

Lateral Link Attachment To Rear Knuckle:

4. Install the front and rear lateral links and attaching nuts and bolts on the knuckle Tighten the lateral links to knuckle attaching bolts and nuts to 108 Nm (80 ft. lbs.).

Fig. 5:

5. Install rear brake support plate assembly onto the knuckle. Install the 4 bolts attaching rear brake support plate to rear knuckle. Tighten the attaching bolts to a torque of 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.).

Speed Sensor Head Attachment To Brake Support Plate:

6. If vehicle is equipped with ABS brakes, install speed sensor head into rear brake support plate. Torque speed sensor head mounting bolt to 7 Nm (60 inch lbs.).

Fig. 1:

7. Attach routing bracket for speed sensor cable to brake flex hose bracket and securely tighten attaching bolt.
8. Install park brake cable into brake support plate. Ensure cable retainer is securely holding cable to support plate. Then connect park brake cable to park brake lever on brake shoe.
9. Install rear hub and bearing assembly on knuckle and install hub and bearing assembly retaining nut. Tighten retaining nut to a torque of 250 Nm (185 ft. lbs.).
10. Install the brake drum on the hub/bearing assembly.
11. Install wheel and tire assembly on vehicle. Tighten the wheel mounting stud nuts in proper sequence until all nuts are torqued to half specification. Then repeat the tightening sequence to the full specified torque of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
12. Lower vehicle.
13. Check and reset rear wheel alignment to specifications if required.