Front Steering Knuckle: Service and Repair
KNUCKLEREMOVAL
1. Raise vehicle.
2. Remove front tire and wheel assembly from the hub.
CAUTION: Wheel bearing damage will result if hub nut is loosened, then vehicle is rolled on the ground or the weight of the vehicle is allowed to be supported by the tires.
3. Loosen hub nut with the brakes applied. The hub and driveshaft are splined together through the knuckle (bearing) and retained by the hub nut.
4. Remove the disc brake caliper, adapter, shoes and rotor from the steering knuckle.
5. 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 socket while loosening and removing nut with wrench.
6. Remove the tie rod end from the steering knuckle using Remover, Special Tool MB-991113.
Fig. 25:
7. Remove the speed sensor cable routing bracket from the steering knuckle.
8. 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 9 below.
CAUTION: 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.
9. 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, thus damaging it.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Remove the nut from the upper ball joint stud.
Fig. 25:
13. Remove the upper ball joint stud from the steering knuckle using Puller, Special Tool, C-3894-A.
14. Remove steering knuckle from vehicle.
15. If steering knuckle is being replaced and hub and bearing is found to be in usable condition, it can be transferred to replacement steering knuckle.
INSTALLATION
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.
5. Install upper ball joint in steering knuckle. Install the steering knuckle to upper ball joint nut. Tighten the upper ball joint nut to a torque of 27 Nm (20 ft. lbs.). Then, using a crowfoot and torque wrench, tighten the lower ball joint nut to a torque of 75 Nm (55 ft. lbs.).
6. Install the speed sensor cable routing bracket on the steering knuckle and securely tighten the attaching bolt.
Fig. 24:
CAUTION: When installing tie rod on steering knuckle the heat shieldmust be installed. If heat shield is not installed, tie rod seal boot can fail due to excessive heat from brake rotor.
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 socket tighten the attaching nut to a torque of 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.).
8. Install brake rotor, and caliper, shoes and adapter assembly.
9. Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer C/V joint stub axle. Install hub nut onto driveshaft stub axle.
10. With vehicle brakes applied to keep braking disc from turning, tighten hub nut to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.) of torque.
11. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install front wheel lug nuts and progressively tighten in crisscross sequence. Tighten to a torque of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
12. Lower vehicle.
13. Set front toe on vehicle to required specification.