Rear Knuckle: Service and Repair
REMOVAL1. Raise the vehicle.
2. Remove the rear tire and wheel assembly.
3. If vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, remove the brake drum from hub.
4. If vehicle is equipped with rear disc brakes, remove the rear caliper from the adapter and store the caliper out of the way by hanging it from the frame of the vehicle. Refer to DISC BRAKE SHOES (REAR) for the required procedure. Remove the brake rotor from the hub.
Speed Sensor Head Attachment To Disc Brake Adapter:
5. If vehicle is equipped with antilock brakes, remove the wheel speed sensor from the rear disc brake adapter.
Fig. 4:
6. Remove the rear hub and bearing retaining nut. Then remove the hub and bearing from the knuckle.
7. If vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, remove the 4 bolts attaching the rear brake support plate to the knuckle. Then remove brake support plate, brake shoes and wheel cylinder as an assembly from rear knuckle and store out of the way in the same manner used to hang a disc brake caliper out of the way. It is not necessary to remove brake flex hose from wheel cylinder when removing support plate.
Disc Brake Adapter Mounting:
8. On vehicles equipped with rear disc brakes, remove the 4 bolts attaching the disc brake adapter to the rear knuckle. Then remove the adapter, rotor shield, park brake shoes and park brake cable as an assembly from the knuckle and hang it out of the way.
CAUTION: The knuckle to strut assembly attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned during removal. Loosen and remove nuts while holding bolts stationary in knuckle.
Strut And Lateral Arm Mounting Bolts:
9. Loosen, but do not remove at this time, the 2 strut clevis bracket-to-knuckle attaching bolts. Then remove the lateral arms-to-knuckle attaching bolt.
Tension Strut Attachment:
10. Hold the tension strut from turning by using a large adjustable wrench on flat of tension strut and remove tension strut nut. Then remove the tension strut retainer and rear tension strut bushing from tension strut at rear the knuckle.
11. Remove both bolts holding the rear knuckle to the rear strut assembly.
12. Remove the rear knuckle from the strut by sliding the knuckle straight out of the strut clevis bracket. Then remove the knuckle from tension strut.
INSTALLATION
1. Insert tension strut, tension strut bushing and tension strut retainer into the lower hole in the knuckle. Be sure the stepped area of the bushing is squarely seated into the hole in the knuckle. Then install the upper part of the knuckle into the strut clevis bracket.
CAUTION: The strut clevis bracket-to-rear knuckle attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned during installation. Tighten and torque nuts while holding bolts stationary in knuckle.
2. Install the 2 strut assembly attaching bolts and nuts. If the vehicle is equipped with a rear stabilizer bar, mount the attaching bracket to the rear of the strut clevis bracket as the clevis bracket-to-knuckle attaching bolts are installed. Torque the attaching bolts to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).
3. Install the lateral arms-to-knuckle attaching bolt, washers and nut as shown. Do not tighten the lateral arm bolt at this time. The vehicle must be at curb height when tightening the lateral arm bolts.
Tension Strut Bushings Installed On Tension Strut:
4. Install the tension strut bushing, tension strut retainer and nut on the trailing end of the tension strut. When installing tension strut retainers, the retainers must be installed on tension strut, with cupped side of retainer facing away from bushing and knuckle.
Torquing Tension Strut Nut:
5. Position a wrench on the flat of the tension strut to keep it from turning, and then torque tension strut nut to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).
6. On vehicles equipped with rear drum brakes, install rear brake support plate assembly onto the knuckle. Install the 4 bolts attaching rear brake support plate to rear knuckle. Torque attaching bolts to 68 Nm (50 ft. lbs.).
7. On vehicles equipped with rear disc brakes, install the disc brake adapter on knuckle. Install the 4 bolts attaching the disc brake adapter to knuckle. Torque attaching bolts to 68 Nm (50 ft. lbs.).
CAUTION: The hub and bearing retaining nut must be tightened to but must not exceed its required torque specification. The proper torque specification of the retaining nut is critical to the life of the hub bearing.
8. Install the rear hub and bearing on the knuckle. Install the hub and bearing retaining nut, and torque it to 217 Nm (160 ft. lbs.).
9. If the vehicle is equipped with antilock brakes, install the speed sensor head into rear brake support plate or disc brake adapter. Tighten the wheel speed sensor mounting bolt to a torque of 7 Nm (60 inch lbs.).
10. If the vehicle is equipped with rear disc brakes, install the rear brake rotor on the hub. Carefully install the rear brake caliper over the braking disc and install it on the adapter. Tighten the caliper mounting bolts to 22 Nm (192 inch lbs.).
11. If the vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, install the brake drum on the hub.
12. Install tire and wheel assembly on the vehicle. Tighten the wheel mounting 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.).
13. Lower the vehicle.
14. With the vehicle at curb height, torque the lateral arm attaching bolt to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).
15. Set the rear toe on the vehicle to the required specification as necessary. Refer to Alignment.