Front Steering Knuckle: Service and Repair

REMOVAL
1. Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
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.

Fig. 14:

4. Remove front disc brake caliper to steering knuckle guide pin attaching bolts.

Fig. 15:

5. 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.

Fig. 16:

6. Support brake caliper/adapter assembly using a wire hook and not by hydraulic hose.
7. Remove the braking disc from the front hub/ bearing assembly.

Fig. 17:

8. If vehicle is equipped with 15 inch wheels, remove lower ball joint heat shield from lower control arm. Heat shield must be removed before attempting to separating ball joint stud from steering knuckle.

Fig. 18:

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.

Fig. 19:

10. Remove the tie rod end from steering knuckle arm, using Remover, Special Tool MB-991113.

Fig. 20:

11. If equipped with antilock brakes remove the speed sensor cable routing bracketfrom the steering knuckle.

Fig. 21:

12. Remove cotter pin and castle nut from stud of lower ball joint at the steering knuckle.

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.

Fig. 22:

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 steering knuckle separates from stud of lower ball joint. When striking steering knuckle care MUST be taken not to hit lower control arm or ball joint grease seal.

CAUTION: Pulling steering knuckle out from vehicle after releasing from ball joint can separate inner C/V joint. See Driveshafts.

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.

Fig. 23:

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.

Fig. 24:

16. Remove the cotter pin and nut from the upper ball joint stud to steering knuckle attachment.

Fig. 25:

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. Refer to Hub And Bearing for proper wheel bearing removal and installation procedure.

INSTALLATION
1. If required, install a hub/bearing assembly into the steering knuckle before installing steering knuckle on vehicle. Refer to Hub And Bearing for proper wheel bearing removal and installation procedure.
2. Slide driveshaft back into front hub/bearing assembly. Then install steering knuckle onto the ball joint stud in lower control arm.
3. Install the steering knuckle to lower ball joint stud castle nut.
4. 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 62 Nm (45 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.
5. If equipped with antilock brakes install the speed sensor cable routing bracket on the steering knuckleand securely tighten the attaching bolt.

Fig. 24:

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.

6. 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.).

CAUTION: The ball joint seal boot heat shield must be installed. If heat shield is not installed, ball joint seal boot can fail due to excessive heat from brake rotor.

7. Install the lower ball joint heat shield on the steering knuckle.
8. Install braking disc back on hub and bearing assembly.
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 disc brake caliper assembly to steering knuckle guide pin bolts. Tighten caliper assembly guide pin bolts to a torque of 22 Nm (16 ft. lbs.).
11. Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer C/V joint stub axle. Install hub nut onto end of driveshaft stub axle.

Fig. 27:

12. With vehicle brakes applied to keep braking disc from turning, tighten hub nut to 142 Nm (105 ft. lbs.) of torque.
13. 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.).
14. Lower vehicle.
15. Set front Toe on vehicle to required specification. Use procedure listed under Wheel Alignment.