Front Steering Knuckle: Service and Repair
REMOVAL1. Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
2. Remove the cotter pin and nut lock from the end of the stub axle.
3. Remove the wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle.
4. Remove the wave washer from the end of the 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.
5. With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub from turning, loosen and remove the stub axle to hub nut.
6. Remove the 2 front disc brake caliper to steering knuckle attaching bolts.
7. Remove the disc brake caliper from the steering knuckle. Caliper is removed by first rotating top of caliper away from steering knuckle and then removing bottom of caliper out from under machined abutment on steering knuckle.
8. Support disc brake caliper assembly by using a wire hook and suspending it from the strut assembly. Do not allow the brake caliper assembly to hang by the brake flex hose.
9. Remove the brake rotor from the hub and bearing assembly.
10. Remove nut attaching outer tie rod end to 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 a wrench.
11. Remove tie rod end from steering knuckle using Remover, Special Tool MB-991113.
12. Remove the front wheel speed sensor from the steering knuckle.
13. If equipped, remove the wheel stopfrom the steering knuckle. When installing the pinch bolt when assembling the steering knuckle to the ball joint, the pinch bolt must be installed from the rear facing the front on the vehicle.
14. Remove the steering knuckle to ball joint stud, clamping nut and boltfrom the steering knuckle.
15. Using a pry bar, separate steering knuckle from ball joint stud. NOTE: Use caution when separating ball joint stud from steering knuckle. so ball joint seal does not Pet 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 after removing outer CN Joint from the hub/bearing assembly in steering knuckle, end of driveshaft must be supported.
16. Pull steering knuckle assembly out and away from the outer C/V joint of the driveshaft assembly.
CAUTION: The steering knuckle to strut assembly attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned during removal. Remove nuts while holding bolts stationary in the steering knuckles.
17. Remove the 2 steering knuckle to strut damper clevis bracket attaching bolts.
18. Remove the steering knuckle from the strut.
19. If the hub and bearing needs to be transferred, remove the 4 bolts attaching the hub and bearing to the knuckle and remove the hub and bearing from the steering knuckle.
INSTALLATION
1. If the hub and bearing needs to be installed in the knuckle, place the hub and bearing squarely into the center hole of the steering knuckle aligning the threaded mounting holes of the hub and bearing with the mounting holes in the steering knuckle. Install the 4 mounting bolts and tighten them to a torque of 65 Nm (45 ft. lbs.).
CAUTION: The steering knuckle to strut assembly attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned during installation. Install nuts while holding bolts stationary in the steering knuckles.
CAUTION: If the vehicle being serviced is equipped with eccentric strut assembly attaching bolts, the eccentric bolt must be installed in the bottom (slotted) hole on the strut clevis bracket.
2. Install steering knuckle back in clevis bracket of strut damper assembly. Install the strut damper to steering knuckle attaching bolts. Tighten both attaching bolts to a torque of 90 Nm (65 ft. lbs.) plus an additional 1/4 turn.
3. Slide drive shaft back into front hub and bearing assembly. Then install steering knuckle onto the stud of the ball joint assembly.
4. Install a new steering knuckle to ball joint stud, clamping bolt and nut. Tighten the clamping bolt and nut to a torque of 145 Nm (105 ft. lbs.).
5. Install tie rod end into steering knuckle. Start attaching nut onto stud of tie rod end. While holding stud of tie rod end stationary using a 11/32 socket, tighten tie rod end to steering knuckle attaching nut. Then using a crowfoot and 11/32 socket, tighten the tie rod end attaching nut to a torque of 54 Nm (40 ft. lbs.).
6. Install braking disc on hub and bearing assembly.
7. Install disc brake caliper assembly on steering knuckle. Caliper is installed by first sliding bottom of caliper under abutment on steering knuckle, and then rotating top of caliper against top abutment.
8. Install disc brake caliper assembly to steering knuckle attaching bolts. Tighten the disc brake caliper assembly attaching bolts to a torque of 22 Nm (195 inch lbs.).
9. Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer C/V joint stub axle. Install the washer and stub axle to hub/bearing assembly nut on stub axle and securely tighten nut.
10. Install wheel speed sensor and mounting bolt on steering knuckle. Tighten the speed sensor attaching bolt to a torque of 7 Nm (60 inch lbs.).
11. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install and tighten the wheel mounting stud nuts in proper sequence until all nuts are torqued to half the required specification. Then repeat the tightening sequence to the full specified torque of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
12. Lower vehicle.
13. With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub from turning, tighten the hub nut to a torque of 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.).
14. Install the spring wave washer on the end of the stub axle.
15. Install the hub nut lock, and a new cotter pin. Wrap cotter pin prongs tightly around the hub nut lock as shown in the image.
16. Set front Toe on vehicle to required specification. Use procedure listed under Alignment.