Steering Knuckle and Hub

* Dust produced by brake pad wear contains asbestos, which is hazardous to health. Do not use gasoline-based solvents to clean brake components. Use only alcohol or a special brake cleaner.

Removal

PROCEDURE
1. Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle and support it on stands. Remove the wheel.
2. Remove the cotter pin and the axle shaft nut cap.
3. Loosen and remove the axle shaft nut and washer. To prevent the hub from rotating, insert a pry bar between two wheel bolts and position it so the end of the bar rests on the ground or floor panel.
4. To remove the axle shaft from the hub splines, strike the end of the shaft with a brass-faced hammer or use a copper drift.

* Do not attempt to remove the end of the axle shaft from the hub yet. Applying excessive force to the axle shaft may damage it or the transaxle.

5. Remove the brake caliper (see subsection 9.6) and brake disc (see subsection 9.7), and disconnect the brake hose from the strut.
6. If the vehicle is equipped with ABS, disconnect and remove the wheel speed sensor.
7. Loosen, but do not remove, the nuts and bolts securing the steering knuckle to the strut (see subsection 10.2).
8. Disconnect the tie rod end from the steering knuckle arm (see subsection 10.17).

9. Remove the bolt and nuts securing the ball joint to the control arm.
10. Remove the axle shaft from the hub and suspend the end of the axle shaft with wire.
11. Using a ball joint separator tool or a small puller, separate the ball joint from the steering knuckle.
12. The bolts securing the steering knuckle to the strut can now be removed.
13. Carefully remove the steering knuckle from the strut.

Installation

PROCEDURE
1. Install the steering knuckle and hub assembly, inserting the drive shaft into the hub.
2. Install the steering knuckle onto the strut, install the bolts and start the nuts. Do not fully tighten the nuts yet.
3. If you removed the ball joint from the old steering knuckle for installation on the new steering knuckle, install the ball joint and tighten the ball joint retaining nut to the specified torque (see Subsection 10.1).
4. Install the ball joint on the suspension arm (see Subsection 10.5), but do not tighten the bolt and retaining nuts yet.
5. Install the tie rod end on the steering knuckle arm (see Subsection 10.17). Tighten the steering knuckle-to-strut nuts, the ball joint-to-suspension arm bolt and nuts, and the tie rod end retaining nut to the specified torque (see Subsection 10.1).
6. Install the brake disc on the hub and install the brake caliper, referring to the instructions in the relevant chapter.
7. Install the drive shaft retaining nut and tighten it to the specified torque (see Subsection 10.1).
8. Install the wheel and start the wheel nuts.
9. Lower the vehicle to the ground and tighten the wheel nuts to the specified torque (see Subsection 10.1).
10. Have the front wheel alignment checked and, if necessary, adjusted by a specialist.
13. Carefully remove the steering knuckle from the strut.