Rear Knuckle: Service and Repair
Knuckle/Hub/Wheel Bearing Unit Replacement
Special Tools Required
^ Hub disassembly tool 07965-SA70100
^ Ball joint remover, 28 mm 07MAC-SL00200
^ Attachment, 62 x 68 mm 07746-0010500
^ Driver 07749-0010000
^ Support base 07965-SD90100
Knuckle Replacement
1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations.
2. Release the parking brake lever.
3. Remove the brake hose mounting bolt (A).
4. Remove the caliper bracket mounting bolts (B), and hang the caliper (C) to one side. To prevent damage to the caliper or brake hose, use a short piece of wire to hang the caliper from the undercarriage.
5. Remove the brake disc retaining flat screw (A), and screw two 8 x 1.25 mm bolts into the brake disc/drum (B) to push it away from the hub. Turn each bolt two turns at a time to prevent cocking the brake disc/drum excessively. Remove the brake disc/drum.
6. Raise the stake (A) of the spindle nut (B), then remove and discard the nut. Remove the rear axle shaft (C) from vehicles with 4WD.
7. Remove the parking brake shoes.
8. Remove the parking brake cable (A) from the backing plate.
NOTE: The parking brake cable must not be bent or distorted. This will lead to stiff operation and premature cable failure.
9. Remove the wheel sensor (A) from the knuckle (if equipped with ABS).
10. Place a floor jack under the trailing arm (A) to support it.
NOTE: Do not place the jack against the plate section of the lower arm. Be careful not to damage any suspension components.
11. Remove the flange bolt, and disconnect the upper arm (B) from the knuckle.
12. Mark the cam positions of the adjusting bolt (A) and adjusting cam (B), then remove the self-locking nut (C), adjusting cam, and adjusting bolt. Discard the self-locking nut.
13. Remove the flange bolt (D).
14. Remove the knuckle (A) while pushing in the driveshaft and holding the driveshaft outboard joint (B) (4WD only).
15. Install the knuckle in the reverse order of removal, and note these items:
^ First install all the suspension components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then place a floor jack under the lower arm, and raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening the bolts and nuts to the specified torque values.
^ Align the cam positions of the adjusting bolt and adjusting cam with the marked positions when tightening.
^ Use a new self-locking nut on reassembly.
^ Use a new spindle nut on reassembly.
^ Before installing the spindle nut, apply a small amount of engine oil to the seating surface of the nut. After tightening, use a drift to stake the spindle nut shoulder against the driveshaft.
^ Before installing the brake disc/drum, clean the mating surfaces of the rear hub and the inside of the brake disc/drum.
^ Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces of the brake disc/drum and the inside of the wheel.
^ Check the rear wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary.
Wheel Bearing Unit Replacement
1. Remove the brake hose mounting bracket (A).
2. Separate the bearing unit (A) from the knuckle (B).
3. Separate the hub (A) and backing plate (B) from bearing unit (C) using the special tool and a hydraulic press. Hold the bearing unit with a press attachment (D) or equivalent tool. Be careful not to deform the backing plate. Hold onto the hub to keep it from falling when pressed clear.
4. Press the wheel bearing inner race (A) from the hub (B) using the special tool, a commercially available bearing separator (C), and a press.
5. Wash the knuckle and hub thoroughly in high flash point solvent before reassembly.
6. Install the hub (A) and backing plate (B) on the new bearing unit (c) using the special tools and a hydraulic press. Be careful not to deform the backing plate.
NOTE: (with ABS)
^ Remove any oil, grease, dust, or other foreign material from the encoder surface (D).
^ Keep magnetic tools away from the encoder surface.
^ Be careful not to damage the encoder surface.
7. Install the bearing unit (A) and knuckle (B).
8. Install the brake hose mounting bracket (A).