Knuckle and Spindle

REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

2-Wheel Drive Pick-up

1. Elevate and safely support the vehicle on jackstands.
2. Remove the wheel.
3. Remove the brake caliper and suspend it from wire out of the way. Do not disconnect or loosen the hose; simply move the whole assembly out of the way. Do not allow the caliper to hang by the hose.

   CAUTION
   Brake pads and shoes may contain asbestos, which has been determined to be a cancer causing agent. Never clean the brake surfaces with compressed air! Avoid inhaling any dust from brake surfaces! When cleaning brakes, use commercially available brake cleaning fluids.

4. Remove the small center cap.
5. Remove the cotter pin, lock cap and spindle nut. Remove the large flat washer and the outer wheel bearing. The flat washer and bearing may also be held in place with a thumb during removal and then separated later.
6. Pull the brake rotor and hub off the spindle.
7. Unbolt and remove the round metal splash shield.
8. Remove the cotter pin and loosen but do not remove the nut on the tie rod end. Use the correct tool to separate the tie rod joint. Remove the tie rod end nut from the tie rod.
9. Disconnect the shock absorber at its upper mount. Disconnect it at its lower mount and remove the shock absorber.
10. Install a spring compressor such as MB 990792–01 or its equivalent and compress the spring.
11. Remove the stabilizer bar retaining bolt (link) from the lower arm.
12. Remove the cotter pins and loosen the nuts on the upper and lower ball joints. Use the correct puller — MB 990809–01 or its equivalent — to separate the upper and lower joints from the knuckle.
13. With a floor jack supporting the lower control arm, the spring can be decompressed at this time.
14. Remove the knuckle and spindle.

    To install:

15. Install the knuckle in position.
16. Make certain the spring compressor is correctly installed, then compress the spring again.
17. Install a new nut on the upper ball joint stud and tighten it to 43–65 ft. lbs. (60–90 Nm). Install a new cotter pin.
18. Install a new nut on the lower ball joint stud and tighten it to 87–130 ft. lbs. (120–180 Nm). Install a new cotter pin.
19. Connect the stabilizer bar to the control arm, making certain the spacers and washers are correctly assembled on the bolt. Refer to the sway bar procedures in this section.
20. Carefully loosen the spring compressor, allowing the spring into place. Make certain that it is correctly seated. When the spring is in place, remove the compressor. Lower the floor jack and remove from under the vehicle.
21. Install the shock absorber.
22. Assemble the tie rod to knuckle joint. Use a new nut and tighten it to 30 ft. lbs. (40 Nm).
23. Install the splash shield to the steering knuckle.
24. Fit the rotor and hub assembly onto the spindle with the bearings and seal in place.
25. Making certain that the outer bearing is well seated, install the flat washer and the shaft nut. Tighten the nut finger-tight.
26. Using a torque wrench, tighten the nut to 22 ft. lbs. (30 Nm), back the nut off to 0 ft. lbs. (0 Nm), then final tighten to 6 ft. lbs. or 72 inch lbs. (8 Nm).
27. Install the lock cap and cotter pin. If the holes in the lockcap do not align with the castle nut on the shaft, turn the lock cap and try again; the lock cap has offset holes to compensate for this occurrence. In the unlikely event that it still will not align, back off the shaft nut by NO MORE than 30°of rotation (30°is equal to ¹⁄₂ of a flat side on the nut.).
28. Clean the outer edge of the small hub cover thoroughly. Coat the flange with 3M® 8663 sealant or equivalent and install the small hub cover.
29. Install the brake caliper and pads. Tighten the front calliper mounting bolts to 58–72 ft. lbs. (80–100 Nm).
30. Install the wheel and lower the vehicle to the ground.

4-Wheel Drive Pick-up and Montero

1. Before beginning, place the free-wheeling hub in the free position by placing the transfer lever in the 2H position and moving in reverse for about 6–7 ft. (2 m) or by shifting the transfer shifter into the 2H position.
2. Raise the vehicle and support it safely on jackstands.
3. Remove the front wheel(s).
4. Remove the front brake caliper, pads and adaptor. Position them out of the way, suspended from stiff wire; do not let the caliper hang by the hose.

   CAUTION
   Brake pads and shoes may contain asbestos, which has been determined to be a cancer causing agent. Never clean the brake surfaces with compressed air! Avoid inhaling any dust from brake surfaces! When cleaning brakes, use commercially available brake cleaning fluids.

5. Remove the front hub and brake rotor assembly, with the inner and outer bearings. Refer to the front hub assembly removal procedures in Section 7.
6. Support the lower control arm with a jack. Use the correct tools (MB990635–01) to separate the tie rod joint from the knuckle.
7. Separate the upper and lower ball joints from the knuckle using the correct tools (MB990778–01 for the upper ball joint and MB990809–01 for the lower ball joint). Remember to loosen the nut and separate the joint, then remove the nut.
8. Once the ball joints have been released, lower the control arm slowly just enough to remove the knuckle.
9. Remove the steering knuckle.

   Oil seal and needle bearing replacement:

10. Raise and safely support the vehicle on jackstands.
11. Remove the front wheel(s).
12. Remove the knuckle assembly following procedures outlined previously in this section.

    Fig. 2: Steering knuckle disassembly and assembly components — 4WD vehicles

13. Remove the oil seal from the back of the knuckle and remove the spacer.
14. Drive out the needle bearing with a brass punch by tapping uniformly around the housing.

    WARNING
    Once the needle bearing has been removed, it cannot be reused.

15. Apply multipurpose grease to the roller surface of the new needle bearing.
16. Use the correct bearing installation tools (MB 990938-01 and 990956–01 or equivalents) to carefully install the bearing until it is flush with the knuckle face. Use care not to insert the bearing too far.
17. Apply multipurpose grease to the knuckle face of the spacer. Install the spacer to the knuckle so that the chamfered (tapered) side is towards the center of the vehicle.
18. Use the correct seal driver and install a new oil seal. Tap in the seal until it is flush with the knuckle end face.
19. Pack multipurpose grease inside the oil seal and lip

    Knuckle installation:

20. Install the knuckle to the ball joint studs. Tighten the lower ball joint nuts to 87–130 ft. lbs. (120–180 Nm). Tighten the upper ball joint nut to 43–65 ft. lbs (60–90 Nm). Install new cotter pins.
21. Connect the tie rod end to the knuckle. Tighten the nut to 33 ft. lbs. (45 Nm) and install a new cotter pin.
22. Refer to Section 7 for the hub and rotor assembly installation procedures.
23. Install the brake caliper and pads. Tighten the brake calliper mounting bolts to 58–72 ft. lbs. (80–100 Nm).
24. Install the wheel and lower the vehicle to the ground.

    Fig. 3: Tap the knuckle bearing out of the steering knuckle with a brass punch — 4WD vehicles

    Fig. 4: Set the bearing into the rear of the steering knuckle with the Mitsubishi tools MB990938–01 and MB990956–01 — 4WD vehicles