Merlins Beard
*Beard not included
*NOTE: I wrote this up about a week after i did on my car, and at the time i did not take any pictures so i did my best to describe everything. feel free to PM me if you have any questions
Picture is showing what it looks like once it is done:
TOOLS: hammer, chisel/flat blade screwdriver/punch, breaker bar (cheater pole will work also), 135+ ft/lbs torque wrench (recommended), 32mm socket, 17mm socket, 14mm socket, 10mm socket, some pliers, ball joint press, and some string. (a bearing/wheel puller is VERY helpful and i highly recommend it but is not required)
*NOTE: i may be forgetting some tools but i think i think i have it all covered
1: determine if your axle nuts are covered by a dust cap
2: raise your car and remove your wheel, if there is a cap then pry it off, otherwise move forward
3: using a chisel/flat blade screwdriver/punch hammer out the notch in the nut
4: remove the center cap on your wheel and replace wheel on car, make sure you have access to the axle nut (the wheel does not need to be tight- i just used 2 lug nuts a little more than finger tight)
5: place the car back on the ground and undo the axle nuts using the 32mm socket and the breaker bar, they don not have to be taken all the way off but loosen them enough to be able to remove them with the wheels off the car
6: remove the wheels and place them aside, then remove the axle nuts
7: using the 14mm (? could be 17mm) socket remove the brake caliper and caliper bracket (as one piece) and support the caliper in some manner (in the pic above you can see that i tied mine up to the upper control arm, do not let your caliper hang by the brake line as it can tear the line)
8: remove the brake rotor by pulling it off just like you would with a wheel, i had to sort of shimmy them off (it might need some persuasion from Mr. Hammer) *NOTE: the brake rotor may have one or two small screws holding it in place-these will have to be removed and are not needed in reassembly
9: use the 10mm socket and remove all of the ABS and brake lines attached to the knuckle (with abs there should be a total of 6 bolts- 2 on the sensor, 2 on the wires leading from the sensor, and 2 attached to the brake line)
10: using pliers remove the cotter pins in the castle nuts (where they will be) in the three circled areas in the pic, then proceed and only loosen the three nuts with the 17mm socket
11: break loose the joints located in the three circles, it will be the tie rod end joint, upper ball joint, and lower ball joint. replacing these three is highly recommended. to separate these joints without damaging them is difficult but can be done using the bearing/wheel puller (doing this is time consuming, frustrating, and kinda scary. only do this if you are re-using these joints.) to do so, keep the nut on the end of the shaft and keep cranking on the bearing/wheel puller until it comes apart. if you are going to replace these joints remove the nut and use the ball joint press, or just keep pounding on the shaft of the joint with the hammer until it separates
12: once the three joints are loose move the tie rod end out of the way (it will just be hanging out like in the pic), then while your moving the upper control arm upwards, make sure to hold the knuckle to keep it from falling, without letting go or pulling on the knuckle (an extra set of hands can help a lot) lift it so the lower ball joint can be removed from the lower control arm, now slowly pull the knuckle off the axle while at the same time pushing it out through the center of the hub. *NOTE: be very careful not to pull too hard on the axle or the cv joints can separate
To reassemble: do the steps backwards for the most part, i will list the differences in the order you will encounter them in
1: the upper and lower ball joints (if you are replacing them with new parts) need to be pressed in - this can easily be done at home with a ball joint press kit (autozone rental- $130 deposit which you get back when you return it)
2: if your getting new tie rod ends, you will need to loosen the lock nut and simply un-thread the old tie rod and thread in the new one. after it is installed make sure to re-tighten the lock nut. *NOTE: you will also need an alignment done after the new tie rod ends are installed, even if your car feels like it drives straight
3: it goes without saying but use all new cotter pins (will come with the new ball joints and tie rod ends)
4: once the knuckle is back on and secure, replace the brake rotors and put the wheels back on the car. lower the car back onto the ground and tighten the axle nuts (should be replaced). torque them to 135 ft*lbs. raise the car back up and remove the wheels again and make sure to hammer a new notch into the axle nut using a punch
Picture is showing what it looks like once it is done:
TOOLS: hammer, chisel/flat blade screwdriver/punch, breaker bar (cheater pole will work also), 135+ ft/lbs torque wrench (recommended), 32mm socket, 17mm socket, 14mm socket, 10mm socket, some pliers, ball joint press, and some string. (a bearing/wheel puller is VERY helpful and i highly recommend it but is not required)
*NOTE: i may be forgetting some tools but i think i think i have it all covered
1: determine if your axle nuts are covered by a dust cap
2: raise your car and remove your wheel, if there is a cap then pry it off, otherwise move forward
3: using a chisel/flat blade screwdriver/punch hammer out the notch in the nut
4: remove the center cap on your wheel and replace wheel on car, make sure you have access to the axle nut (the wheel does not need to be tight- i just used 2 lug nuts a little more than finger tight)
5: place the car back on the ground and undo the axle nuts using the 32mm socket and the breaker bar, they don not have to be taken all the way off but loosen them enough to be able to remove them with the wheels off the car
6: remove the wheels and place them aside, then remove the axle nuts
7: using the 14mm (? could be 17mm) socket remove the brake caliper and caliper bracket (as one piece) and support the caliper in some manner (in the pic above you can see that i tied mine up to the upper control arm, do not let your caliper hang by the brake line as it can tear the line)
8: remove the brake rotor by pulling it off just like you would with a wheel, i had to sort of shimmy them off (it might need some persuasion from Mr. Hammer) *NOTE: the brake rotor may have one or two small screws holding it in place-these will have to be removed and are not needed in reassembly
9: use the 10mm socket and remove all of the ABS and brake lines attached to the knuckle (with abs there should be a total of 6 bolts- 2 on the sensor, 2 on the wires leading from the sensor, and 2 attached to the brake line)
10: using pliers remove the cotter pins in the castle nuts (where they will be) in the three circled areas in the pic, then proceed and only loosen the three nuts with the 17mm socket
11: break loose the joints located in the three circles, it will be the tie rod end joint, upper ball joint, and lower ball joint. replacing these three is highly recommended. to separate these joints without damaging them is difficult but can be done using the bearing/wheel puller (doing this is time consuming, frustrating, and kinda scary. only do this if you are re-using these joints.) to do so, keep the nut on the end of the shaft and keep cranking on the bearing/wheel puller until it comes apart. if you are going to replace these joints remove the nut and use the ball joint press, or just keep pounding on the shaft of the joint with the hammer until it separates
12: once the three joints are loose move the tie rod end out of the way (it will just be hanging out like in the pic), then while your moving the upper control arm upwards, make sure to hold the knuckle to keep it from falling, without letting go or pulling on the knuckle (an extra set of hands can help a lot) lift it so the lower ball joint can be removed from the lower control arm, now slowly pull the knuckle off the axle while at the same time pushing it out through the center of the hub. *NOTE: be very careful not to pull too hard on the axle or the cv joints can separate
To reassemble: do the steps backwards for the most part, i will list the differences in the order you will encounter them in
1: the upper and lower ball joints (if you are replacing them with new parts) need to be pressed in - this can easily be done at home with a ball joint press kit (autozone rental- $130 deposit which you get back when you return it)
2: if your getting new tie rod ends, you will need to loosen the lock nut and simply un-thread the old tie rod and thread in the new one. after it is installed make sure to re-tighten the lock nut. *NOTE: you will also need an alignment done after the new tie rod ends are installed, even if your car feels like it drives straight
3: it goes without saying but use all new cotter pins (will come with the new ball joints and tie rod ends)
4: once the knuckle is back on and secure, replace the brake rotors and put the wheels back on the car. lower the car back onto the ground and tighten the axle nuts (should be replaced). torque them to 135 ft*lbs. raise the car back up and remove the wheels again and make sure to hammer a new notch into the axle nut using a punch
And they all lived happily ever after.
THE END
THE END