As cars get older and with higher mileage, different parts naturally begin to wear down and give out. Among the various parts of a car that a person can be sure will need to be replaced if the vehicle is kept long enough is the ball joint and wheel bearings. Replacing these can be a challenge, but if the following directions are observed carefully, then it is doable for the medium skill level car repair enthusiast.
To begin with, the car owner will need to first disassemble the car’s front suspension. Begin by taking off the center caps. This will happen easier once the notch has been driven out so that the 32 millimeter axle nut can be effectively loosened. Then the person will have to loosen up the wheel nuts, after which the car will need to be jacked up. Take off the front wheels and the axle nut.
Next, the split pins, along with the castle nuts, will have to be removed form the car’s ball joints. A crow bar works effectively for the lower joint. The owner should exercise extreme caution to not damage the threads, boots, or nuts on the joints which are to be saved. Since the joints turn out to be taper fit, grasping a hammer on the one side, all the while hitting it from the other one ought to cause them to pop out. The three joints must be removed.
Now take out the fourteen millimeter caliper bolts, along with the two ten millimeter bolts which actually hold the brake line. While doing this, be sure to support the caliper using string or a similar item in order for it not to weigh on the brake line itself. Take off the car’s knuckle and slide off the axle at the same time.
Taking a screwdriver, remove the protector ring. This ensures that sufficient amounts of room are left to knock out the ball joint. It is easier to first press out the hub and take off the large metal shield.
Continue by taking off the brake’s rotors. This can be simply accomplished using an impact driver. It is not necessary to place the screws back after the job has been completed, as they are only used in the car’s manufacturing process.
To install the new parts, begin by pressing out the hub from the worn out bearing. Once the hub comes out, the bearing’s inner race will remain affixed to the hub. This has to be taken off. A tool that screws down beneath it will make it simpler to press out.
Once the hub has been removed, the person is able to take off the large metal shield. The old ball joint may now be easily hammered out. Make certain to take out the circlip before this is done. The new ball joint simply can be tapped into place, and it is similarly held in place by a new circlip.
Then the bearings have to be pressed out so that new ones can be put in. In advance of pressing in new bearings, take a little bit of emery paper to get off the rust surrounding the circlip slot. Wipe out the insides of this as well. Obtain an object which is the appropriate size in order to push on the outside of the rim bearing. This could even be the original bearing.
Once the newer bearing has been put in, the person is ready to put back the circlip, along with the brake shield. These are important and must not be forgotten, since they must be put back before the hub is able to be installed.
Press the hub back into place. A socket which is the identical size to the inner rim of the bearing is ideal for this task. Gently apply pressure to the hub with it.
Once the hub is back into position, it is easy to reinstall first the brake rotors and then the protective ring. The owner ought to first tap the ring into place, then be certain that it reattaches correctly. Should it fall down, then it will certainly begin to make a maddening ringing sound each time the axle turns around.
Finally, the knuckle must be reinstalled. The three ball joints need to be tightened back up, and the split pins inserted. The axle can now be slid back in, and the wheels replaced. Do not fail to re-tighten the axle nut, nor to punch the notch back on.