2002 Mercury Mountaineer.

I had a hard time getting the ball joints out of the knuckle in order to remove it to have the hub pressed in / out. I can't tell if me hitting the knuckle bent it (it's cast iron - so I'm guessing not) or if the guy that pressed the hub bent it.

Any suggestions? Think I would be able to heat it up and bend it back or am I SOL and have to buy a new knuckle?

Don't have a picture right now but it is pretty tweaked. Couldn't slide the brake caliper assembly back in as it didn't line up anymore.

 

I have a 2005 Explorer I'm trying to replace the rear hub bearings also, my first thought would be that the guy that pressed out the hub should replace the knuckle, I do not think it safe to bend and then bend back, a cast steel suspension part.

 

THe knuckle is odd shaped and not easily leveled in a press. You have to use a few blocks and set it just right. Normally takes 12 tons MINIMUM to press the bearing off. Not sure how you would bend it, but surely not with a hammer.

 

One more question, I have the hub pressed out of the bearing, now when pressing the bearing out of the knuckle will it press out both directions or only
out the direction of the snap ring??

 

I looked a little closer at the bearing and it will only press out one way,
the direction of the snap ring.

At about 75,000 miles this bearing went out the first time, it was under warranty now with 95k it's out again.

 

With a low mileage failure, it was either not installed correctly or the preload was not correct..... Philip

 

You have to press the bearing into the housing and onto the shaft in the correct order. Pressing on the OD of the bearing to get the ID over the shaft will put excess stress on teh bearing. Press on the inner race to install on the shaft, and press on the OD race to install into the housing.

 

Jack up truck and take off wheel and brake assembly. Rotate the axle by hand and noted “noise”. Do the following steps--- I took the CV joint boot<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Hose clamp loose, this is not necessary as it seals to the CV joint case, not<o></o>
The knuckle. <o></o>
<o></o>
· Disconnect the brake cable from knuckle<o></o>
· Pull tie rod bolt out of hub holder and remove tie rod stud<o></o>
· Remove the 32 MM nut holding axle shaft in hub<o></o>
· Pull top A- frame bolt out of knuckle and remove A-frame ball socket stud. (you pound wedges in groove to remove stud).<o></o>
· Remove knuckle bolt to lower A-frame<o></o>
· The knuckle is now free, but splined to the alxe shaft<o></o>
· Set knuckle on 2 x 4 on lower A-frame to support it up.<o></o>
· Use 3 point hub puller, mount to hub studs, and push axle shaft out<o></o>
· Take knuckle and hub to bench.<o></o>
<o></o>
The bearings is a two piece tapered roller bearing mounted into a<o></o>
One piece outer race. The 32 mm nut holds the two inner races together on<o></o>
The axle. The nut should not be loosened when tire setting on the driveway.<o></o>
<o></o>
· Set two 2 x 6 one edge on the hydraulic press<o></o>
· Set the knuckle, studs down on the 2 x 6.<o></o>
· Shim level as needed, put 3/8 plate under the sheetmetal ring<o></o>
· Press the hub out of the knuckle.<o></o>
· I pressed to extremely tight, then smacked the hub on top to move 1/16”<o></o>
· After the hub is out, remove the snap ring inside the knuckle<o></o>
· Clean the knuckle outside the snap ring area<o></o>
· Pound out one of the inner bearing races.<o></o>
· Pound out the second of the inner bearing races.<o></o>
· Weld 4 stringer beads on the outer race<o></o>
· Pound out the outer race toward the snap ring groove<o></o>
· Wire brush inside the knuckle where the bearing sets.<o></o>
<o></o>
The bearing must be install into the hub holder first, use the old outer<o></o>
Race to press aginst the new race. (push on the outer race only)<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
· Press the new bearing into the knuckle with outer race.<o></o>
· Install the snap ring ontop of the new bearing<o></o>
· Find a pipe that will side over the new hub shaft<o></o>
· Support the knuckle in the hydraulic press with the<o></o>
Pipe above resting on the bearing inner race.<o></o>
· Set the hub ontop of the bearing and press the hub into the inner races<o></o>
By supporting the bottom of the inner race. This puts no load on the outer race.<o></o>
· The hub will bottom out on the bearing shoulder.<o></o>
· Clean the socket holes where the tie rod and A-frame studs set<o></o>
· Reinstall knuckle unit on the truck<o></o>
Tighten the 32 mm nut prior to putting load on the bearing