There are a few things you need to know:
1. You’ll also be replacing an oil seal and a bearing on the back. There’s no way to remove and reuse them, even if you wanted to. If your knuckle is fine and you just want to replace the bearing and/or seal, bring it to a machine shop to remove the old ones. No guarantees that it's even possible, though!
2. The knuckle, gasket, and bearing are all difficult to come by. There doesn’t seem to be any aftermarket manufacturers making them. Even the dealerships near me didn’t carry them. Plan accordingly.
3. Use a pitman arm puller to pop the ball joint and steering linkage bolts out of the knuckle. Using a hammer to try to pop them out won’t work and will destroy the threads.
4. Plan on the ABS sensor not coming out. The unanimous experience that I’ve seen here is that it doesn’t come out in one piece. Plan on buying a new one.
5. Plan on the screws holding the splash shield to the knuckle not coming out. I have a good set of screwdrivers and had zero luck with all four of them. I used a metal drill bit to remove the screws enough to remove the splash shield.
6. You’ll probably want to reuse the splash shield. The new one I got was about 33% smaller than the original. I wasn't stoked about the idea of the rotor being that exposed to rocks and such.
A quick list of special tools needed:
- A 23mm wrench or socket if you get a Proforged ball joint.
- Pitman Arm pullers - I got the big and small ones on loan from O'Reilly. The were both made by EverTough, part numbers 67025 and 67028. I don't recommend using the forks. I've tried them in the past and they were far tougher to use and less precise, which meant they ended up popping the ball out instead of the bolt.
- A race and seal driver kit - probably not absolutely necessary, but it made life easier. Again, you can get these on loan.
Here's a list of all that I ended up buying, how much, and where:
Steering knuckle - $215 - You could buy a used one, but I didn’t want to take the chance of inheriting someone else’s cross-threaded problems. http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/2001-In ... 130862.htm (note left and right)
ABS Sensor - $122 - http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/2001-In ... 130832.htm (note left and right)
Oil Seal - $23 - http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/2001-In ... 130964.htm
Axle Bearing - $17 - http://www.infinitipartsusa.com/2001-In ... 130971.htm
You'll also need to buy screws for the splash shield and a bolt for the ABS sensor. Unfortunately they weren't included. The good news is they can easily be found at your local home improvement store. The ABS sensor bolt was M8-1.25x20, with an 8mm split lock washer. The splash shield screws were M6-1.00x12. All of these were about $10 altogether, with spares.
I also ended up buying a new ball joint and steering end link, but only because I was a dip while removing them, so they're not required if you do it the right way. Though this is an excellent opportunity to replace them. I highly recommend Proforged as they make hardcore products that don't need regular regreasing. Note that their ball joint requires a 23mm socket/wrench, which most sets don't seem to include.
The Installationing
Once you have all of the parts, start by getting the bearing and oil seal installed. I set up 2 2x4s on their side as a platform for the knuckle to sit on while I was driving things in without risking damaging the threads on the spindle. The bearing arrives already greased, but throw some more in there. I used the smallest size in my bearing and race seal set to drive the bearing in, and had no problem. The seal was much more difficult. It's a large metal cup with a seal inside. Fortunately the cup is higher than the seal, so you can put something flat on top and hammer away. The bad news is the cup has a large diameter, so none of the bearing discs I had were large enough. I used another 2x4 and a hammer to set it, and then hammered the rim of the seal in bit by bit. Be patient and go slow; it's an insanely tight fit. You may also consider just having a shop press it in. The rim was pretty beat up when I got done. Not enough to be a problem, but still. Rub some grease on the inner and outer lips of the gasket.
Once that's done to your satisfaction, we can start yanking things off your ride! See the tutorial on repacking bearings for more details on removing and replacing the hub (may as well repack the bearings while you're there, too):
how-to-replace-brake-rotors-and-pads-fo ... 45492.html
When popping out ball joint bolts, only loosen the bolt; don't remove it. Back it off to the end of the bolt and then do the joint-popping magic. It comes out very suddenly and with great force, so keeping the bolt on stops it from flying into the car or your face.
1. Jack up the side in question and support it under the frame (as opposed to under the lower arm) with a jack stand.
2. Remove the brake caliper, pads, and caliper bracket. Hang the caliper on the strut and zip tie it so it doesn't fall.
3. Trace the ABS sensor wire up around the strut and to the wheel well. Undo the two bolts holding the bracket on the wheel well and disconnect the wire there.
4. Pop the wire out of the connecting points on the strut.
5. Remove the hub cap, snap ring, outer hub flange, bearing washer and lock nut.
6. Pull the hub and rotor off. It'll come off with a pop. The outer bearing will fall out too; be prepared to catch it.
7. Use the pitman arm puller to pop the steering link off the steering knuckle.
8. Remove the three nuts at the end of the lower arm (on the bottom, right next to the ball joint).
9. Remove the two bolts connecting the knuckle to the strut.
It may take some finagling to get the knuckle off, but at this point you're free and clear. Once you've got it off, you can remove the ball joint from the knuckle with the pitman arm puller. Wipe all of the old grease off the driveshaft and replace with fresh grease.
Once that's all done, pull the copper washer out of the back of the old knuckle and install it into the new one (note the orientation). The washer sits right on top of the bearing.
To reinstall, just reverse the steps. I'd recommend installing the ABS sensor last since it's simple and you don't want to have to fiddle with the wire while trying to persuade the knuckle into place.
Be careful when reinstalling the lock nut. It's super easy to cross-thread and will mean you need to replace the knuckle, which isn't cheap or fast. The FSM has instructions on how to properly tighten the bolt and get the bearings properly seated.
Hopefully no one will have to refer to this guide, but I hope it's useful if anybody does!
