Is the front steering knuckle threaded or just the wheel hub?

[Wtaylor2007]

I tried searching but couldn't find anything specific.

I have been trying to change my driver front wheel bearing assembly for the past week and cannot get the three 15mm bolts to loosen. I have soaked them in Pb blaster hit them with a torch numerous times and tried to use an air impact with no avail. I did the passenger side a few months ago and it wasn't as big PITA as the drivers side is being.

My question- is the knuckle threaded or is only the hub?

My thought is to use a cut off wheel and cut the bearing apart and replace the bolts or get a used knuckle from a junk yard for $50 and say to hell with it and ditch the PITA old one.

What do u guys think?

 

[mbrando1994]

What is your current set up? Do you have the knuckle removed from the vehicle? From what I remember the threads are only on the hub, I'm not 100% certain though, try to find an image of a knuckle somewhere and look at the holes on that. Worse case you'll just have to drill the remainder of the bolts out of there, but if the knuckle is still attached at the ball joints, disconnect it, and also the axle, gives you so much more room and for me it was worth the extra work instead of trying to get in there crooked and possibly rounding them off. It's possible with u-joint adapters and certain ratchets, but much easier if you have the extra room. Mine were quite tight but I don't remember having too much of an issue after using the pb blaster. I used a large breaker bar and u-joints. and my impact for the other side after I removed it from the car. Good luck

 

[Wtaylor2007]

Thanks for the advice. I only had a pickle fork available last night and didn't want to damage the new ball joints and tie rod I replaced before the bearing went to hell.

I'm going to pick up a ball joint puller and get the joints loose and remove the whole knuckle and go from there.

The 3 bolts are about $20 at my local ford dealer.

I will let ya know how it turns out.

 

[XploX]

I did both sides with them on the truck.
I didn't use penetrant, just a breaker bar with a pipe extension to break them loose. A 1/2" drive ratchet to get them the rest of the way.
I didn't find a need for u-joint adapters. A 1/2" breaker bar or ratchet with a shallow well socket fits right in.


It's just the hub that's threaded and the new hub should include new bolts as well.

 

[Wtaylor2007]

I didn't go with OEM since they were out of my price range.

As far as I know only OEM come with the bolt kit.

I tried to use a 15mm 3/8 socket and universal connected to a 1/2inch breaker bar. Still didn't budge with penetrating oil and a torch.

 

[fordysenior]

I bought mine from O'Reillys and it came with new bolts.

 

[MrPulldown]

The knuckle is a thru hole. Threads are on the bearing/hub. I popped the upper ball joint off. NEVER use a pickle fork. Those are for pickles. I joke. Those kill ball joints. Use a pitman arm puller. Worked perfect.

Once you swing the knuckle down it will give you enough room to get in there and get a REAL 6 point socket on there and go to town with either a impact or a big breaker bar. If your impact is not shearing the head off the bolt then it is too weak. None of that "came with my air compressor impact as a package" impact. Get something at least 500 ft/lbs.

If all else fails you can grind the head of the bolts and the hub will come out. Well sort of. THe hub becomes pressed onto the knuckles flange. Youtube shows someone tapping it off with a hammer. NO. You really need to get a slide hammer with the hub puller attachment. Re attache the upper ball joint and start wacking. IT took me 30+ "all my might" wacks to pull the hub off the knuckle.

 

[XploX]

Yeah, it should have new bolts included. They are torque to yield, so they need replaced.
It will depend on how rusted the hub is. I was pretty fortunate, I smacked the hub a few times with a hammer and they popped off.

Trying to grind the heads off the bolts would be time consuming, since it's tight and damaging the spindle/knuckle could happen. Try an air chisel if you want to remove the heads of the bolts. Use caution though, the spindle is aluminum. When I did the ball joints, I had to wait a week for a replacement for the wrong part they sent, I polished the spindles/knuckles just for giggles.

 

[MrPulldown]

I would say just to use a big breaker bar or impact. If the threads don't release the head will shear off and no damage to the knuckle.

My timken bearing (which is OEM just not purchased through FORD) did not come with new bolts and I reused the old ones. Hope my wheel doesn't fall off this weekend.

 

[Wtaylor2007]

im going to take the knuckle off the truck and use whatever it takes to get those bolts loose.

Probably put it in a vise. Now if ford would call to tell me they have the bolts I will be ready to get this done.

 

[MrPulldown]

im going to take the knuckle off the truck and use whatever it takes to get those bolts loose.

Probably put it in a vise. Now if ford would call to tell me they have the bolts I will be ready to get this done.

Seems like an unnessary step. Not only do you have to remove it from the lower BJ, but you need to pull the steering tie rods which will mean an aligment afterwards.

You can just use hardware store bolts. Get the high test stuff.

 

[Wtaylor2007]

Success! I picked up the bolts from ford and a pitman arm puller from oreilly and got it done.

Once the upper ball joint and the axle was loose it was a breeze. Used a 1/2 inch breaker bar and they came loose.

The hub was a pain, I used heat, slide hammer and a BFH to get it loose. Took about 20 min to free it.

Torqued everything to spec.

Now I'm hearing a slight humming from the rear. Hopefully it's just the tires.