rear knuckle replacement question

[Stynx]

One of the bearings is going on my 05 xlt 4wd with advanced trac. I've seen how replacing just the bearing can be a nightmare and even doing just the hub/bearing will require removal of the parking brake shoes which is not an experience I want to repeat. Hence I'm thinking of doing the entire knuckle (this is what my mechanic says he does - far easier and everything is brand new).

Looking on rockauto, some say they are "without traction control". Does that mean they don't come with the sensor or there is something else to watch out for? How do I know which one is the right one?

Also they talk about a 17mm tie rod stud diameter. What and where exactly do you measure for that? Is it just the size of the socket that fits or should I measure the actual stud?

As always the devil is in the details.

TIA

 

[AlexCalderon02]

Hi, I know this is an old thread. But I recently just bought that exact moog knuckle and realized I had misdiagnosed my issue. I can't give you the exact answer on the tractjon control, as I believe it's a rock auto typo. And for the 17mm; ford at some point changed the tie rod size to 17mm. I BELIEVE it was 2003 and up is when they changed to 17mm. You have an 05 and I can guarantee you it's 17mm.

But I want to make this comment for anybody about to do this job. Take your rotor off before you buy parts. I can almost promise you that it's not a bad wheel bearing and it's your parking brake shoes. At 210k miles mine have completely crumbled into pieces and caused grinding that sounded like a bad wheel bearing. It even caused the wheel to have some play when I yanked on it. Doing some research I'm not the only one, and I found some people saying ford glues the parking brakes and doesn't rivet them. I cleaned the rubble from the area, deleted the parking brake as I don't have hills near me and honestly don't want to go through the process of installing them. And now my problem is completely gone. Yes I'm at that mileage where I SHOULD be replacing the bearings but they don't make noise. I know these knuckles are pricy so please investigate before you jump to conclusions like I did.

 

[Big Ed 1]

My take on them are that they are Emergency brakes, not parking brakes.
Imagine driving, then hit the brake pedal and you have no brakes, you will them wish that you had an emergency brake.
It happened on my 2002 when I popped a brake hose after I hit the brakes hard when a deer darted out in front of me.
Glad I had them.
I replaced mine a few years ago, not too hard to do?

 

[AlexCalderon02]

My take on them are that they are Emergency brakes, not parking brakes.
Imagine driving, then hit the brake pedal and you have no brakes, you will them wish that you had an emergency brake.
It happened on my 2002 when I popped a brake hose after I hit the brakes hard when a deer darted out in front of me.
Glad I had them.
I replaced mine a few years ago, not too hard to do?

That could be potentially dangerous as there is no abs using the parking brake and no easy way to control the amount of brake as you have to release them. If I find the time I'll likely replace them, I still have the passenger ones as they haven't crumbled (yet)

 

[Big Ed 1]

That could be potentially dangerous as there is no abs using the parking brake and no easy way to control the amount of brake as you have to release them. If I find the time I'll likely replace them, I still have the passenger ones as they haven't crumbled (yet)

But they could save your life and the vehicle that may be in front of you that you crash into? They are called emergency brakes for a reason.
Watch if you only have the one side working and you use it, it may throw you into a 180 turn.
Don't ask how I know this.