Service Procedure
The following information provides instructions for cutting away excess material from both steering knuckles with a new essential tool made especially for this recall. Removal of the material will provide improved clearance for the lower ball joint boot. The procedure also provides information on replacing both lower ball joints. For additional information, refer to the video mentioned above.^ J 23742 Ball Joint Separator
^ J 9519-E Lower Ball Joint Remover/Installer
^ CH-47576 Knuckle Modification Kit
1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF position so that the front wheels can be turned left or right as needed during the procedure.
2. Raise the vehicle on a suitable lift and support as necessary.
3. Remove both front tire and wheel assemblies.
4. Remove the two bolts attaching the lower shock absorber to the lower control arm.
5. Rotate the end of the shock absorber as necessary and push the shock up through the hole in the lower control arm and into the coil spring.
6. Remove the stabilizer link from the lower control arm and from the stabilizer bar.
7. Support the lower control arm.
8. Remove the cotter pin and nut that attaches the lower ball joint to the knuckle.
9. Using tool J 23742, Ball Joint Separator, separate the lower ball joint from the steering knuckle.
10. Remove tool J 23742.
11. Carefully lower the lower control arm until the ball joint has cleared the knuckle and the support can be removed.
12. With the knuckle still attached to the upper ball joint, carefully swing the lower portion of the knuckle forward. Then for the right side knuckle, rotate the knuckle as if making a slight left turn. For the left side knuckle, rotate the knuckle as if making a right turn.
13. Using a shop towel, clean the top and bottom side of the knuckle where the lower ball joint is attached.
Notice
The inspection, and grinding if necessary, described in the next steps must be performed before using the cutter tool. Failure to perform the inspection, and grinding if necessary, will result in damage to the blades on the cutter tool.
Important
Due to variation in the casting molds used during manufacturing, some knuckles were made with additional or extra casting material (1) along the horizontal surface directly outboard of the hole (3) where the lower ball joint stud attaches. This additional casting material will vary in size and thickness and must be removed BEFORE using the cutter tool. In the above illustration, the knuckle on the right is an example of a knuckle manufactured WITHOUT the extra casing material. The horizontal surface (2) is smooth from side to side. The one on the left shows a knuckle WITH the extra material (1) that must be removed. The illustration in the small box in the upper left corner of the illustration shows how much of the extra casting material (4) must be removed in the next steps. The illustration in the small box in the upper right corner shows how the knuckle should look after the extra material (5) has been remove.
14. Inspect for the presence of the extra casting material at the two locations (1) shown in the above illustration.
^ If no extra casting material is found, proceed to Step 16. Do not perform Step 15.
^ If extra casting material is found at either location on a knuckle, proceed to Step 15 and remove the casting material.
Important
It is only necessary to remove some of the extra casting material in the next step. The section to be removed should be approximately 10 mm (3/8 in) long and the width of the extra material. Remove only as much material as instructed and shown in the above illustration. The shaded area in the illustration above represents the amount of material to remove at each location.
15. Using a grinding type tool, carefully remove approximately 10 mm (3/8 in) off of the length of the extra casting material. when completed, the surface where the casting was removed should be flush or even with the horizontal surface
Important
To better understand the operation of the knuckle modification tool and pilot guide, refer to the video described in the Special Tool/Video Tape section of this bulletin.
16. Install the pilot guide (1) contained in CH-47576, Knuckle Modification Kit, up through the hole in the knuckle (2) as shown. When properly installed, the brass washer included with the pilot guide will be between the pilot guide and the knuckle, and the steel washer (also included) will be between the knuckle and the wing nut.
17. Tighten the wing nut security.
Important
For best cutter performance, it is recommended that a 5 amp or larger electric, 1/2 inch drive, variable speed (200-500 RPM range) drill be used. Using an electric drill with less than 5 amps will cause the cutting time of each knuckle to be significantly longer.
18. Place the cutting tool (1) contained in CH-47576, into a 1/2-inch drive electric drill and tighten security.
19. Apply a light film of engine oil on the pilot shaft of the cutter.
Caution
Safety glasses and gloves are required when performing the cutting operation.
20. Place the pilot shaft (2) of the cutting tool up into the hole in the pilot guide (1) attached to the knuckle until the cutter blades are approximately 6 mm (1/4 in) away from the knuckle.
21. Start the drill and cutting tool spinning in the forward direction and slowly bring the cutter blades (2) up until contact is made with the knuckle (1). When contact occurs, a few metal shavings (3) will begin to appear.
Notice
The cutter and drill will vibrate when in use in the next step. It should take less than 2 minutes to completely cut one knuckle. Do not attempt to speed up the process by using a faster drill or by applying excessive force. Doing so will cause excessive heat build-up in the cutter and may cause premature wear-out.
22. Keep moving the cutting tool and drill in an upward direction until the face (2) of the cutter contacts the flat surface (1) on the knuckle. When contact occurs the metal shavings will stop and the electric drill motor will begin to spin more freely.
23. Remove the cutter and drill from the pilot guide.
24. Inspect the knuckle and verify that there is a small newly cut area in the radius of the knuckle surface (1) like that shown in the illustration above.
^ If the small area IS present, then the knuckle was cut "completely". Proceed to the next step.
^ If the small area is NOT present, then the cutting operation was NOT fully completed. Reinsert the cutting tool in the pilot and continue cutting the knuckle until the face of the cutting tool contacts the flat surface on the knuckle and the small area is formed.
25. Loosen the wing nut and remove the pilot guide and washer.
26. Using a shop towel and compressed air, remove the metal shavings from the knuckle, lower control arm, and surrounding parts.
27. Support the lower control arm as necessary.
28. Remove the rubber grease boot seal from the lower ball joint in the lower control arm.
29. Using tool J 9519-E, Lower Ball Joint Remover/Installer, as shown in the above illustration, press out the original lower ball joint from the lower control arm.
Important
DO NOT remove the grease boot seal from the new lower ball joint.
30. With the new grease purge opening in the boot seal facing inboard toward the coil spring, insert the new lower ball joint into the hole in the lower control arm. The grease purge opening is a small opening in a small hole in the top of the boot at the ball stud.
31. Using tool J 9519-E as shown, press the new lower ball joint into the lower control arm. Continue pressing until the ball joint bottoms in the control arm.
32. Remove the tool and reposition the knuckle back to its original position.
33. While raising the lower control arm, align the ball joint stud and install it in the knuckle.
34. Install the new retaining nut included with the new ball joint.
Tighten
Tighten the nut to 125 Nm (92 lb-ft).
35. Install the new cotter pin. If necessary, tighten the nut slightly in order to insert the cotter pin through the lower ball joint stud. Bend the cotter pin ends against the flats of the nut.
36. Using a grease gun, grease the new lower ball joint until a small amount of grease comes out of the purge opening in the boot seal.
37. Assemble and install the stabilizer link to the lower control arm and stabilizer shaft.
Tighten
Tighten to 17 Nm (13 lb-ft).
38. Pull the bottom of the shock absorber down through the opening in the lower control arm and align it. Install the bolts.
Tighten
Tighten the bolts to 25 Nm (18 lb-ft).
39. Install the tire and wheel assembly.
Tighten
Tighten the nuts to 190 Nm (140 lb-ft).
40. Repeat Steps 4-37 on the opposite side knuckle and lower ball joint.