Steering Knuckle Needle Roller Bearing Replacement

[TinyTim]

If your truck develops a nasty noise with a rumble strip sensation on the driver’s side front wheel that is worse in 2WD than 4WD then this is for you. This gets progressively worse till eventually the wheel screeches if you turn it by hand.

Test by removing the hub cover with the 6 bolts and de-coupling the drive shaft from the hub. If the screech stops, then this is the problem.

The problem lies in a needle roller bearing where the driveshaft passes through the steering knuckle or upright – ie the part between upper and lower ball joints.

Due the the distance from the differential its usually, (but not always) the driver's side that fails and this shows that side.


Driver's side steering knuckle or upright

Repairing this is not difficult although it is easier if you have a ball joint splitter.

Parts required are needle roller bearing – ref B2012 from a bearing specialist, oil seal MB160850 and brass shim MB160671 from Mitsubishi dealer.

As you will be removing the wheel bearings you will also need a hub shim kit MB241229

You will also need new split pins for the ball joint and track rod end nuts.

Apart from a decent socket set including, screw drivers, and breaker bar, no special tools are needed although a ball joint splitter will make the job far easier.


Should look like this


May well look like this

Proceed as follows:

1.   Chock rear wheels, jack up under front n/s lower suspension arm, raise wheel and support car with an axle stand under the front n/s chassis.
2.   Remove front n/s wheel
3.   Remove brake calliper bolts and cable tie calliper up out of the way
4.   Remove brake pads
5.   Remove brake calliper carrier
6.   Remove small dust cover in centre of hub
7.   Remove circlip and shims from behind this cover
8.   Remove the splined cover with the six bolts behind the shims.


Splined cover, circlip and shims removed from end of driveshaft

9.   Remove 2 set screws, holed locking ring and the bearing cap that screws up onto the central thread.
10.   Remove wheel hub and wheel bearings
11.   Undo ARB nut on lower suspension leg
12.   Undo tie rod end bolt and remove by hammering downwards
13.   Split upper ball joint
14.   Split lower ball joint
15.   Remove steering knuckle over dive shaft watching for the brass spacer behind it.





All that was left of shim - new one is twice as thick

16.   Inspect and replace oil seal, shim and needle roller bearing itself (bear in mind there may be part of the outer race left in the knuckle itself that has to come out).
17.   Lubricate new needle roller bearing with high melting point grease and tap into place in the knuckle.
18.   This may be a good time to inspect and re-pack the wheel bearings as well.


With steering knuckle removed

19.   Assembly is straightforward enough as the reverse of these steps although care is needed not to disturb the needle rollers when re-fitting over drive shaft and
         aligning lower ball joint. Also make sure the oil seal engages the flange of the outer CV joint properly.
20.   The upper ball joint is then straight forward to locate but you will need a jack under the lower suspension arm to lift the assembly high enough for this.
21.   Remove the jack for the lower ball joint or it will simply spin.
22.   Tighten both ball joints and track rod end to the specified torque and replace all 3 split pins with new ones.
23.   Check and grease wheel bearings and replace wheel hub on the knuckle tightening the bearing retaining cap to hold.
24.   Torque wheel bearing retaining cap and replace locking collar and set screws.
25.   Replace the splined cover flange with instant gasket sealant and torque the 6 bolts that secure this to the hub.
26.   Check endfloat in drive shaft and insert shims as necessary before replacing circlip and ensuring this is properly seated in its groove.
27.   Replace dust cover.


Re-assembled with dust cap replaced ready for brake components to be re-fitted

28.   Replace brake calliper bracket and re-torque bolts.,
29.   Replace brake pads and brake calliper using G clamp to move pistons back if required. and re-torque bolts.
          Pay close attention to the markings as top which bolt is which and apply copraslip to slider bolts.
30.   Replace wheel and re-torque wheel nuts.
31.   Check brake function before driving.

Hope this helps explain the problem and how to deal with it.

Thanks to CupCake for providing the vehicle   

[loncbt]

well done tim

[lockelamorra]

Great post thanks Tim.

[Chastiser]

a really great post tim, and very helpful.

apparently i need to replace the driveshaft bearing too

Mike

[TinyTim]

Aha - can't help with that one I'm afrraid Mike

There was no excessive play at that end of the shaft so i reckon we got it in time 

[Alterastro]

Excellent post Tim 

Unfortunately I'm sure it will come in very handy one day!

Nick 

[markyd]

a really great post tim, and very helpful.

apparently i need to replace the driveshaft bearing too

Mike

is  the movement at the diff end of the shaft? if so its the input shaft bearing

[subzero]

a really great post tim, and very helpful.

apparently i need to replace the driveshaft bearing too

Mike

is  the movement at the diff end of the shaft? if so its the input shaft bearing

dont supose you have part no for input bearing mitsi out of stock min 14working days

[Chastiser]

a really great post tim, and very helpful.

apparently i need to replace the driveshaft bearing too

Mike

is  the movement at the diff end of the shaft? if so its the input shaft bearing

to be honest, carl is the one in the know?? i am not sure which one i should be ordering? behind the wheel is a drum shaped bit of kit and this is moving about as opposed to being fixed solid.

if anyone can help identify i would be grateful as i need to locate one. also if someone knows the exact description and part number, i may be able to find another source (known bearing specialist) and if i can its bound to be cheaper than mitsi. and then can pass on the info to club members.

Mike

[Chastiser]

a really great post tim, and very helpful.

apparently i need to replace the driveshaft bearing too

Mike

is  the movement at the diff end of the shaft? if so its the input shaft bearing

i think the movement is at the wheel end of the shaft?

Mike

[Richie]

Great post Tim, one thing I keep forgetting, and it does make a difference, is the brass shim, it is bevelled and has grease channels cut in , and only goes one way, but I keep forgetting which way, so, if you remember, I know I put it in wrong one day, and you cant get the hub on fully.

[CupCake]

to be honest, carl is the one in the know?? i am not sure which one i should be ordering? behind the wheel is a drum shaped bit of kit and this is moving about as opposed to being fixed solid.

if anyone can help identify i would be grateful as i need to locate one. also if someone knows the exact description and part number, i may be able to find another source (known bearing specialist) and if i can its bound to be cheaper than mitsi. and then can pass on the info to club members.

Mike

Don't know which part you need Mike but needle roller bearing for mine was part no. B2012 from here http://www.bearing-supplies.co.uk/ and a very reasonable price too. They do a huge range of bearings so I would try them for what you need. Had to get the shim and seal from Mitsi though as these were shot to pieces aswell - and they were more expensive than the pair of bearings I got 

HTH

Sadie.

[TinyTim]

Grooves go on the hub side   

[Chastiser]

to be honest, carl is the one in the know?? i am not sure which one i should be ordering? behind the wheel is a drum shaped bit of kit and this is moving about as opposed to being fixed solid.

if anyone can help identify i would be grateful as i need to locate one. also if someone knows the exact description and part number, i may be able to find another source (known bearing specialist) and if i can its bound to be cheaper than mitsi. and then can pass on the info to club members.

Mike

Don't know which part you need Mike but needle roller bearing for mine was part no. B2012 from here http://www.bearing-supplies.co.uk/ and a very reasonable price too. They do a huge range of bearings so I would try them for what you need. Had to get the shim and seal from Mitsi though as these were shot to pieces aswell - and they were more expensive than the pair of bearings I got 

HTH

Sadie.

thanks for that sadie. i have located the needle roller bearing from a friendly bearing supplier. cost less than a fiver. in fact if tim is able to supply a complete list of all the bearings on the paj, its quite likely they will be able to source quality stuff far cheaper than mitsi. they will need a bearing part number like the 'B' number you supplied as opposed to the mitsi part number.

Mike

[ash]

It looks like mine could be suffering from this but its not screeching or anything when up on jacks when the wheels are turned by hand )

Anyway. my mates got a 4wd rolling road, and has offered to run it up to speed on there to see if the vibration source can be located thise evening after work 

Good post anyway Tim