Removal

CAUTION: The driveshaft, when installed, acts as a bolt and secures the front hub/bearing assembly. If vehicle is to be supported or moved on its wheels with a driveshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.) 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.





1. Remove cotter pin, nut lock, and spring washer from the end of the outer C/V joint stub axle.





2. Loosen (but do not remove) stub axle to hub/ bearing retaining nut. Loosen hub nut while vehicle is on the floor with the brakes applied. The front hub and driveshaft are splined together and retained by the hub nut.
3. Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
4. Remove front tire and wheel assembly from the hub.





5. Remove front disc brake caliper assembly to steering knuckle guide pin attaching bolts.





6. Remove disc brake caliper assembly from steering knuckle. Caliper is removed by first lifting bottom of caliper away from steering knuckle, and then removing top of caliper out from under steering knuckle.





7. Support brake caliper/adapter assembly using a wire hook. Do not support assembly by the brake flex hose.
8. Remove braking disc from front hub.





9. Remove nut attaching outer tie rod end to steering knuckle. Remove nut from tie rod end by holding tie rod end stud with a 11/32 socket and loosen and remove nut.





10. Remove the tie rod end stud from steering knuckle arm, using remover, Special Tool MB-991113, or equivalent.

Fig. 6:

11. If equipped with antilock brakes, remove the speed sensor cable routing bracket from the steering knuckle.





12. Remove cotter pin and castle nut from stud of lower ball joint at the steering knuckle.

CAUTION: No tool is to be inserted between the steering knuckle and the lower ball joint to separate stud of lower ball joint from the steering knuckle. The steering knuckle is to be separated from the stud of the ball joint only using the procedure as described in Step 13.





13. Turn steering knuckle so the front of the steering knuckle is facing as far outboard in the wheel well as possible. Using a hammer strike steering knuckle boss until steering knuckle separates from stud of lower ball joint. When striking steering knuckle, care MUST be taken not to hit lower control arm or ball joint grease seal.

NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner ON joint during this operation. Do not allow driveshaft to hang by inner ON joint. Driveshaft must be supported.





14. Pull steering knuckle assembly out and away from outer C/V joint of the driveshaft assembly.

CAUTION: When inserting pry bar between inner tripod joint and transaxle case, care must be used to ensure no damage occurs to oil seal in transaxle case.





15. Support the outer end of the driveshaft assembly. Insert a pry bar between inner tripod joint and transaxle case. Pry against inner tripod joint, until tripod joint retaining snap ring is disengaged from transaxle side gear.





16. Hold inner tripod joint and interconnecting shaft of driveshaft assembly. Remove inner tripod transaxle side gear and transaxle oil seal. When removing tripod joint, do not let spline or snap ring drag across sealing lip of the transaxle to tripod joint oil seal.

CAUTION: The driveshaft, when installed, acts as a bolt and secures the front hub/bearing assembly. If vehicle is to be supported or moved on its wheels with a driveshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 183 Nm (135 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.