Contents: Examination ⬇ Replacement ⬇
Examination
1. Set the parking brake, jack up the front of the vehicle and support it. Rotate the wheel manually, listening for sounds from the wheel bearing. Grasp the wheel with your hands and rock it to detect signs of play in the bearing - try not to confuse play in the bearings with play in the joints of the suspension and steering components (see Chapter Routine maintenance).
Replacement
1. Set the parking brake, jack up the front of the vehicle and place it on stands. Remove the corresponding front wheel.
2. Remove the brake caliper and, without disconnecting the flexible hydraulic hose, tie it to the side to the suspension elements, - release the hose from the support bracket and remove it, having first released the retainer, - remove the brake disc (see Chapter Brake system).
3. Remove the protective cap of the hub nut, block the hub from turning by holding it with a tire iron inserted between two temporarily screwed-in wheel bolts, remove the cotter pin and loosen the nut.
The nut is tightened very tightly.
4. Remove the cotter pin and loosen the tie rod end mounting nut. Using a puller, press the ball joint of the end out of the lever on the steering knuckle. Loosen the mounting nut and disconnect the vertical stabilizer link from the suspension strut.
5. Unscrew the bolt of the clamp securing the ball joint pin to the knuckle - try to remember the installation position of the bolt.
The authors of this Manual recommend replacing the bolt and nut without fail.
7. Use a chisel or a large screwdriver to loosen the clamp at the bottom of the knuckle.
8. By pressing the lower suspension arm, release the ball joint pin from the clamp. Move the strut to the side and release the lever - try not to damage the ball joint boot.
9. On aBS equipped models disconnect the wiring from the wheel sensor.
10. Move the knuckle outward, pushing the drive shaft journal out of the hub - if necessary, knock the shaft out with a hammer through a brass drift.
11. Mark the relative positions of the outer bearing race, cam and base plate.
12. From the back of the knuckle, unscrew the three bearing assembly mounting bolts - the bolts must be replaced during assembly.
13. Remove the bearing assembly and base plate (3) from the knuckle (4), being careful not to damage the wheel sensor wiring.
14. The bearing unit is built into the hub assembly and its dismantling is not possible. In the event of failure of any of the hub elements, the entire assembly must be replaced.
15. After cleaning the mating surfaces, press the base plate against the knuckle - make sure that the mounting marks applied during the dismantling of the components are correctly aligned. Lightly lubricate the threaded part of the new mounting bolts with a locking anaerobic sealant, then screw them in and tighten them in several stages to the required force (see Fig. Specifications).
16. Pull the knuckle outward and insert the drive shaft journal into the hub. Install the washer, then screw on the nut and tighten it lightly, achieving a complete fit of the shaft journal in the hub. The final tightening of the nut is done later (see below).
17. On aBS equipped models connect the wiring to the wheel sensor, press down the lower arm and insert the ball joint pin into the knuckle clamp.
18. Remove the expansion wedge from the clamp lock and insert a new bolt. Tighten the nut to the required torque.
19. Place the steering rod end in the knuckle and tighten the nut to the required torque. If necessary, secure the nut with a new cotter pin. Connect the vertical stabilizer bar link to the suspension strut and tighten the nut to the required torque.
20. Having blocked the hub from turning with a tire iron, tighten its hub nut in several stages with the required force (see Specifications). Install a new cotter pin and bend its outer leg around the nut. Bend the inner leg of the cotter pin inward, then bite off the free end.
21. Install the hub nut protective cap.
22. Reinstall the brake components (see Chapter Brake system).
[Original source is on the website: OPELBOOK]
23. Install the front wheel, lower the vehicle to the ground and tighten the wheel bolts to the required torque.
Visitor comments