nukefission
11-27-2006, 07:39 AM
1G Front Wheel Bearing Replacement
Brought to you by: nukefission
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Overview</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This VFAQ covers replacement of the front wheel bearings on my 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX. A shop press is required. The job is not very difficult and should take about 1-2 hours per side. A quick test to see if your wheel bearings are shot is as follows: with the car on the ground, kneel down facing the wheel, grab the upper portion of the tire, and shake it with an in/out motion. Put some force into it. If you hear or feel a clunking with each oscillation, the wheel bearing needs to be replaced. You will sometimes see techs do this during a cursory inspection prior to an autocross. This is also part of vehicle safety inspections in some states.
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Parts & Tools Needed:</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Parts needed for both sides (P/N, Qty):
Front wheel bearing - MB303865, 2
Inner (driveshaft side) seal - MB573309, 2
Outer (hub side) seal - MB303875, 2
Snap ring - MB303868, 2
Multi-purpose grease (lots)In total, the parts should cost around $100 from Mitsubishi (as of June 2005).
Please visit JNZ Tuning (http://www.jnztuning.com) for all of your OEM parts needs. They also have a DSMtalk sponsor section here (http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=80).
Tools required:
Shop press w/ arbor plates
Large bearing separator
32 mm socket
36 mm socket
Other various large sockets (~21-28mm)
Long needle nose pliers and/or snap ring pliers
Safety goggles (in the extremely unlikely event something shatters under pressure)
Large and small hammers
Pry bar
3/8" drive extension
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Step by step Instructions</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=1>
<TBODY><TR>Unused space, scroll down....
<TD width=400>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/01.jpg
</TD>
<TD>This is my shop press. Nothing special. It's a 12-ton unit from Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/) tools, and it came with a pair of arbor plates. There are bigger and better presses out there but this one has been sufficient for everything I've done on my car, including this project, suspension bushing installations, tranny disassembly, etc. And it was cheap.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD> </TD>
<TD>
Not pictured here are the steps to remove the steering knuckle and hub from the car. I already had both out for other reasons and forgot to document the removal for this VFAQ.
Jack the car up and rest it on jack stands
Remove the wheel
Remove the bracket that secures the brake line to the strut tower
Remove brake caliper (two large bolts behind it) and hang it somewhere so as not to stretch the brake line (not as big a deal if you have SS lines)
Remove the cotter pin and nut from the tie rod end and separate the tie rod end from the steering knuckle (gently hammer on the tie rod end stud; putting the nut back on it part way while hammering helps protect the threads)
Remove the two bolts/nuts that attach the strut tower to the steering knuckle
Rock the steering knuckle back and forth until it is freed from the strut tower (use a prybar between the knuckle arm and the shock body if necessary)
Loosen the nut for the lower ball joint with a wrench
The ball joint is sort of compression-fitted to the steering knuckle as a result of the taper on the stud. To separate it from the control arm you can either use a separator or the shade-tree method, which is as follows: while pulling up on the steering knuckle, smack the side of the boss on the lower part of the knuckle that surrounds the ball joint stud with a large hammer repeatedly. The shock combined with the upward force from pulling up on the knuckle will eventually free the ball joint from the knuckle. It helps to have a low mechanic's chair for this method; easier on the knees
With the knuckle/hub assembly out, remove the brake caliper bracket and brake rotor from it, along with any other extraneous pieces that may be bolted to it
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/02.jpg</TD>
<TD>The steering knuckle/hub assembly. Remember the clunking from the quick check with the wheels on? You can still hear or feel it to a lesser degree now if you rock the hub back and forth.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/03.jpg</TD>
<TD>The first step is to separate the hub from the knuckle. Squeeze the bearing separator in between the two as shown.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/04.jpg</TD>
<TD>My press and arbor plates are fairly small, so some of my pressing configurations look a bit silly. They do work, though. Here I've stood the arbor plates on end so that the ends of the bearing separator rest on the plates. Center it under the arbor.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/05.jpg</TD>
<TD>A close-up of the driveshaft end of the hub inside the wheel bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/06.jpg</TD>
<TD>Find a socket that matches the diameter of the hub itself.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/07.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing the hub out...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/08.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub pressed out. Note that the inner race of the outer portion of the wheel bearing stayed attached to the hub. The outer seal is also there underneath the race. We will remove these shortly.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/09.jpg</TD>
<TD>The outer portion of the wheel bearing with the above mentioned inner race missing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/10.jpg</TD>
<TD>Flip the knuckle over and pry out the inner seal. It cannot be preserved so take no prisoners when removing it.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/11.jpg</TD>
<TD>The inner seal removed and some dirty, 120k old grease revealed. Note the large snap ring which must be removed in order to press out the bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/12.jpg</TD>
<TD>Secure the knuckle in a vise, or push it up against a wall (in this case the backing plate of my workbench) such that you can apply pressure on the snap ring in this perpendicular fashion. This helps with keeping the snap ring from flying out of the pliers' grasp and hitting you in the eye.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/13.jpg</TD>
<TD>Carefully squeeze and remove the snap ring from the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/14.jpg</TD>
<TD>The wheel bearing is now unencumbered and ready for removal.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/15.jpg</TD>
<TD>Remove the remaining inner race...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/16.jpg</TD>
<TD>...and the rollers...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/17.jpg</TD>
<TD>...and insert an inner race (doesn't matter which) back into the hub side of the bearing on top of the rollers. Pressure will be applied to the inner race in order to remove the bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/18.jpg</TD>
<TD>Another oddly rigged pressing configuration. Choose a socket with the appropriate diameter for coverage of the inner race (in this case a 36mm).</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/19.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing the bearing out.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/20.jpg</TD>
<TD>Back to the hub. Pry the outer seal up around the inner race to remove it. Again, the seal cannot be preserved, so don't hold back.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/21.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub and inner race.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/22.jpg</TD>
<TD>Situate the bearing separator between the inner race and the back of the hub like so. It's a tight fit, but make sure the separator will engage the inner race enough to put sufficient pressure on it.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/23.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing down on the end of the hub.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/24.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub with the inner race removed.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/25.jpg</TD>
<TD>The complete wheel bearing assembly removed, dismantled and cleaned. Hub side is to the right, driveshaft side is to the left. KEEP THE OUTER AND INNER RACES!! The best part about this job is that you can use the old parts to help install the new parts.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/26.jpg</TD>
<TD>Wipe the inside of the steering knuckle clean.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/26a.jpg</TD>
<TD>Apply a thin layer of grease to the surface here.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD> </TD>
<TD>
Not pictured here is the preparation of the new wheel bearing for installation. It comes with some grease already in it, but it needs more. Some will argue that no additional grease is necessary. I have always put additional grease in new wheel bearings with no ill effects.
One packing method is to put a large blob of grease on the edge of your palm and repeatedly scrape it off into the side of the bearing. This is time comsuming though because the bearing is pretty big. I've done it that way once before without much trouble, but this time I just took the bearing apart and packed a ton of grease in there while putting it back together. Later when the bearing was installed, I rotated it around several times and wiped off some of the excess that squeezed out.
I noticed that the original bearing had some small writing on the edge which faced towards the hub side of the knuckle (into the knuckle). I suppose it doesn't matter which way the new bearing faces (the manual doesn't specify) but I installed it with the writing facing the same way because I'm anal.
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/27.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the new bearing square on top of the bore. Use some sort of plate (here I used half of my bearing separator) to apply pressure evenly across the bearing to push it down. Once it's pressed in to the point where your plate hits part of the knuckle, use the old outer race to push it the rest of the way in (pictured here). The outer race is obviously perfectly suited to this task.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/28.jpg</TD>
<TD>Driveshaft-side view of the new bearing seated in the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/29.jpg</TD>
<TD>Hub side view. Be careful when flipping the knuckle over, sometimes either or both of the inner races will fall out. Be sure the surface you are working on is clean and free of debris so that it won't be too much trouble to re-insert the race.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/30.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new snap ring from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/31.jpg</TD>
<TD>There is no beveled edge so it doesn't matter which way it's installed. Squeeze it with the long needle nose pliers and place it in the bore. Having the knuckle pushed up against the wall again like I have here helps with the installation.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/32.jpg</TD>
<TD>The seated snap ring.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/33.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new hub side seal from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/34.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the seal square on top of the bore. With a small hammer, gently tap around the metal edge of the seal to seat it. Work your way around it thoroughly because it likes to get crooked (it helps to put a thin layer of grease around it). Once it's started, hammer it in the rest of the way with a 3/8" extension. Use the extension such that the tip of it is halfway on the edge of the seal and halfway on the edge of the knuckle. This way, once the seal gets flush with the knuckle the sound of the hammer blows will change.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/35.jpg</TD>
<TD>The seal seated flush with the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/36.jpg</TD>
<TD>Now to insert the hub. Clean the end of it and apply a thin layer of grease.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/37.jpg</TD>
<TD>To place the hub on the press while keeping pressure off of the wheel studs, I stacked two inner races on top of each other in the middle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/38.jpg</TD>
<TD>Just the right height and centered on the arbor plate.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/39.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the knuckle on top of the hub and apply the pressure to the driveshaft side inner race using the appropriate socket. If you don't apply pressure to the driveshaft side inner race as indicated (like if you applied it to the outer race instead), the inner race will just be pushed up out of the bearing by the hub.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/40.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub pressed all the way into the bearing. At this point, turn the hub round and round to free up the excess grease, and wipe some of it off.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/41.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new driveshaft side seal from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/42.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place it square on top of the bore. Tap around the edges with the small hammer in the same way as with the other seal. Tap the seal all the way down until it contacts the snap ring. The sound of the taps will change when the seal contacts the snap ring.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/43.jpg</TD>
<TD>Seated all the way down.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/44.jpg</TD>
<TD>That's it! If you grab the hub and do the wiggle test again, it shouldn't make any clicking or clunking at all when moving back and forth. It should be solid. Installation of the hub/knuckle assembly back into the car is the reverse of removal.</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
Brought to you by: nukefission
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Overview</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This VFAQ covers replacement of the front wheel bearings on my 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX. A shop press is required. The job is not very difficult and should take about 1-2 hours per side. A quick test to see if your wheel bearings are shot is as follows: with the car on the ground, kneel down facing the wheel, grab the upper portion of the tire, and shake it with an in/out motion. Put some force into it. If you hear or feel a clunking with each oscillation, the wheel bearing needs to be replaced. You will sometimes see techs do this during a cursory inspection prior to an autocross. This is also part of vehicle safety inspections in some states.
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Parts & Tools Needed:</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Parts needed for both sides (P/N, Qty):
Front wheel bearing - MB303865, 2
Inner (driveshaft side) seal - MB573309, 2
Outer (hub side) seal - MB303875, 2
Snap ring - MB303868, 2
Multi-purpose grease (lots)In total, the parts should cost around $100 from Mitsubishi (as of June 2005).
Please visit JNZ Tuning (http://www.jnztuning.com) for all of your OEM parts needs. They also have a DSMtalk sponsor section here (http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=80).
Tools required:
Shop press w/ arbor plates
Large bearing separator
32 mm socket
36 mm socket
Other various large sockets (~21-28mm)
Long needle nose pliers and/or snap ring pliers
Safety goggles (in the extremely unlikely event something shatters under pressure)
Large and small hammers
Pry bar
3/8" drive extension
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH bgColor=#616161>Step by step Instructions</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=1>
<TBODY><TR>Unused space, scroll down....
<TD width=400>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/01.jpg
</TD>
<TD>This is my shop press. Nothing special. It's a 12-ton unit from Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/) tools, and it came with a pair of arbor plates. There are bigger and better presses out there but this one has been sufficient for everything I've done on my car, including this project, suspension bushing installations, tranny disassembly, etc. And it was cheap.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD> </TD>
<TD>
Not pictured here are the steps to remove the steering knuckle and hub from the car. I already had both out for other reasons and forgot to document the removal for this VFAQ.
Jack the car up and rest it on jack stands
Remove the wheel
Remove the bracket that secures the brake line to the strut tower
Remove brake caliper (two large bolts behind it) and hang it somewhere so as not to stretch the brake line (not as big a deal if you have SS lines)
Remove the cotter pin and nut from the tie rod end and separate the tie rod end from the steering knuckle (gently hammer on the tie rod end stud; putting the nut back on it part way while hammering helps protect the threads)
Remove the two bolts/nuts that attach the strut tower to the steering knuckle
Rock the steering knuckle back and forth until it is freed from the strut tower (use a prybar between the knuckle arm and the shock body if necessary)
Loosen the nut for the lower ball joint with a wrench
The ball joint is sort of compression-fitted to the steering knuckle as a result of the taper on the stud. To separate it from the control arm you can either use a separator or the shade-tree method, which is as follows: while pulling up on the steering knuckle, smack the side of the boss on the lower part of the knuckle that surrounds the ball joint stud with a large hammer repeatedly. The shock combined with the upward force from pulling up on the knuckle will eventually free the ball joint from the knuckle. It helps to have a low mechanic's chair for this method; easier on the knees
With the knuckle/hub assembly out, remove the brake caliper bracket and brake rotor from it, along with any other extraneous pieces that may be bolted to it
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/02.jpg</TD>
<TD>The steering knuckle/hub assembly. Remember the clunking from the quick check with the wheels on? You can still hear or feel it to a lesser degree now if you rock the hub back and forth.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/03.jpg</TD>
<TD>The first step is to separate the hub from the knuckle. Squeeze the bearing separator in between the two as shown.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/04.jpg</TD>
<TD>My press and arbor plates are fairly small, so some of my pressing configurations look a bit silly. They do work, though. Here I've stood the arbor plates on end so that the ends of the bearing separator rest on the plates. Center it under the arbor.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/05.jpg</TD>
<TD>A close-up of the driveshaft end of the hub inside the wheel bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/06.jpg</TD>
<TD>Find a socket that matches the diameter of the hub itself.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/07.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing the hub out...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/08.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub pressed out. Note that the inner race of the outer portion of the wheel bearing stayed attached to the hub. The outer seal is also there underneath the race. We will remove these shortly.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/09.jpg</TD>
<TD>The outer portion of the wheel bearing with the above mentioned inner race missing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/10.jpg</TD>
<TD>Flip the knuckle over and pry out the inner seal. It cannot be preserved so take no prisoners when removing it.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/11.jpg</TD>
<TD>The inner seal removed and some dirty, 120k old grease revealed. Note the large snap ring which must be removed in order to press out the bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/12.jpg</TD>
<TD>Secure the knuckle in a vise, or push it up against a wall (in this case the backing plate of my workbench) such that you can apply pressure on the snap ring in this perpendicular fashion. This helps with keeping the snap ring from flying out of the pliers' grasp and hitting you in the eye.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/13.jpg</TD>
<TD>Carefully squeeze and remove the snap ring from the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/14.jpg</TD>
<TD>The wheel bearing is now unencumbered and ready for removal.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/15.jpg</TD>
<TD>Remove the remaining inner race...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/16.jpg</TD>
<TD>...and the rollers...</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/17.jpg</TD>
<TD>...and insert an inner race (doesn't matter which) back into the hub side of the bearing on top of the rollers. Pressure will be applied to the inner race in order to remove the bearing.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/18.jpg</TD>
<TD>Another oddly rigged pressing configuration. Choose a socket with the appropriate diameter for coverage of the inner race (in this case a 36mm).</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/19.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing the bearing out.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/20.jpg</TD>
<TD>Back to the hub. Pry the outer seal up around the inner race to remove it. Again, the seal cannot be preserved, so don't hold back.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/21.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub and inner race.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/22.jpg</TD>
<TD>Situate the bearing separator between the inner race and the back of the hub like so. It's a tight fit, but make sure the separator will engage the inner race enough to put sufficient pressure on it.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/23.jpg</TD>
<TD>Pressing down on the end of the hub.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/24.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub with the inner race removed.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/25.jpg</TD>
<TD>The complete wheel bearing assembly removed, dismantled and cleaned. Hub side is to the right, driveshaft side is to the left. KEEP THE OUTER AND INNER RACES!! The best part about this job is that you can use the old parts to help install the new parts.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/26.jpg</TD>
<TD>Wipe the inside of the steering knuckle clean.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/26a.jpg</TD>
<TD>Apply a thin layer of grease to the surface here.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD> </TD>
<TD>
Not pictured here is the preparation of the new wheel bearing for installation. It comes with some grease already in it, but it needs more. Some will argue that no additional grease is necessary. I have always put additional grease in new wheel bearings with no ill effects.
One packing method is to put a large blob of grease on the edge of your palm and repeatedly scrape it off into the side of the bearing. This is time comsuming though because the bearing is pretty big. I've done it that way once before without much trouble, but this time I just took the bearing apart and packed a ton of grease in there while putting it back together. Later when the bearing was installed, I rotated it around several times and wiped off some of the excess that squeezed out.
I noticed that the original bearing had some small writing on the edge which faced towards the hub side of the knuckle (into the knuckle). I suppose it doesn't matter which way the new bearing faces (the manual doesn't specify) but I installed it with the writing facing the same way because I'm anal.
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/27.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the new bearing square on top of the bore. Use some sort of plate (here I used half of my bearing separator) to apply pressure evenly across the bearing to push it down. Once it's pressed in to the point where your plate hits part of the knuckle, use the old outer race to push it the rest of the way in (pictured here). The outer race is obviously perfectly suited to this task.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/28.jpg</TD>
<TD>Driveshaft-side view of the new bearing seated in the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/29.jpg</TD>
<TD>Hub side view. Be careful when flipping the knuckle over, sometimes either or both of the inner races will fall out. Be sure the surface you are working on is clean and free of debris so that it won't be too much trouble to re-insert the race.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/30.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new snap ring from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/31.jpg</TD>
<TD>There is no beveled edge so it doesn't matter which way it's installed. Squeeze it with the long needle nose pliers and place it in the bore. Having the knuckle pushed up against the wall again like I have here helps with the installation.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/32.jpg</TD>
<TD>The seated snap ring.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/33.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new hub side seal from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/34.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the seal square on top of the bore. With a small hammer, gently tap around the metal edge of the seal to seat it. Work your way around it thoroughly because it likes to get crooked (it helps to put a thin layer of grease around it). Once it's started, hammer it in the rest of the way with a 3/8" extension. Use the extension such that the tip of it is halfway on the edge of the seal and halfway on the edge of the knuckle. This way, once the seal gets flush with the knuckle the sound of the hammer blows will change.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/35.jpg</TD>
<TD>The seal seated flush with the knuckle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/36.jpg</TD>
<TD>Now to insert the hub. Clean the end of it and apply a thin layer of grease.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/37.jpg</TD>
<TD>To place the hub on the press while keeping pressure off of the wheel studs, I stacked two inner races on top of each other in the middle.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/38.jpg</TD>
<TD>Just the right height and centered on the arbor plate.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/39.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place the knuckle on top of the hub and apply the pressure to the driveshaft side inner race using the appropriate socket. If you don't apply pressure to the driveshaft side inner race as indicated (like if you applied it to the outer race instead), the inner race will just be pushed up out of the bearing by the hub.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/40.jpg</TD>
<TD>The hub pressed all the way into the bearing. At this point, turn the hub round and round to free up the excess grease, and wipe some of it off.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/41.jpg</TD>
<TD>This is the new driveshaft side seal from Mitsubishi.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/42.jpg</TD>
<TD>Place it square on top of the bore. Tap around the edges with the small hammer in the same way as with the other seal. Tap the seal all the way down until it contacts the snap ring. The sound of the taps will change when the seal contacts the snap ring.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/43.jpg</TD>
<TD>Seated all the way down.</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>http://vic.doitbig.org/dsmtalk/whlbrg/44.jpg</TD>
<TD>That's it! If you grab the hub and do the wiggle test again, it shouldn't make any clicking or clunking at all when moving back and forth. It should be solid. Installation of the hub/knuckle assembly back into the car is the reverse of removal.</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>