Servicing of steering knuckle assemblies (Nissan Patrol Y60)

Removal and disassembly

Steering knuckle assembly components

1. Loosen the front wheel nuts.

2. Jack up the front of the car and place it on supports placed under the frame side members. Remove the front wheel.

3. Remove the wheel hub and drive shaft.

4. Remove the cotter pin and loosen the crown nut securing the ball joint of the tie rod end(s) to the steering knuckle. Apply a tumbler or hammer to the ear of the steering knuckle and, tapping on the ear from the opposite side, knock the ball joint stud out of the lever.

5. Loosen the upper and lower bearing cap bolts and remove the cap assemblies with adjusting linings from the steering knuckle. Mark the caps and linings - they must be installed in their previous positions during assembly.

6. Loosen the bolts securing the oil seal shield. Try to remember the installation position of the rotation lock bolt and the number of turns required to unscrew it. Remove the shields.



7. Remove the steering knuckle from the axle housing journal, then remove the support ring, oil seal and wiper.

8. Using a drift, remove the upper and lower bearing cups and plugs from the axle journal.

Cleaning and checking the condition of components

1. Wash all components except seals in cleaning solvent and dry with compressed air.

Note: To avoid injury or damage to bearings, do not rotate bearings by blowing compressed air on them.

2. Check the bearings and their cups for cavities, signs of wear and damage. Replace if necessary.

3. Inspect the steering knuckle and axle housing journal for signs of wear, cracks, and other damage. Remove small burrs with a whetstone.

4. Check the oil seal, gaskets and wiper for cracks and other damage.

Note: The authors of this Manual recommend replacing the steering knuckle seal and wiper regardless of their condition. If the bearing cap seal needs to be replaced, the bearing cone must be removed from the cap.

5. Replace all defective components.

Assembly and installation

Note: If the procedure description does not specifically specify the type of lubricant, then it is assumed that a universal lithium-based lubricant is used.

Assembly is carried out in the reverse order of disassembly.



1. Install new plugs and cups of the upper and lower bearings into the axle journal, using a tubular drift for this purpose (see accompanying illustration).



2. Lubricate the lips and the outer wall of the steering knuckle oil seal and place the wiper, oil seal and support ring on the axle journal.

3. Lubricate the axle journal and install the steering knuckle on it. Do not install the oil seal in the knuckle at this stage of assembly.

4. Pack the upper and lower bearing cones with grease, install the bearing assemblies and adjusting shims onto the steering knuckle (to their previous positions) and tighten the mounting bolts securely.

5. With the steering knuckle in a straight-ahead position, hook a spring balance onto the steering knuckle eye, positioning it at a 90° angle to the knuckle approximately 170 mm from the axle centreline (see accompanying illustration).



6. Measure the force required to turn the knuckle on the axle journal. If the measurement result is outside the range of 0.6÷1.75 kgf, make an adjustment by selecting adjusting shims of the upper and lower bearing cups of a new thickness.

[The article was obtained from the portal: nissanbook.ru]

Note: Make sure that the total thickness of the upper and lower cover adjusting shims are the same to avoid misalignment of the steering knuckle.

7. Tighten the bearing cap mounting bolts to 30÷40 Nm. Apply about 50 g of grease to the outer surface of the seal and wiper, as well as the mating surfaces of the steering knuckle.

8. Install the support ring, oil seal and wiper assembly into the steering knuckle, making sure that the slots of the support ring and wiper locks are in the lower part of the knuckle assembly. Install the shields and the steering lock bolt in their previous positions.

9. Connect the ball joint of the steering rod(s) to the steering arm and tighten the castle nut with a force of 46÷54 Nm. Install a new cotter pin.

10. Reinstall the wheel hub and drive shaft.