Dave Hansford
Forum Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2020
- Messages
- 119
- Location
- New Zealand
- Car Year
- 2008
- Car Model
- Outback
- Transmission
- 4EAT
A big day today, just to replace one front hub on our BP Outback. One look online tells you it’s another designed-in ballsache - the hub ends up rusted to the knuckle. I spent half an hour trying to free the hub while it was mounted on the vehicle, before deciding to remove the entire knuckle/hub assembly.
It’s an easy job, and in my view, it actually saves time, but unfortunately, it also invites further disaster, because you need to first remove the ABS wheel speed sensor. It’s only held in by one 6mm bolt, but that’s the problem… despite spraying it with Blaster all morning, the bolt sheared at the head. The good news is that if this happens to you (and it happens a lot), with the bolt head gone, you can still lever the sensor (verrrrrrry carefully!) from out of its socket in the knuckle.
So… spent an unplanned hour trying to drill and ezy-out the frozen bolt. I drilled out 4.5 mm - there was almost no meat left - and it still wouldn’t budge - that’s how bad the rust issue is with these knuckles - so I just ran a tap into its hollowed-out corpse and used a stainless bolt with anti-seize.
But with the knuckle off, you can beat the back of the hub with a hammer (and the hub bolts are WAY easier to access, too), and with enough blaster, I finally got the hub to shift with a club hammer. I’ve watched guys on YouTube beat these things with a sledgehammer while they’re still on the car, with the ABS sensor and stub axle still in place, and it makes my skin crawl.
So, for what it’s worth, my feeling is that it’s best just to remove the entire knuckle, with hub still attached, right from the get-go. Let’s face it: there’s an excellent chance you’ll end up taking it to a workshop to get the hub pressed out anyway, so cut your losses. That still leaves the problem of the ABS sensor bolt; I mean to start spraying the other side one with blaster days before I’ll try to remove it, and I’ll probably use an impact next time. It sounds brutal, but I suspect the hammer action might actually save the bolt.
Obviously, slather on the anti-seize when you fit the new hub - on both sides of the brake backing plate (because that sticks too!) and the rebate in the knuckle (brake disc, too). Be careful not to get it all over the new ABS speed ring, though…
Anyway, I hope this might be of some help to anyone about to do their front hubs.
It’s an easy job, and in my view, it actually saves time, but unfortunately, it also invites further disaster, because you need to first remove the ABS wheel speed sensor. It’s only held in by one 6mm bolt, but that’s the problem… despite spraying it with Blaster all morning, the bolt sheared at the head. The good news is that if this happens to you (and it happens a lot), with the bolt head gone, you can still lever the sensor (verrrrrrry carefully!) from out of its socket in the knuckle.
So… spent an unplanned hour trying to drill and ezy-out the frozen bolt. I drilled out 4.5 mm - there was almost no meat left - and it still wouldn’t budge - that’s how bad the rust issue is with these knuckles - so I just ran a tap into its hollowed-out corpse and used a stainless bolt with anti-seize.
But with the knuckle off, you can beat the back of the hub with a hammer (and the hub bolts are WAY easier to access, too), and with enough blaster, I finally got the hub to shift with a club hammer. I’ve watched guys on YouTube beat these things with a sledgehammer while they’re still on the car, with the ABS sensor and stub axle still in place, and it makes my skin crawl.
So, for what it’s worth, my feeling is that it’s best just to remove the entire knuckle, with hub still attached, right from the get-go. Let’s face it: there’s an excellent chance you’ll end up taking it to a workshop to get the hub pressed out anyway, so cut your losses. That still leaves the problem of the ABS sensor bolt; I mean to start spraying the other side one with blaster days before I’ll try to remove it, and I’ll probably use an impact next time. It sounds brutal, but I suspect the hammer action might actually save the bolt.
Obviously, slather on the anti-seize when you fit the new hub - on both sides of the brake backing plate (because that sticks too!) and the rebate in the knuckle (brake disc, too). Be careful not to get it all over the new ABS speed ring, though…
Anyway, I hope this might be of some help to anyone about to do their front hubs.
.