OEM 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Spindle

2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Spindle Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Service and Repair a Spindle on 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser?

  A: You should first lift the car, take out the rear tire and the wheel assembly before handling the spindle. For any car with rear drum brakes, carefully remove the bolts from the drum brake flex hose to the axle trailing arm and take off the drum pins and drum. For cars using rear disc brakes, unscrew the bolts securing the brake line to the trailing arm, followed by unhooking the front lines to release the main calipers and use a wire hanger or bungee cord to keep them off the way. Now, remove the back brake rotor and pull off the cap from its hub and bearing. First, remove the hub and bearing retaining nut from the spindle and afterward take out the hub and bearing unit. Take out the two bolts on each axle trailing arm, as they hold the parking brake cable brackets in place. Unbolt the wheel speed sensor from the disc brake adapter and remove it for vehicles having antilock brakes. Get out the four bolts holding the brake support plate or disc brake adapter to the axle and the spindle, then slowly move the support plate or adapter away from the axle while you loosen and remove the spindle from the back of the adapter. When installing, replace the worn seal, insert the spindle into the back of the support plate or disc brake adapter and place it on the axle's end. Set the plate or adapter against the spindle, add all four bolts and tighten them to reach 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.). The wheel speed sensor should be installed in the disc brake adapter on vehicles with antilock brakes and then tightened with a bolt to a torque of 12 Nm (105 inch lbs.). Place the routing brackets of the parking brake cable on the trails arms mounts and then bolt the brackets in place with 11 Nm (100 inch lbs. of torque). Take a new hub and bearing retaining nut, fit them on the spindle and then tighten the retaining nut to 217 Nm (160 ft. lb.), placing the dust cap afterward. If you have rear drum brake, try to adjust the brakes first before fitting on the brake drum. After putting the rear disc brake rotor in place, attach the caliper and seal the guide pin bolts with a torque of 22 Nm (192 inch lbs.). After that, put in the fasteners for the flex hose or flex hose and secure them to the axle trailing arm, attach the rear tire and wheel, snug all the wheel nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.) and bring the vehicle back down to its regular road position.