OEM Dodge Stratus Steering Knuckle

Dodge Stratus Steering Knuckle Parts and Q&A

• Knuckle, Front Driver Side
  4782903AB
  Q:

  How to Maintain and Fix a Steering Knuckle on Dodge Stratus?

  A:

  For steering knuckle repair, first raise the vehicle, do away with the front tire and wheel assembly attached to the hub and loosen the hub nut while the brakes are applied to avoid harm to the wheel bearings. First, take off the disc Brake Caliper, adapter, shoes and rotor from the steering knuckle. Then hold the outer tie rod's stud with one socket and loosen the attached nut with another wrench. With Remover, Special Tool C-3894-A, remove the Tie Rod End from the steering knuckle and take out the ABS wheel speed sensor cable routing bracket. After that, pull out the cotter pin and castle nut from the lower Ball Joint stud, but do not try to insert any tool between the steering knuckle and the ball joint. Tap the steering knuckle with a hammer to remove it from the lowest stud, so you don't damage the inner joint. Slide the steering knuckle down from the low ball joint stud and separate it from the C/V joint as you support the driveshaft. Pull the nut from the top of the ball joint stud, then unbolt the stud from the knuckle using Puller, Special Tool C-3894-A. After that, remove the knuckle from the car. If desired, get rid of the lower ball joint seal heat shield and place the hub and bearing on the new steering knuckle if they're still usable. If the installation requires a hub/bearing assembly, fit that into the steering knuckle before putting it onto the vehicle. If necessary, place the lower ball joint grease seal heat shield back in place, then fit the driveshaft inside the driveshaft bearing at the front of the steering knuckle while you hold the steering knuckle onto the lower ball joint stud. Fit the lower ball joint castle nut without tightening for now, then place the upper ball joint onto the steering knuckle and screw the upper ball joint nut to 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.) Add pressure to the lower ball joint with a crowfoot and make sure the nut reaches 75 Nm (55 ft. lbs.) Once done, install the cotter pin. Attach the target wheel speed sensor cable routing bracket to the steering knuckle and make sure the heat shield is installed before putting on the tie rod to stop the seal boot from failing. Add the outer tie rod stud to the steering knuckle and begin screwing the outer tie rod attaching nut. After you tighten it to 55 Nm (40 ft. lbs.), keep the stud in place while tightening. Put back the Brake Rotor, caliper, shoes and adapter assembly and then wash the threads on the outside C/V joint stub axle. Place the hub nut on the driveshaft stub axle and turn it to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.) with the vehicle brakes active. Afterward, bolt on the front wheel and tire assembly, adjust the fingertip lug nuts by alternating in a crisscross pattern to a tightness of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.), raise the car from the stands and set the front toe on target.
• Strut Mounting Fork, Front Driver Side
  4656235
  Q:

  How to Service a Steering Knuckle on Dodge Stratus?

  A:

  Before worrying about the steering knuckle, take out the front tire and wheel assembly, release the hub nut and apply the brakes to safely stabilize the wheel. You should take off the disc Brake Caliper, adapter, shoes and rotor from the steering knuckle first and after that, take off the outer tie rod by loosening the nut and holding the tie rod stud with a socket. Attach the Remover, Special Tool C-3894-A, to the tie rod end and pull it out of the steering knuckle. After that, take off the ABS wheel speed sensor cable routing bracket. After that, get rid of the cotter pin and castle nut attached to the lower Ball Joint stud, making sure not to insert anything into the area between the steering knuckle and lower ball joint. Hit the boss using a hammer to remove the lower ball joint stud, ensuring you won't damage the CV axle going inside. Release the steering knuckle from the lower ball joint stud and pull it free from the outer C/V joint as you are supporting the driveshaft. Loosen the nut at the top of the ball joint, then pull out the ball joint stud using the special tool C-3894-A and lastly remove the steering knuckle from the vehicle. If it's required, take out the lower ball joint grease seal heat shield and move the hub and bearing to the replacement steering knuckle if they are not damaged. Before the installation, put the hub/bearing assembly into the steering knuckle, as necessary. Once the heat shield is back on the Wheel Hub's lower side, slide the driveshaft into the front hub/bearing assembly and insert the steering knuckle onto the lower ball joint stud. Put the lower ball joint castle nut in place and do not tighten it and then place the upper ball joint in the steering knuckle and tighten its nut to 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.). Tighten the nut on the lower ball joint using a crowfoot and torque wrench to 75 Nm (55 ft. lbs.) and then put in the cotter pin. After reattaching the wheel speed sensor cable routing bracket, make sure to secure and tighten the attaching bolt. Make sure your car has a heat shield in place as you attach the tie rod to stop seal boot failure from too much heat. Put the outer tie rod stud into the steering knuckle, attach the nut and tighten it to 55 Nm (40 ft. lbs.) while the stud is held steady. Reassemble the brake rotor, caliper, shoes and adapter and after that, clean the outer C/V joint stub axle, then screw on the hub nut onto the driveshaft stub axle and tighten it to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.) with the brakes applied. After that, attach the front wheel and tire unit, tighten each lug nut in a sequence that goes from the front to the rear until they reach 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.), lower the vehicle and fix the front toe as per the demands of the specification.