Symptoms
Grease and oil caked on the outside of the knuckle balls, runny grease at the knuckle fill plug, and diff oil migrating into the knuckles.
The fix, step by step
- Following Jim Phillips's IH8MUD write-up: pull the wheel and caliper (hang it, don't let it dangle), then the dust cap, snap ring, flange nuts, cone washers and locknuts, and slide off the hub and rotor.
- Unbolt the spindle, unplug the plastic ABS sensor gently, set the steering straight ahead and pull the axle and birfield.
- Pull the spring out of the inner seal lip before prying the old seal out, so it can't drop into the axle tube.
- Clean, repack and reassemble with new gaskets and seals.
- Set wheel bearing preload to 43 ft-lb, rotate, back off, then 3 ft-lb, lock nut to 47 ft-lb, and check for 6–12 lb on a spring scale.
- Flange nuts take 26 ft-lb and caliper bolts 90 ft-lb.
- Trunnion bearings are worth doing at the same time.
Tools & part numbers
- Torque wrench
- brass drift
- 54 mm hub socket
- seal puller
- snap-ring pliers
- spring scale
- moly and MP grease
- knuckle rebuild kit (Cruiser Corps SKU 595-106; bearings 595-184)
Where to buy the parts
80 Series knuckle rebuild kit (FA9097)CruiserTeq ↗Amazon ↗
Knuckle (trunnion) bearings kit, 1° offset (FA88915)CruiserTeq ↗Amazon ↗
Front wheel bearing kit, Koyo (FAWB9097K)CruiserTeq ↗Amazon ↗
Birfield seal / knuckle rebuild kit, 80 SeriesCruiser Corps ↗Amazon ↗
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Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.