JAJ
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2016
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- Location
- Vancouver BC
- Vehicle(s)
- 2016 GT350 Track Pack
Here's the story
Fronts - bolts are separate, don't come with hubs. New thread locker is why you replace them, so you could locktite the originals instead. Your call. Also, the notion that you could just use ARP studs works for the rears but not the fronts - the longest ARP studs are too short by 1/2".
To re and re the fronts is relatively easy if you have the right tools. A 3/8" drive torque wrench that goes to 100 ft-lbs is best - it can be done with a 1/2 drive but it's challenging because the back bolts are in a confined space. From there, basically every bolt (of the four) works best with a different 18mm wrench. The front bolts are open and can be undone with a regular socket (upper) or deep socket (lower). The rear ones work best with a box-end wrench - I use a long reach 18mm to break them free and a gearwrench to remove them. You can use a crowfoot socket but you have to be careful that it doesn't slip off and round the bolt head.
First step on the front is to remove and hang the calipers out of the way and take the rotors off. If you have Caliperfexion caliper studs, remove them because they'll get in the way. I turn the steering wheel all the way to the stop one way and remove the two forward bolts on one side and two back bolts on the other. Then turn to the other stop and do the rest. Clean up the opening in the knuckle and install the new hubs in the reverse order to removing them. Torque to 98 ft-lbs.
Rears - they're a lot of work if you have the right tools, pretty much impossible if you don't. Same story as with the bolts at the front - locktite is an option. You'll need a 32 mm socket and a breaker bar handle and a piece of pipe to torque the axle nut. The torque spec is 98 ft-lbs followed by a further twist of 45 degrees. Turning that 45 degrees is where you'll need the breaker bar with a pipe on the handle. Replace the nuts - don't reuse them.
As the pictures show on the other thread, the first step is to leave the handbrake on, remove the axle nut and push the end of the half-shaft back until it's loose. Use the special pusher tool (OTC 7208A) in the picture - it's cheap and it's very useful as you get into the job. Don’t forget to release the handbrake after the nut’s off.
The first obstacle that comes after taking the nuts off is getting the caliper off. The parking brake fittings shroud the caliper mounting bolts so the cable has to be disconnected and removed from the fittings first. I use a special pair of pliers (TEKTON 34435) with a loop at the end to push up on the parking brake spring and then apply a pry bar to flip the fitting off the brake lever. Once the cable's unhooked, you need a special tool (Lisle 40750) for removing the ferrule from the top of the bracket – it slips in underneath and closes the fingers that lock the fitting in place allowing you to just pull it up and remove it.
Once the cable’s out of the way, remove the two caliper bolts (18mm) and hang the caliper out of the way. Remove the rotor.
Getting the hub off the knuckle is challenging but again, patience will get it done. All of the bolts (18mm) are shrouded, some more than others. The main obstacle is the boot on the half-shaft, so put the pusher tool back on and push the half-shaft back out of the spline as far as it comfortably goes. I just do it finger tight - you’re doing this to create space to work behind the knuckle and you don’t want to damage the half-shaft or the boot. Again, you’ll need different wrenches for each bolt – a super-short 3/8” drive extension is very handy for some of them. Take the easiest ones out first, then start backing out the harder ones. As they come out, allow the hub to move away from the knuckle and adjust the pusher tool to keep the space clear.
Once the bolts are all out, the hub just comes off and you’re ready to install the new one. Clean up the area first, then reverse the order that you used to disassemble and put it back together. Torque is also 98 ft-lbs for the hub bolts and 85 ft-lbs for the brake caliper mounting bolts.
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