There are a lot of components in your vehicle that need to move in order for your vehicle to move. From the pistons and the crankshaft to the wheels and steering rack, almost every part does something that then engages a different component. The same can be said for the swivel hub.
This component or collection of components is able to provide a way for your input from the steering wheel to cause radial motion on the hub and thus wheels. Any two parts that need to be connected between each other but have a different movement are typically connected by a swivel hub since it comes with steel balls which makes for a low coefficient of friction for the hub.
How to Rebuild a Swivel Hub
1. In order to remove and rebuild a swivel hub you need to gain access to your old one first. To do this you'll need preferably a lift but you can also jack up your vehicle, just makes sure it's safe to do so. You'll definitely need a swivel hub kit since no rebuild takes place on only one wheel, usually, it's done in pairs.
2. Once you've secured your car and removed the wheels, get yourself the correct-sized bolts and remove the free-wheeling hub cover and switch plate. Once you've done that you can start taking out other parts. This includes the free-wheeling hub assembly, brake calliper, pads and so on.
3. Now, every vehicle is different in this case, despite having the same components and by different I mean it has different-sized fasteners and types too. Just make sure you get the right tools for the job and start removing components one by one.
4. The following component you'll need to remove is going to be the disc calliper. After that, you'll probably need to remove the rotor and then the hub and disc assembly too. Once you're left with the stub axle, you should wipe off any grease before you continue.
5. With the above done, you should continue by removing the bolts holding the disc brake backing plate which also has a metal ring and a rubber seal in front of it. Once the backing plate is off you should then remove the gunk from the housing.
6. Next comes the removal of the stub axle assembly which usually requires you to tap it with a soft blow hammer in order for it to come off. Once the stub axle comes off, you should then remove the but lining of the CV joint. Slide it out carefully so you don't damage the spline.
7. After that you should then avert your attention to the steering linkage. You can choose to remove the tie rod in this case or leave it if you don't want to spend time on it. But if you want to re-shim it then you should definitely remove it.
8. once you're done with the tie rod, next you should remove the steering arm which is typically held by 4 nuts. Removing the nuts will remove the cone lock washers and thus the steering arm can be taken out.
9. After that remove the bottom kingpin plate and then make sure to take note of the kingpin bearings if you're not doing a complete rebuild. After the plate is removed you can finally remove the hub. Removing the hub is mainly done by taking off the bolts that hold it in place. Make sure to keep the two half-circle plates as you'll need the after the rebuild.
10. Once you have the hub out of the way, clean the knuckle nicely and then make sure to clean all the parts that you removed. Opening up the hub is typically done by removing the studs and then using a vice to get the rotor off. Again you need to wash the hub's parts too except for the swivel hub bearings and swivel hub seals.
11. Take note of how you re-assembled the swivel hub so that when the time comes for assembling it back you won't be wondering about which part goes where. Lastly, just repair the same process as above starting from the last step.
Swivel Hub Maintenance
Grease
Just like any part in your car, a swivel hub requires regular maintenance but this service will typically come up every 40,000 km. The first line of defence here is to put grease in through the top bolt. This is best done by turning the wheel outwards on full lock so you can get enough grease inside.
Rebuilding
The second and more time-consuming part of swivel hub maintenance is to rebuild them. While you can do this by getting all the parts together on your own, it's best to get yourself a swivel hub kit to ensure you rebuild the hub properly.
