How to get rear knuckle back on

[vortecd]

This has come up before and Jon found a way to do it but after having an issue with his bolt I figured out an easy fix. Once you pull the knuckle off there is a little sleeve that sticks out making it impossible to get in back on. All you need is a bigger nut or small spacer to fit over bolt and a washer but it may not needed in a pinch. The bolt and nut, you have them lying on the floor from disconnect the arms. They are 18mm and all you do is tighten them and it will push the sleeve in. I used 2 18mm wrenches

 

[Unholy707]

Yep, I also use the bolt trick

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

Yup, serious PITA doing my AAD upgrade before making that realization.

 

[jonx96]

Yup, serious PITA doing my AAD upgrade before making that realization.

Why’d did you have the knuckle off for the aad upgrade ? You did it the hard way it sounds like

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

@jonx96 Maybe I’m confusing that for when I R&R’d my oem Hellcat half shafts for Demon ones? I did them at different times as I couldn’t get the parts together all at once.

 

[2ndgen]

Yep. I found that trick somewhere in one of the forums. I went the other way though--threaded through both sides and had it push outwards from the middle. Good to know it works that way also--might be even easier.

 

[Wizza]

I tried that and had a massive whack series with a mallet to NO AVAIL.....ended up using a little grinding to bevel the very edges but am wagering it was all about the angle is was being oriented in and I could not do it one person job.....had a buddy come help who had changed his axles out before and he held the HS while I moved the hub to get the axle lined up and the parts were able to be lined up correctly.....bit of prybar action and it was done.....lesson learned

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

@Wizza I had to enlist help as well, trying to balance all the shit and get that knuckle back together with only 2 hands proved painfully unlikely!!!

 

[Wizza]

oh no doubt at all.....even trying to gain room by taking off the ebrake cable from the hub and getting more distance just was not something I could manage.

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

I removed the E-Brake cable as well.

 

[2ndgen]

Once you get that bushing pressed through it goes on easy--one person job--slid right on for me.

 

[vortecd]

Once you get that bushing pressed through it goes on easy--one person job--slid right on for me.

I did it myself also. One reason I posted it was if someone has an issue they may be able to find it in a search. I know I have searched for help on different projects

 

[RGPIII]

no need to ever take this part off, just take out the inner lower control arm bolt. gives you all the room you need and goes back together like butter.

 

[2ndgen]

no need to ever take this part off, just take out the inner lower control arm bolt. gives you all the room you need and goes back together like butter.

There's only two ways to swap an axle:
- drop the diff
- remove the knuckle
You cannot just partially remove suspension from the knuckle, the axle will not clear it. If you found a way that works I'd love to see it--but I've done it twice and after removing everything but the knuckle off the LCA it still wouldn't clear.

 

[vortecd]

no need to ever take this part off, just take out the inner lower control arm bolt. gives you all the room you need and goes back together like butter.

I have normally pulled the axles out by dropping the diff but gforce said you shouldn't do that. On the outlaws they are next to impossible to do it that way. By going out the side only I didn't think you could get them in without really prying on them for what I have seen

 

[RGPIII]

There's only two ways to swap an axle:
- drop the diff
- remove the knuckle
You cannot just partially remove suspension from the knuckle, the axle will not clear it. If you found a way that works I'd love to see it--but I've done it twice and after removing everything but the knuckle off the LCA it still wouldn't clear.

I've replaced many axles this way. never once unbolted the knuckle. take all but that one PITA bolt out, take the inner lower control arm bolt out and it gives you all the clearance you need.

 

[2ndgen]

You mean detach the LCA from the cradle vs the knuckle from the LCA ?

 

[RGPIII]

exactly.

 

[2ndgen]

Ahh, okay. I'll have to try that next time. However removing and replacing the knuckle is really easy once you figure out the trick. However if undoing the LCA from the cradle means you can leave more items still attached to the knuckle could be faster still.

 

[vortecd]

That sounds worse. I did rear springs and choose to drop the cradle one side at a time then unbolting the control arm. Seems you have to lower exhaust to get bolt out. You probably don't have full exhaust, race car